Every Slam Dunk Contest Ever – A DunkUmentary

Today’s documentary examines the entirety of the event we all know and love, the Slam Dunk contest. From its humble origins in the ABA, to the modern spectacle it has now become. Relive every exciting slam, jam, leaping, flying, car jumping, candle blowing, free throw line dunk. Experience the rivalries of Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins, Zach Lavine and Aaron Gordon…the multiple championships of guys like Mac McClung, MJ, Nate Robinson, Nique, and so many others. See the little guys jam like Spudd Webb and Nate Robinson, or the powerhouses like Blake Griffon and Kenny Skywalker…all of it, in chronological order, presented in the way only Joseph Vincent can.

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Voice over narration by:
Andrew Scott

The slam dunk contest. Here comes Michael Jordan. It was the length of the court. Slam dunk contest was everything. It was where the top guns and his foot was honest to that day. A spectacle of athleticism, creativity, and showmanship. No matter when you see a dunk, it is always exciting. That sensational slam dunk. Kenny Skywalker. If there was ever a 50, that was the 50. They wanted to know who the best was. That’s why we did it. That’s why all the greats got in it. Because it wasn’t just for us. It was for the fans. That’s what they came to see. [Applause] A stage where the league’s most explosive players can push the boundaries of human flight. This may be 50. captivating fans with their brazen defiance of gravity. [Music] From Dr. Jay’s earliest exploits from the free throw [Applause] line to the modern artist. They blew it out who have turned the event into a showcase of creativity, spawning rivalries that captivated us all. MJ ability of a Dr. J, a Larry Bird. He’s already being compared and this his first year. The elevation, the hang time, the explosion, all of it. Wilkins Kobe, 18 and 1/2 years old. Third time. Are you not entertained? And Carter. That’s Carter with his frost. I was in another world where I felt like Mario just powered up to Super Mario. Let’s go home. Let’s go home, ladies and gentlemen. Let’s go home. Let’s Let’s go home. This documentary examines the history of the event we’ve all come to know and love. about to bear witness to one of the most spectacular events in professional basketball, the Slam Dunk Contest. The first ever Slam Dunk Contest was held in 1976 by the American Basketball Association. It will feature five of the most talented, colorful players in basketball. George Ger, George Der, the Death Nuggets, David Thompson. David Thompson had a handful of dunks that were ahead of their time. The double pump, David Thompson. But there was really only one man who was going to win this thing. The man that has turned the slam dunk into an art who has thrilled ABA fans with moves that have been beyond comprehension. At 6’6 for the New York Nets, the fabulous Dr. J. Julius Irving. Dr. J. Julius Irving was an icon who put the slam dunk on the map. Oh my. And now the doctor goes to work. In 1976, Dr. J performed one of the most iconic dunks in the history of basketball. He measured off from the free throw line. He took off running with those short shorts and his afro was blowing in the wind. Leaping from the free throw line was unheard of at the time. It was a true awe inspiring moment in sports history. The fans erupted into cheers and the first Dunk King was [Music] [Applause] named. And that sent everyone really, Julius Irving. and the winner, Julia Service. The next season, the ABA merged with the NBA and the first NBA dunk contest was held. $15,000 on the line. Dr. Dunk, Darnell Hillman. Darnell Hillman behind the head on a reverse. Kareem Abdul Jabar. And here is the preeminent player in pro basketball today, Karim Abdul Jabar, the Los Angeles Lakers. Rookie Daryl Dawkins. Daryl Dawkins directly out of Mayard Evans High School in Orlando, Florida. Get up in the air. And the final attempt to screen that sky hook slam dunk. He gets all five. Now the big guy looks over that basket, gets set for this timing move. They don’t have to dribble the ball. Look at him. Hold that ball like a grapefruit and bangs it through. It was Dr. Dunk who won it all. Call him Dr. Dunk in Indiana from San Jose State. 69 215 lb Darnell Hill. The elevation, the hang time, the explosion, all of them. All right, let’s see what the judges score on Darnell Hillman. 85 95 and 9. So Darnell Hillman with a $15,000 first prize. Hillman took home the $15,000 prize, but he wasn’t given a trophy until over 40 years later. The Pacers corrected the mistake and gave him a special trophy. The next contest wasn’t held until 7 years later in 1984. Slam dunk contest was everything. Oh, it was like shootout at the OK Corral. It was where the top gunslingers came. You will see today’s most spectacular players along with the greatest players of all time. in his second season. His entrance in the league was hailed as the second coming of Dr. J. He has made a pretty good name for himself. His sensational aerial acrobatics has earned him the nickname the human highlight film from the Atlanta Hawks. Dominique. This was the dawn of the event as we come to know it. [Music] I’m going tell you somebody that done contested. Okay. I wasn’t really into it because I’m watching my idol go headtohead, you know, with the best dumpers in the league and that’s Dr. J. N was competing against his idol. The one and only Dr. J at 610 from the Phoenix Suns, Larry Nance. [Applause] it in first place in the moment. 