The Slam Dunk Contest is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) competition held during the NBA All-Star Weekend. The contest was inaugurated by the American Basketball Association (ABA) at its All-Star Game in 1976 in Denver, the same year the slam dunk was legalized in the NCAA. As a result of the ABA-NBA merger later that year there would not be another slam dunk contest at the professional level until 1984. The contest currently uses fan voting, via text-messaging, to determine the winner of the final round.
The very first slam dunk contest was won by Julius Erving at the 1976 ABA All-Star Game. The current champion of the NBA Dunk Contest is Blake Griffin.
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The NBA reintroduced the Slam Dunk Contest in 1984 at its birthplace in Denver. Erving's dunk from the free throw line that year remains one of the most memorable slam dunks in NBA history but it did not result in him winning the competition; instead, Phoenix's Larry Nance won. Dominique Wilkins won the contest the following year, but in 1986 his Atlanta Hawks teammate Spud Webb made history when he defeated Wilkins in the final, preventing him from retaining his title. Standing a mere 5 feet 7 inches tall, Webb became the shortest player ever to win the contest, a distinction that he still holds. Chicago's Michael Jordan won back-to-back dunk contest victories in 1987 and 1988.
The Slam Dunk Contest had always been a big hit with fans, but interest in the contest began to wane in the mid-1990s. Initially, it was because many players lost interest in competing; some cited concerns of injuries, while others felt that the full repertoire of humanly-possible dunks had already been exhausted. With most of the superstars choosing not to participate, lesser-known players began to compete, leading to watered-down competitions. Fans complained that players were beginning to win contests with boring or unoriginal dunks (witness the relatively forgettable early-'90s wins by the likes of Cedric Ceballos and Brent Barry). Harold Miner was a standout in 1993, winning the contest with a reverse power dunk, reaching between his legs and down to his feet in mid-air before sending the ball down. In 1994 and 1997 respectively, Isaiah Rider and Kobe Bryant won the contest. Rider would win with a spectacular, between-the-legs dunk, reminiscent of the Orlando Woolridge effort in the 1984 contest, but wasn't able to repeat in 1995, missing the same dunk on several tries, opening the way for Miner to grab his second slam dunk title in three years. In 1999, there was no All-Star Game due to the NBA lockout.
After a two-season layoff, the NBA decided to bring the Slam Dunk Contest back for the 2000 All-Star Weekend in Oakland, California. It would prove to be one of the most electrifying dunk contests in the league's history, featuring a great showdown between eventual winner Vince Carter of the Toronto Raptors, his cousin and then-teammate Tracy McGrady, and the Houston Rockets' Steve Francis. Carter won after performing a number of very impressive dunks, including a reverse 360 windmill, a honey dip, and a between-the-legs dunk off of a bounced alley-oop from McGrady. The next four contests did not feature superstars like Carter and Bryant, and despite innovative efforts by the likes of Desmond Mason and Jason Richardson, the lack of A-list superstars willing to participate hurt the appeal of the contest.
In 2005, the Slam Dunk Contest returned to its birthplace in Denver. With the spectacular dunks of prior contests, there was buzz that the dunk competition could regain the popularity it had in the 1980s. The Phoenix Suns' Amar'e Stoudemire alley-ooping 360 off a soccer-style header from teammate Steve Nash; J.R. Smith putting it around his back and dunking, and the new champion, Josh Smith alley-ooping over Kenyon Martin all wowed the crowd with their maneuvers. With the change in the rules requiring an additional teammate starting in the second round, they proved there were indeed many ways to dunk a basketball that had not been done before. Amar'e Stoudemire and Josh Smith received rave reviews when he did a tribute dunk to Dominique Wilkins while donning Wilkins' jersey.
