Top 10 Greatest NBA Dunks in History

At the 1988 NBA Slam Dunk Contest in Chicago, Michael Jordan took off from the free-throw line — 15 feet from the basket — spread his legs, extended his arm, and threw down a one-handed jam that earned a perfect score and cemented his "Air Jordan" nickname in the cultural lexicon. Jordan had performed a similar dunk in the 1987 contest, but the 1988 version was more extended, more graceful, and performed on a bigger stage. The image became one of the most reproduced sports photographs in history and defined the visual identity of the Air Jordan brand for decades.

In November 1992, Shawn Kemp of the Seattle SuperSonics received a pass on the break, caught it in stride at the free-throw line, and threw down a ferocious two-handed slam over the outstretched arm of Golden State's Alton Lister — then turned and pointed directly at Lister on the ground. The subsequent trash talk from Kemp is unprintable. The point was made. Kemp was just 22 years old and 6-foot-10, and the dunk demonstrated a combination of size, speed, and finishing power that no power forward had ever shown before. Charles Barkley, watching courtside, reportedly stood and applauded.

Dominique Wilkins earned the nickname "The Human Highlight Film" long before highlight reels existed in their modern form, and his 1985 Slam Dunk Contest performance is why. His signature dunk — a full-extension, windmill one-hander from the baseline — combined the power of a freight train with the grace of a ballet dancer. Wilkins won the 1985 contest and was runner-up in 1986 to Jordan, despite judges' scores that many observers found inexplicable. His 26,668 career points rank ninth all-time, and every one came with a rim-rocking attitude that made arenas collectively hold their breath.

On March 11, 2013, LeBron James of the Miami Heat rose up in transition and slammed a two-handed power dunk directly over Jason Terry of the Boston Celtics — a 6-foot-2 guard who had rashly tattooed the Larry O'Brien Trophy on his arm after signing with Boston, guaranteeing a championship. LeBron's dunk was the universe's response. The moment perfectly combined athletics, narrative, and cosmic justice. LeBron was photographed in the air, Terry horizontal beneath him, in an image that became one of the decade's defining sports photographs. Miami won the championship that year.

In Game 4 of the 1980 NBA Finals, Julius "Dr. J" Erving drove the baseline against the Los Angeles Lakers, was cut off by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, extended his body impossibly far under the backboard while falling out of bounds, and somehow scooped the ball in with a reverse layup that became known simply as "The Move." It predated widespread replay and VHS culture, so millions only heard descriptions of it for years before seeing footage. NBA players still name it as the play that made them fall in love with basketball. Erving essentially invented modern above-the-rim play.

During the 2009 NBA All-Star Game, Kobe Bryant received a pass in transition, pump-faked Dwight Howard (the league's most dominant shot-blocker at the time), rose above his outstretched hand, and threw down a vicious one-handed dunk. What made it extraordinary was the victim: Howard was 6-foot-11 and had won three consecutive Defensive Player of the Year awards at the time. Kobe's dunk was simultaneous with Howard's leap — he was above the man, not just the rim. The All-Star crowd, already partisan for entertainment, erupted in disbelief.

Blake Griffin won the 2011 Slam Dunk Contest by jumping over the hood of a Kia Optima — the contest's sponsor — and throwing down a catch-and-finish slam that the arena acknowledged with a standing ovation. But his in-game dunks were more impressive: on January 27, 2011, Griffin received an alley-oop lob and posterized Timofey Mozgov so violently that "Mozgov" briefly trended on Twitter as a verb meaning "to be dunked on catastrophically." Griffin averaged 22.5 PPG and 12.1 RPG in his first full season, accompanying each with at least one rim-shattering play per game.

Zion Williamson arrived in the NBA weighing 284 pounds — heavier than most power forwards — and immediately began dunking with a combination of power and athleticism that made arenas audibly gasp. His rookie season featured multiple dunks where he appeared to defy physics: rising to rim level in one step from the paint, catching lobs that required 40+ inch vertical leaps, and finishing contact dunks through multiple defenders. ESPN's tracking showed Williamson generated more force on his dunks than any player ever measured by their motion-capture system. At 19, he was already redefining what a 280-pound human body could do in the air.

On November 13, 1979, Philadelphia 76ers center Darryl Dawkins power-dunked so ferociously that the entire backboard shattered, sending glass cascading across the court at the Meadowlands. He did it again three weeks later in Utah. The NBA responded by installing breakaway rims. Dawkins named his dunks ("Chocolate-Thunder-Flying, Robinzine-Crying, Teeth-Shaking, Glass-Breaking, Rump-Roasting, Bun-Toasting, Wham-Bam-Glass-Breaker-I-Am-Jam") and claimed to be from the planet Lovetron. The backboard-shattering dunk became the sport's defining symbol of raw power.