47’s first turn. There were three key players in this context. [Applause] [Music] The human highlight film, Dominique Wilkins. Uh the one thing I can always say when I describe Nik competitor and when just because the way you saw him play in the games also in those dunk contest Dr. J and Larry Nance. Larry Nar. [Applause] 49. A large part of winning these things comes down to being the fan favorite. 442. If Nick wasn’t a rookie, he probably would have won this contest. [Applause] 48 his second 48 in the second round. [Music] Doctor, this one’s yours. Yep. Congratulations. Larry Nance took home first place and the dunk contest was alive. The next year was the rookie debut of Michael Jordan. Hello again everybody and welcome to the 1985 NBA slam duck championship. The contest provided a glimpse into what his airness was truly capable of. One of the hot candidates for rookie of the year honors as he slams. This kid is one of future great great in the 85 dunk contest. The first meeting of Nick versus NJ would take place. I think many people thought that Dominique should have won it last year and he’s going to show us a lot of things today like that. He has great spring in his legs. Really a show. A dazzling repertoire of creative slams put the rookie toe to toe with Wilkins. There’s Dominic Wilkins with a reverse slam. Great player. They call him the human highlight. And now the local favorite, Terrence Stansbury, a rookie from Temple 360. How about that one? Stansbury filling in for Charles Barkley. Michael looks up and checks a 45 on the scoreboard. Well, the judges agreed. Five judges. Dominic Wilkins with a side winder flying down the middle. Turned his body and just really slammed it through with both hands. Dominique is having no let downs today, you know. And we’re going to have a sudden dunk now with Stanbury and Michael Jordan to see who goes into the next round. All right, here’s Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bull 66 rookie. Slam. Beautiful. Out of sight. Went in and then from the side dunk it home and then wked up into the ground. The allaround ability of a Dr. J and Larry Bird. He’s already being compared and this his first year [Applause] Look at this. Now he’s putting down tape on the foul line. That’s for the old takeoff. That’s what Yeah. He wants to indicate where he’s going to take off on this dump. It’s the length of the court he’s going to go from. Here comes Michael Jordan. Five. They love him. So there’s Michael Jordan and his foot was honest to that tape. That’s a 10 to me. 49. There’s Dominic Wilkins in the final round. A reverse slam. MJ was defeated by Wilkins. So Dominic Wilkins are the Atlanta Hawks, the new 1985 slam dunk champion. Though he lost as a rookie, the battle for king of the dunk was far from subtle just for me to participate. I think that was, you know, a good thing for me and I really enjoyed it. Although my fellow North Carolinian over here won, I’m happy that he stayed in North Carolina. The 1986 dunk contest would provide some special memories for us all. Let’s see who’s trying to take away my slam dunk title. Indiana’s Taran Stanbury. And who’s this guy with Atlanta? It’s me, Spongebob. Now, Superstation’s Allstar Saturday is the Slam Dunk Championship. We wanted to know who the best was. That’s why we did it. That’s why all the greats got in it because it wasn’t just for us. It was for the fans. That’s what they came to see. Outstanding 5’7 Spud Well, of course, the emotional fulltime favorite. 5’7 is Spud Web. But I don’t think he’s a a contestant to win this thing. All right. And speaking of who you think might be able to win, I have my favorite. I think Dominique Wilkins is going to win. In the official slam dunk contest, fans enjoyed one for the ages. So this is Dominique, reigning champion. [Applause] Nick’s teammate, 5 foot7 Spud Webb, would enter the arena. The crowd wants Spud Webb, but they also want Dominique. Rick, I think the crowd is confused. They don’t know what they want. Okay. [Music] with his head right up. His head was at level. It’s not a 49 or a 5. I’ll be surprised. Great move. Not only horizontal, but vertical. He’s unhappy. He’s unhappy. 47. I’m surprised. Now, a lot of Web’s scores came from the fact that the crowd was mesmerized by the little man’s leaping bill. The partisan crowd holding up their scores of 10. Let’s see what the judges come up with. There’s a good look at the Spudman and they give him a 50. Now Dominique is going to have to reach into his bag of tricks. I think John he knows what a 50 takes. [Music] Now that was a 360 move. That was rather impressive. It’s a heck of a dump. You know, the crowd has to influence the judging. I I think Spud’s going to win. The judges are dying over there. Oh, you hit that one right on the head, John. You see that the the judges weren’t affected by the lack of crowd response to Dominique. Spud Webb versus Dominique Wilkins. [Applause] Let’s see what happens. the chance, the crowd chance like the [Applause] Olympics without being able to bomb the [Applause] [Music] ball. Oh, how people love the underdog. 