Again in 2006, the Dunk Contest in Houston, Texas revitalized the interests of audiences as 5'9" Nate Robinson of the New York Knicks took the title with a great dunk-off. One of his most exciting dunks was a high-flying dunk over former Slam Dunk Contest winner, 5'7" Spud Webb. The 2006 Slam Dunk Contest was also the first Dunk Contest in history to have a "Dunk Off", the equivalent to a Dunk Contest overtime, between Knicks point guard Nate Robinson and shooting guard Andre Iguodala of the Philadelphia 76ers. Many fans argue that Iguodala should have won the contest, as it took Robinson seventeen attempts before finally completing his dunk. Iguodala also pulled off a dunk where he started out of bounds from the right side of the baseline while teammate Allen Iverson bounced the ball off the back of the right side of the backboard. Iguodala caught the ball in mid-air behind the backboard, spun around to the other side while ducking his head (to avoid colliding with the backboard) and dunked it with his right hand.
On February 17, 2007, the contest was held in Las Vegas. Judges for the event were all past winners: Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins, Kobe Bryant, Julius Erving, and Vince Carter. The title was taken by the Boston Celtics' Gerald Green, who, among other dunks, jumped over reigning champ Nate Robinson while covering his face – a homage to 1991 winner, Dee Brown, whose jersey Green had worn. He also scored a perfect fifty with his last slam, a windmill over a table. Other noteworthy dunks include a dunk by Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard, who, while making his dunk, stuck a sticker with his smiling face and his favorite verse from the Bible on the backboard a reported 12'6" from the ground, two and a half feet beyond the regulation NBA rim.
On February 16, 2008, the contest was held in New Orleans. Judges for the event included Darryl Dawkins, Dominique Wilkins, Karl Malone, Julius Erving, and Magic Johnson. The title was taken by Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard. Howard's most noteworthy dunk came during the first round, his second dunk overall, when he took off his jersey to reveal a Superman shirt and cape. With teammate Jameer Nelson's assistance he would make a leaping dunk from just in front of the free-throw line after a running start, throwing the ball through the rim from a few feet away. Other noteworthy dunks included the first round slam by Jamario Moon while the previous year's winner, Gerald Green, relied heavily on theatrics by blowing out a cupcake with a birthday candle on the rim before dunking (a jam he termed "The Birthday Cake"). For the first time ever, fan voting determined the outcome of the final round of the contest; Howard beat Green for the trophy by claiming 78% of the fans' votes.
Nate Robinson won the 2009 contest on February 14 in Phoenix, Arizona. The 5'9" guard dressed all in green as "Krypto-Nate" ( a portmanteau of 'Nate' and Kryptonite ) and jumped over 6'11" Dwight Howard characterized as Superman. He defeated Howard in the finals by a fan vote of 52–48 percent. J. R. Smith, and Rudy Fernández also competed.
Nate Robinson won the 2010 contest on February 13 in Dallas, Texas. He is the first 3-time Slam Dunk champion. He defeated DeMar DeRozan of the Toronto Raptors in the final with 51% of the votes, compared to 49% for DeRozan.
Blake Griffin won the 2011 slam dunk contest by jumping & dunking over a Kia Optima, on February 19 in Los Angeles, CA with 68% of the votes.
Ben Maller of Fox Sports Radio reported that a media advisory sent out by the NBA over an hour before the 2011 Slam Dunk Contest began already referred to Blake Griffin as the winner.[1]
Over the history of the event, there have been 20 players who have been crowned the best dunkers in the NBA. Of those 18, four are two-time winners including: Dominique Wilkins, Michael Jordan, Harold Miner and Jason Richardson. Nate Robinson most recently became the first three-time winner of the event.
Slam Dunk Contest champions by franchise
| Number | Franchise | Last Time |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Atlanta Hawks | 2005 |
| 4 | New York Knicks | 2010 |
| 2 | Chicago Bulls | 1988 |
| 2 | Golden State Warriors | 2003 |
| 2 | Miami Heat | 1995 |
| 2 | Phoenix Suns | 1992 |
| 2 | Boston Celtics | 2007 |
| 2 | L.A. Clippers | 2011 |
| 1 | Indiana Pacers | 2004 |
| 1 | L.A. Lakers | 1997 |
| 1 | Minnesota Timberwolves | 1994 |
| 1 | Orlando Magic | 2008 |
| 1 | Seattle SuperSonics | 2001 |
| 1 | Toronto Raptors | 2000 |
Bold denotes winner of that year.
