Slam dunk
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- Main article: Basketball moves
A slam dunk (or simply a dunk) is a type of basketball shot that is performed when a player jumps in the air and manually powers the ball through the basket with one or both of his hands, then grabs the rim shortly after the ball passes through the hoop. This is a standard field goal worth two points. The term "slam dunk" was first coined by former L.A. Lakers announcer Chick Hearn [1].
The slam dunk is one of the highest percentage field goals one can attempt in basketball as well as one of the most crowd-pleasing plays. Other terms for slam dunk include "jam", "stuff", "flush", "cram" or "throw down". Slam dunk contests are quite popular, and perhaps the most popular contest is the NBA Slam Dunk Contest held during the annual NBA All-Star Weekend. The first slam dunk contest was held during an American Basketball Association All Star Game.
Dunking was banned in the NCAA from 1967 to 1976. Many have attributed this to the dominance of the then-college phenom Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (then called Lew Alcindor) upon his entry into the NCAA. Subsequently, the no-dunking rule is sometimes referred to as the "Lew Alcindor Rule". However the greater likelihood is that the dunk was banned because of the likes of Bob Ferguson, who popularized the dunk when he was drafted by the New York Knicks in 1968.[2]
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[edit] Notable dunks
Michael Wilson, a former Harlem Globetrotter and University of Memphis basketball player, holds the world record for the highest dunk. On April 1, 2000, Wilson dunked a basketball on a goal set at 3.65m (12 feet) from the floor. However, Wilt Chamberlain was also known to have performed the feat on an experimental basket set up by Phog Allen at the University of Kansas in the 1950s [1]. Chamberlain, unlike Wilson, did not have the advantage of being given an alley oop.
Vince Carter leapt over 7-foot-2 (2.18 m) French center Frédéric Weis in the 2000 Summer Olympics. The French media dubbed it "le dunk de la mort" — the dunk of death.
Jim Pollard, Wilt Chamberlain, Julius Erving, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Brent Barry have each dunked while jumping from around the free throw line, which is 15 feet from the basket. Unlike the others, Chamberlain did not require a full running start, but instead began his movement from inside the top half of the free throw circle. [1]
Several notable and remarkable dunks have been performed by players at the annual NBA Slam Dunk Contest. Spud Webb at 5'7" (1.70 m) defeated 6'8" (2.03m) Dominique Wilkins in the 1986 contest. Michael Jordan won the the 1987 Slam Dunk Contest with a dunk referred to by some fans as the leaner. This dunk was so-called because Jordan's body was orthogonal to the ground ("leaning") while performing the dunk. TNT viewers rated it "the best dunk of all time" over Vince Carter's between-the-legs slam.[3]
Candace Parker in 2006 became the first woman to dunk in a women's NCAA tournament game. Lisa Leslie was the first woman to dunk in a WNBA game. Georganne Wells of West Virginia was the first woman to dunk in an NCAA game in December 1984. Other well-known female dunkers include Cheryl Miller, Charlotte Smith and Michelle Snow (who did this in the 2006 WNBA All-Star Game).
[edit] Use in popular culture
The phrase "slam dunk" is often used outside of basketball, usually to signify success or something that is easily accomplished or that has a high probability of success. For example, one could say "that was a slam-dunk performance," though this is seen by many as being colloquial. According to Bob Woodward in his book "Plan of Attack", former CIA Director George J. Tenet assured President George W. Bush in December 2002 that the existence of Iraqi Weapons of Mass Destruction was “a slam dunk case” [4], affixing him to the term [5].
[edit] References
- ^ a b The Leaping Legends of Basketball, The Los Angeles Times; 12 February 1989; Scott Ostler
