No feat in basketball symbolizes athleticism and creativity more than the slam dunk. Basketball players who can reach the rim at will and pound the ball through the net over their competition make the people on the floor and in the audience in awe of what they are watching. As the game evolves and NBA players add new elements to their repertoires, the dunking, both in-game and in-competition, becomes more dynamic and exciting.
With all of that said, it's time to look at the 22 best dunkers in NBA history. These high-flyers get you off your couch and screaming like nobody else!
1. Vince Carter
Vinsanity topping this list is as surprising as the sun coming up in the sky each morning. Vince Carter possesses the greatest dunk in basketball history, the best dunk contest performance in NBA history, and a slew of in-game theatrics that gave birth to the nickname “Half Man, Half Amazing.” Carter would attempt feats in the air that didn't make sense, combining power and finesse like nobody else!
2. Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan wasn't known as Air Jordan for nothing. One look at Jordan flying through the air, legs spread apart and tongue outside his agape mouth, mesmerized fans who sometimes didn't even know anything about basketball. Jordan's aesthetic while dunking led to his personal logo and branding, along with a shoe deal unmatched in sports.
3. Dominique Wilkins
Dominique Wilkins dunked like he was holding a grudge on the rim. When the Human Highlight Reel picked up speed and trounced through the competition, you knew someone would be on the other end of a poster. His famous dunk contest duels with Michael Jordan are the stuff of legend!
4. Julius Erving
Dr. J made dunking into the event, viewing it so many decades later, introducing high-flying to the masses. His large hands and added height made his dunking unique compared to more modern dunkers on this list. Erving remains one of the most popular players from the 1980s, and his rock-the-baby dunk may be the best in-game feat in the sport's history!
5. Shawn Kemp
Shawn Kemp towered over his competition as one of the only power forwards to dunk with artistry and personality. When the Reign Man dunked over you, he was out to embarrass you and your entire family tree. Alton Liston knows a thing or two about getting in the way of Kemp on the open floor!
6. Blake Griffin
Blake Griffin represents the evolution of Shawn Kemp and the oversized dunkers at the turn of the 21st century. Griffin initially garnered endorsement deals because of his dunk content exploits, such as leaping over sedans. Still, his relentless careens to the basket during games, sometimes even dunks that didn't touch the rim (termed “thrunks” by some fans), built his dunking reputation exponentially.
7. Zach Lavine
Zach Lavine has tried hard to become known more for his three-point shooting and playmaking in recent years, but he single-handily saved the dunk content with his victory over Aaron Gordon in 2016. LaVine combines Michael Jordan's grace and Vince Carter's power in his dunking arsenal.
8. LeBron James
LeBron James famously ducked the dunk content for his entire career, claiming he preferred to show off during games. We can't knock him for this decision, as two decades of seeming James sprint and slam was a nice consolation prize. Even in his old age, LeBron can still get up high!
9. David Thompson
David Thompson did for guards what Julius Erving did for forwards regarding spearheading dunking techniques. Skywalker dunked in the lane, took off from the free-throw line, and made his competition look a step slow. Michael Jordan and Vince Carter wouldn't exist as dunkers without David Thompson.
10. Clyde Drexler
Clyde Drexler's effortless gliding through the court gave him a dunking style that juxtaposed that of Michael Jordan and other guards from the '80s. Drexler looked like he was moving in slow motion, creating poetry through athletics. Even as he went to the Rockets, Drexler pulled out a smooth dunk every now and then.
11. Larry Nance
Larry Nance Jr. is more famous with the kids now, but his father was the better dunker. Larry Nance has an iconic dunk contest win in 1984 and various in-game slams that showcased his lankiness and eclectic dunking forms.
12. Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant is so lauded for his post moves, handle, and many shots that his dunking prowess goes unnoticed. Young Black Mamba was a menace around the rim, with insane spins and in-air moves that nobody had ever seen before and hasn't been copied.
13. Jason Richardson
If 360 dunks are the most popular in basketball, then Jason Richardson's game was the epitome of the profession. J-Rich had an unlimited supply of swirls, twisting more times than a Dairy Queen ice cream treat in the summer sun!
14. Shaquille O'Neal
Shaq didn't have any fancy dunks, but when you use the dunk as your primary weapon in the post, you have to be considered one of the best of all time. The seven-footer used his inhuman strength to overpower defenders who even dared to get close to him in the interior of the paint!
15. Tracy McGrady
Much like Julius Erving, Tracy McGrady's larger frame made his dunks look more angelic than a smaller player's. McGrady typically liked to focus on jump shooting and majestic scoring. Therefore, his dunking sometimes came as a surprise to audiences and peers!
16. Ja Morant
Ja Morant dunks so viciously that some fans on social media fear he'll hurt himself someday. The Memphis point guard is the next revision on the dunking point guard after Derrick Rose and Russell Westbrook, topping both due to his desire to try dunks that aren't even possible.
17. Darryl Dawkins
Darryl Dawkins nicknamed himself “Chocolate Thunder,” and he brought the heat to the backboards of the 1970s NBA. Dawkins broke rims and shattered glass all over the hardwood, and his charisma and energy while doing so is a nostalgic blast from the past for older NBA fans who remember the show!
18. Amar'e Stoudemire
Steve Nash's perfect playmaking aided Amar'e Stoudemire, but his signature dunking added so much flare to the Phoenix Suns games of the 2000s. Stoudemire gave a preview of the dunking of Blake Griffin, which sprouted from the seeds planted by Shawn Kemp.
19. Andre Iguodala
Andre Iguodala's enormous biceps and broad shoulders made his dunks in his younger years look both methodical and raw at the same time. Unfortunately, Iggy's career as a role player throughout the last ten years has erased his high-flying days from fans' minds.
20. Dwight Howard
Dwight Howard has the most dunks in NBA regular season history. A lob to Dwight Howard in his prime seemed like the surest bet you would get two points.
21. Nate Robinson
Nate Robinson stood up for the little guys by dunking with unmatched charisma at the mundane height of 5'9”. The Seattle native enjoyed the dunk contest, winning it over and over again while peppering his in-game exploits with crazy dunking, too.
22. Derrick Rose
Derrick Rose is the first point guard to make dunking part of his game regularly. Others may have tried to dunk from the position before him, but never at the frequency that Rose rocked the rim. His quiet demeanor off the court juxtaposed his dunking to make it even more jarring!