| Player | First round | Semifinals | Finals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Larry Nance (Phoenix) | 134 (44,44,46) | 140 (49+48+43) | 134 (48+39+47) |
| Julius Erving (Philadelphia) | 134 (39+47+48) | 140 (44+49+47) | 122 (47+25+50) |
| Dominique Wilkins (Atlanta) | 135 (47+39+49) | 137 (48+48+41) | |
| Darrell Griffith (Utah) | 121 (39+40+42) | 108 (42+42+24) | |
| Edgar Jones (San Antonio) | 118 (32+43+43) | ||
| Ralph Sampson (Houston) | 118 (37+40+41) | ||
| Orlando Woolridge (Chicago) | 116 (23+45+48) | ||
| Clyde Drexler (Portland) | 108 (40+24+44) | ||
| Michael Cooper (L.A. Lakers) | 108 (40+24+44) | ||
| Player | First round | Semifinals | Finals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dominique Wilkins (Atlanta) | 145 (47+49+49) | 140 (48+45+47) | 147 (47+50+50) |
| Michael Jordan (Chicago) | 130 (44+42+42) | 142 (45+47+50) | 136 (43+44+49) |
| Terence Stansbury (Indiana) | 130 (46+50+34) | 136 (49+48+39) | |
| Julius Erving (Philadelphia) | BYEa | 132 (43+44+45) | |
| Larry Nance (Phoenix) | BYEa | 131 (42+47+42) | |
| Darrell Griffith (Utah) | 126 (38+42+46) | ||
| Orlando Woolridge (Chicago) | 124 (40+43+41) | ||
| Joshua Treadway (Washington) | 123 (39+39+45) | ||
| Clyde Drexler (Portland) | 122 (39+39+44) | ||
aErving and Nance received first-round byes as they were the finalists from the previous year.
| Player | First round | Semifinals | Finals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spud Webb (Atlanta) | 141 (46+48+47) | 138 (50+42+46) | 100 (50+50) |
| Dominique Wilkins (Atlanta) | BYEa | 138 (46+47+45) | 98 (50+48) |
| Terence Stansbury (Indiana) | 129b (34+47+48) | 132 (44+39+49) | |
| Gerald Wilkins (New York) | 133 (44+50+39) | 87 (37+25+25) | |
| Jerome Kersey (Portland) | 129 (39+43+47) | ||
| Paul Pressey (Milwaukee) | 116 (44+35+37) | ||
| Roy Hinson (Cleveland) | 112 (35+39+38) | ||
| Terry Tyler (Sacramento) | 110 (37+36+37) | ||
aWilkins received a first-round bye as he was the previous year's champion.
bStansbury defeated Kersey in a dunk-off to break their tie.
| Player | First round | Semifinals | Finals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Jordan (Chicago) | 88 (41+47) | 148 (49+49+50) | 146 (48+48+50) |
| Jerome Kersey (Portland) | 92 (48+44) | 147 (50+48+49) | 140 (46+45+49) |
| Terence Stansbury (Seattle) | 99 (49+50) | 144 (49+45+50) | |
| Clyde Drexler (Portland) | 92 (45+47) | 136 (46+45+45) | |
| Ron Harper (Cleveland) | 83 (45+38) | ||
| Johnny Dawkins (San Antonio) | 81 (37+44) | ||
| Tom Chambers (Seattle) | 62 (41+21) | ||
| Gerald Wilkins (New York) | 62 (41+21) | ||
1988
Ron Harper (Cleveland) was to participate but withdrew due to injury.