At the 1988 NBA Slam Dunk Contest in Chicago, Michael Jordan took off from the free-throw line — 15 feet from the basket — spread his legs, extended his arm, and threw down a one-handed jam that earned a perfect score and cemented his "Air Jordan" nickname in the cultural lexicon. Jordan had performed a similar dunk in the 1987 contest, but the 1988 version was more extended, more graceful, and performed on a bigger stage. The image became one of the most reproduced sports photographs in history and defined the visual identity of the Air Jordan brand for decades.

In November 1992, Shawn Kemp of the Seattle SuperSonics received a pass on the break, caught it in stride at the free-throw line, and threw down a ferocious two-handed slam over the outstretched arm of Golden State's Alton Lister — then turned and pointed directly at Lister on the ground. The subsequent trash talk from Kemp is unprintable. The point was made. Kemp was just 22 years old and 6-foot-10, and the dunk demonstrated a combination of size, speed, and finishing power that no power forward had ever shown before. Charles Barkley, watching courtside, reportedly stood and applauded.

Dominique Wilkins earned the nickname "The Human Highlight Film" long before highlight reels existed in their modern form, and his 1985 Slam Dunk Contest performance is why. His signature dunk — a full-extension, windmill one-hander from the baseline — combined the power of a freight train with the grace of a ballet dancer. Wilkins won the 1985 contest and was runner-up in 1986 to Jordan, despite judges' scores that many observers found inexplicable. His 26,668 career points rank ninth all-time, and every one came with a rim-rocking attitude that made arenas collectively hold their breath.

On March 11, 2013, LeBron James of the Miami Heat rose up in transition and slammed a two-handed power dunk directly over Jason Terry of the Boston Celtics — a 6-foot-2 guard who had rashly tattooed the Larry O'Brien Trophy on his arm after signing with Boston, guaranteeing a championship. LeBron's dunk was the universe's response. The moment perfectly combined athletics, narrative, and cosmic justice. LeBron was photographed in the air, Terry horizontal beneath him, in an image that became one of the decade's defining sports photographs. Miami won the championship that year.

In Game 4 of the 1980 NBA Finals, Julius "Dr. J" Erving drove the baseline against the Los Angeles Lakers, was cut off by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, extended his body impossibly far under the backboard while falling out of bounds, and somehow scooped the ball in with a reverse layup that became known simply as "The Move." It predated widespread replay and VHS culture, so millions only heard descriptions of it for years before seeing footage. NBA players still name it as the play that made them fall in love with basketball. Erving essentially invented modern above-the-rim play.

During the 2009 NBA All-Star Game, Kobe Bryant received a pass in transition, pump-faked Dwight Howard (the league's most dominant shot-blocker at the time), rose above his outstretched hand, and threw down a vicious one-handed dunk. What made it extraordinary was the victim: Howard was 6-foot-11 and had won three consecutive Defensive Player of the Year awards at the time. Kobe's dunk was simultaneous with Howard's leap — he was above the man, not just the rim. The All-Star crowd, already partisan for entertainment, erupted in disbelief.

Blake Griffin won the 2011 Slam Dunk Contest by jumping over the hood of a Kia Optima — the contest's sponsor — and throwing down a catch-and-finish slam that the arena acknowledged with a standing ovation. But his in-game dunks were more impressive: on January 27, 2011, Griffin received an alley-oop lob and posterized Timofey Mozgov so violently that "Mozgov" briefly trended on Twitter as a verb meaning "to be dunked on catastrophically." Griffin averaged 22.5 PPG and 12.1 RPG in his first full season, accompanying each with at least one rim-shattering play per game.

Zion Williamson arrived in the NBA weighing 284 pounds — heavier than most power forwards — and immediately began dunking with a combination of power and athleticism that made arenas audibly gasp. His rookie season featured multiple dunks where he appeared to defy physics: rising to rim level in one step from the paint, catching lobs that required 40+ inch vertical leaps, and finishing contact dunks through multiple defenders. ESPN's tracking showed Williamson generated more force on his dunks than any player ever measured by their motion-capture system. At 19, he was already redefining what a 280-pound human body could do in the air.

On November 13, 1979, Philadelphia 76ers center Darryl Dawkins power-dunked so ferociously that the entire backboard shattered, sending glass cascading across the court at the Meadowlands. He did it again three weeks later in Utah. The NBA responded by installing breakaway rims. Dawkins named his dunks ("Chocolate-Thunder-Flying, Robinzine-Crying, Teeth-Shaking, Glass-Breaking, Rump-Roasting, Bun-Toasting, Wham-Bam-Glass-Breaker-I-Am-Jam") and claimed to be from the planet Lovetron. The backboard-shattering dunk became the sport's defining symbol of raw power.