| Player | First round | Semifinals | Finals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Jordan (Chicago) | 94 (47+47) | 145 (50+48+47) | 147 (50+47+50) |
| Dominique Wilkins (Atlanta) | 96 (49+47) | 143 (49+47+47) | 145 (50+50+45) |
| Clyde Drexler (Portland) | 88 (44+44) | 133 (45+42+46) | |
| Otis Smith (Golden State) | 87 (40+47) | 109 (45+22+42) | |
| Jerome Kersey (Portland) | 79 (41+38) | ||
| Greg Anderson (San Antonio) | 76 (42+34) | ||
| Spud Webb (Atlanta) | 52 (34+18) | ||
| Player | First round | Semifinals | Finals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenny Walker (New York) | 91.3 (42.5+48.8) | 96.4 (46.9+49.5) | 148.1 (48.9+49.6+49.6) |
| Clyde Drexler (Portland) | 93.7 (46.6+47.1) | 95.0 (47.3+47.7) | 49.5 (24.5+25.0+ 0.0a) |
| Spud Webb (Atlanta) | 94.5 (46.8+47.7) | 91.8 (47.8+44.0) | |
| Shelton Jones (Philadelphia) | 89.5 (44.1+45.4) | 90.6 (45.7+44.9) | |
| Tim Perry (Phoenix) | 89.4 (44.4+45.0) | ||
| Jerome Kersey (Portland) | 88.9 (44.9+44.0) | ||
| Ron Harper (Cleveland) | 88.5 (41.7+46.8) | ||
| Chris Morris (New Jersey) | 83.2 (41.1+42.1) | ||
a Drexler did not attempt his final dunk, as victory was out of reach.
| Player | First round | Semifinals | Finals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dominique Wilkins (Atlanta) | 96.3 (48.1+48.2) | 97.7 (48.0+49.7) | 146.8 (47.9+49.7+49.2) |
| Kenny Smith (Sacramento) | 93.0 (43.4+49.6) | 98.3 (49.1+49.2) | 145.1 (48.1+49.8+47.2) |
| Kenny Walker (New York) | 95.2 (47.0+48.2) | 97.4 (49.5+47.9) | |
| Shawn Kemp (Seattle) | 98.2 (49.1+49.1) | 96.4 (47.6+48.8) | |
| Scottie Pippen (Chicago) | 92.2 (47.2+45.0) | ||
| Rex Chapman (Charlotte) | 92.1 (45.5+46.6) | ||
| Billy Thompson (Miami) | 91.4 (47.7+43.7) | ||
| Kenny Battle (Phoenix) | 85.8 (42.5+42.8) | ||
1991
Beginning with this year, final round competitors were allowed three dunks, with the two highest scores comprising the total.
| Player | First round | Semifinals | Finals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dee Brown (Boston) | 92.4 (48.2+44.2) | 98.0 (49.6+48.4) | 97.7 (48.1+49.6–46.4) |
| Shawn Kemp (Seattle) | 95.8 (47.6+48.2) | 95.6 (48.3+47.3) | 93.7 (48.0+45.7–44.3) |
| Rex Chapman (Charlotte) | 95.2 (45.5+49.7) | 94.0 (48.0+46.0) | |
| Kenny Smith (Houston) | 90.8 (48.5+42.3) | 87.9 (46.6+41.3) | |
| Kenny Williams (Indiana) | 86.9 (42.3+44.6) | ||
| Blue Edwards (Utah) | 84.3 (40.1+44.2) | ||
| Otis Smith (Orlando) | 83.0 (41.2+41.8) | ||
| Kendall Gill (Charlotte) | 81.0 (40.1+40.9) | ||
| Player | First round | Semifinals | Finals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cedric Ceballos (Phoenix) | 85.4 (43.1+42.3) | 90.4 (45.7+44.7) | 97.2 (47.2+50.0–43.3) |
| Larry Johnson (Charlotte) | 98.0 (48.6+49.4) | 98.0 (49.6+48.4) | 66.0 (33.5+32.5–0.0a) |
| Nick Anderson (Orlando) | 88.6 (47.4+41.2) | 89.8 (46.0+43.8) | |
| John Starks (New York) | 89.6 (42.6+47.0) | 87.9 (43.1+44.8) | |
| Doug West (Minnesota) | 84.1 (44.3+39.8) | ||
| Shawn Kemp (Seattle) | 81.4 (47.4+34.0) | ||
| Stacey Augmon (Atlanta) | 79.5 (44.7+34.8) | ||
a Johnson did not attempt his final dunk, as victory was out of reach.
1993
The two highest score dunks of three in each round comprised the competitor's score.
Shawn Kemp (Seattle) was scheduled to compete but was injured.
| Player | First round | Finals |
|---|---|---|
| Harold Miner (Miami) | 94.8 (49.0+45.8–45.8) | 97.4 (48.0+49.4–47.0) |
| Clarence Weatherspoon (Philadelphia) | 87.5 (43.2+44.3–38.5) | 92.2 (44.7+47.5–27.5) |
| Cedric Ceballos (Phoenix) | 87.3 (42.3+45.1–22.5) | 79.8 (42.3+37.5–24.5) |
| David Benoit (Utah) | 85.8 (41.5+44.3–28.5) | |
| Kenny Smith (Houston) | 85.0 (46.5+38.5–26.5) | |
| Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf (Denver) | 80.8 (38.0+42.8–26.0) | |
| Tim Perry (Philadelphia) | 70.0 (38.5+31.5–22.0) |
1994
In the first round, each competitor was allowed 90 seconds to do as many dunks as he chooses with one overall score. The final round score was the best of two dunks.
| Player | First round | Finals |
|---|---|---|
| Isaiah Rider (Minnesota) | 46.8 | 49.0, 47.0 |
| Robert Pack (Denver) | 42.0 | 43.8, 25.0 |
| Shawn Kemp (Seattle) | 46.6 | 25.0, 25.0 |
| Allan Houston (Detroit) | 41.5 | |
| Antonio Davis (Indiana) | 40.0 | |
| James Robinson (Portland) | 39.0 |
1995
This year, each competitor was allowed 90 seconds to do at least three dunks and then given an overall score in round one. In the final round, each competitor was allowed 60 seconds to do at least two dunks and then given an overall score.
| Player | First round | Finals |
|---|---|---|
| Harold Miner (Miami) | 49.2 | 46.0 |
| Isaiah Rider (Minnesota) | 44.6 | 34.0 |
| Jamie Watson (Utah) | 40.4 | 26.0 |
| Antonio Harvey (L.A. Lakers) | 35.2 | |
| Tim Perry (Philadelphia) | 31.0 | |
| Tony Dumas (Dallas) | 15.0 |
1996
Beginning this year, in the first round, each competitor was allowed 90 seconds to do as many dunks as he chooses with one overall score. The final round score was the best of two dunks.
| Player | First round | Finals |
|---|---|---|
| Brent Barry (L.A. Clippers) | 45.5 | 8.0, 49.0 |
| Michael Finley (Phoenix) | 45.0 | 7.0, 46.2 |
| Greg Minor (Boston) | 41.0 | 2.0, 40.0 |
| Jerry Stackhouse (Philadelphia) | 40.0 | |
| Doug Christie (New York) | 39.5 | |
| Darrell Armstrong (Orlando) | 25.5 |
| Player | First round | Finals |
|---|---|---|
| Kobe Bryant (L.A. Lakers) | 37 | 49 |
| Chris Carr (Minnesota) | 44 | 45 |
| Michael Finley (Dallas) | 39 | 33 |
| Ray Allen (Milwaukee) | 35 | |
| Bob Sura (Cleveland) | 35 | |
| Darvin Ham (Denver) | 36 |
1998
No competition was held.
1999
No competition was held as All-Star Weekend was not held due to the NBA's lockout.
2000
Beginning with this year, the two highest dunks in each round comprised the competitor's total score.
| Player | First round | Finals |
|---|---|---|
| Vince Carter (Toronto) | 100 (50,49,50) | 98 (50+48) |
| Steve Francis (Houston) | 95 (45,50,32) | 91 (43+48) |
| Tracy McGrady (Toronto) | 99 (45,49,50) | 77 (45+32) |
| Ricky Davis (Charlotte) | 88 (40,32,48) | |
| Jerry Stackhouse (Detroit) | 83 (41,36,42) | |
| Larry Hughes (Philadelphia) | 67 (30,30,37) |
| Player | First round | Finals |
|---|---|---|
| Desmond Mason (Seattle) | 91 (42+49) | 89 (45+44) |
| DeShawn Stevenson (Utah) | 95 (46+49) | 85 (38+47) |
| Baron Davis (Charlotte) | 94 (45+49) | 77 (44+33) |
| Stromile Swift (Vancouver) | 90 (45+45) | |
| Jonathan Bender (Indiana) | 90 (46+44) | |
| Corey Maggette (L.A. Clippers) | 88 (46+42) |
2002
A tournament format was adopted for this year.
| Semi-finals | Finals | |||||||
| Desmond Mason (Seattle) | 84 (41,43,36) | |||||||
| Jason Richardson (Golden State) | 98 (48,31,50) | |||||||
| Jason Richardson | 85 (36+49) | |||||||
| Gerald Wallace | 80 (44+36) | |||||||
| Steve Francis (Houston) | 77 (31,40,37) | |||||||
| Gerald Wallace (Sacramento) | 84 (41,43,36) | |||||||
| Player | First round | Finals |
|---|---|---|
| Jason Richardson (Golden State) | 100 (50+50) | 95 (45+50) |
| Desmond Mason (Seattle) | 90 (46+44) | 93 (50+43) |
| Amaré Stoudemire (Phoenix) | 79 (49+30) | |
| Richard Jefferson (New Jersey) | 74 (37+37) |
| Player | First round | Finals |
|---|---|---|
| Fred Jones (Indiana) | 92 (50+42) | 86 (50+36) |
| Jason Richardson (Golden State) | 95 (45+50) | 78 (45+33) |
| Chris Andersen (Denver) | 88 (42+46) | |
| Ricky Davis (Boston) | 76 (45+31) |
| Player | First round | Finals |
|---|---|---|
| Josh Smith (Atlanta) | 95 (45+50) | 100 (50+50) |
| Amaré Stoudemire (Phoenix) | 95 (45+50) | 87 (45+42) |
| J. R. Smith (New Orleans) | 90 (45+45) | |
| Chris Andersen (New Orleans) | 77 (41+36) |
| Player | First round | Finals | Tie-break |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nate Robinson (New York) | 93 (49+44) | 94 (44+50) | 47 |
| Andre Iguodala (Philadelphia) | 95 (45+50) | 94 (50+44) | 46 |
| Hakim Warrick (Memphis) | 86 (44+42) | ||
| Josh Smith (Atlanta) | 81 (41+40) | ||
| Player | First round | Finals |
|---|---|---|
| Gerald Green (Boston) | 95 (48+47) | 91 (41+50) |
| Nate Robinson (New York) | 90 (45+45) | 80 (39+41) |
| Dwight Howard (Orlando) | 85 (43+42) | |
| Tyrus Thomas (Chicago) | 80 (37+43) |
2008
The final round was decided by fan voting via text messaging.
| Player | First round | Finals |
|---|---|---|
| Dwight Howard (Orlando) | 100 (50+50) | 78% |
| Gerald Green (Minnesota) | 91 (46+45) | 22% |
| Jamario Moon (Toronto) | 90 (46+44) | |
| Rudy Gay (Memphis) | 85 (37+48) |
2009
The final round was decided by fan voting via text messaging.
| Player | First round | Finals |
|---|---|---|
| Nate Robinson (New York) | 87 (46+41) | 52% |
| Dwight Howard (Orlando) | 100 (50+50) | 48% |
| J.R. Smith (Denver) | 85 (43+42) | |
| Rudy Fernández (Portland) | 84 (42+42) |
2010
The final round was decided by fan voting via text messaging.
| Player | First round | Finals |
|---|---|---|
| Nate Robinson (New York) | 89 (44+45) | 51% |
| DeMar DeRozan (Toronto) | 92 (42+50) | 49% |
| Gerald Wallace (Charlotte) | 78 (37+41) | |
| Shannon Brown (L.A. Lakers) | 78 (38+40) |
2011
The final round was decided by fan voting via text messaging.
| Player | First round | Finals |
|---|---|---|
| Blake Griffin (L.A. Clippers) | 95 (49+46) | 68% |
| Javale McGee (Washington) | 99 (50+49) | 32% |
| DeMar DeRozan (Toronto) | 94 (44+50) | |
| Serge Ibaka (Oklahoma) | 90 (45+45) |
Round.
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