49 48 our new slam bump champion with an incredible upset. Spud. There is something so satisfying about seeing Web compete at this level of dunks. By the time he reached the All-Star game of 1987, Michael Jordan was voted in by a record 1,141,733 basketball senior. Basketball played by some of the world’s greatest athletes. The first competitor, Michael Jordan, who unfortunately couldn’t be here last year because of injuries. After missing the previous year’s dunk contest due to injury, Jordan returned to compete. There was a lot of young talent rising in the NBA. Clyde the glide. Clyde the glide. Whoa. Stanbury. Oh my. An injured Domine watched from the sidelines. I can hear his engines revving now. Jordan ready to take off Chicago. Michael taking off. The patented tongue comes out. That’s got to be a 50 by the 1987 dunk contest was a coronation for MJ. Second dunk in the center. [Applause] Look at the air. Look at the hang time. Look at the flying motion. It was a one-man show in the eyes of the spectators. Look at his head above just like he was floating on air. Turned sideways without Dominique in the contest. No one else stood a chance. Jordan cruised to capturing his first dunk [Music] title. MJ and Nique had missed one another in back-to- back competitions. The 38th annual Allstar Game, the center of the basketball world. In the 1988 Slam Dunk Contest, the world would finally get the battle they’d been waiting for. Dominique Wilkins versus Michael Jordan. And here is the defending champion, Michael Jordan. Jordan wants to put some pressure on everybody by trying to do something special right out of the gate. There were others in the competition, but no one else was truly competing. Oh, you call that special? Everybody in the stands flashing a 10. They had him up before he got there. Dominique versus Michael in the dunk contest was like Haggler Hearns. 1985 champion 67 and a 49 for Dominique Wilkins to put him in first place. And here comes Michael Jordan. Jordan had a 47 on his first dunk. [Applause] Who was the greatest? Who was the best? Oh, now that’s a 360 with just a little authority, folks. Uh-oh. He’s measuring off the free throw line. In control, ready for launch. [Music] [Applause] That brought Dominique to his feet and then just powered it home. He has so much power now. Just look at this explosiveness. So, Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins. This could be good. The final round became a one-on-one dunk off. The raw power of [Music] Domine from high above the rim. The aerial artistry of Michael Jordan. That may have closed the door. Two immortals settling the score once and for all. [Applause] Oh, they were impressed enough to give him a 50. His second 50. Now for Michael Jordan. Here’s the story. Wilkins finishes with 145. Michael Jordan needs a 48 to tie, a 49 to win. In the end, there could be only one. [Applause] They gave it a 50. They gave Jordan a 50. He defends his championship. MJ was now the first twotime dunk champion. Now, you and I have had this conversation. Did you win the 1988 slam dunk contest? Of course. I mean, really. I mean, really. Come on. Come on, Cory. I’ll leave that up to you to decide. Dominique Wilkins not here this year. Neither is former champion Larry Nance. But that will give us an opportunity to perhaps discover a new slam dunk talent. In 1989, we had a threeman race. Clyde the Glide Drexler was still seeking his first [Applause] title. Drexler who grew up here in Houston with the high school in Houston gets a lot of tens waved from the crowd. One nine top four scorers will advance to the second round. And here’s a former champion 57 Spud Webb from Atlanta. Spud Webb had returned seeking to wow the fans once more. Hello. The best of the day in my view, Ryman. That’s a little man. Because of his size, he just I mean, he gets so high off the ground. It just looks so spectacular because it’s like he’s going up forever. And a new contender, the Skywalker, Kenny Walker. Oh, there’s the flare. Now, that was power and flare again. Here’s a guy. He got his legs kicking out the 360. gets a 48.8, the highest dunk of the day. Kenny Sky Walker was never an NBA All-Star, but during one All-Star weekend, he was on top of the NBA world. The semiinal round brought out the best from Drexler and and put some heat on the rest of the competitors. And of course, if he gets a big score here from the judges who have been leaning in his favor, it could send him well. Drexler. Remember this is not slide the glide because there was such an athletic race about it. That was nice. Glide Drexler two hand. Here it comes. Spud struggled to keep up the pace. Opening the door for the Skywalker. And if he uh comes up with it here, he’s got a good shot at going into the finals. Walker needs a 48.1 place of brother. It wasn’t even close. Kenny Skywalker. That brought up the guys. Look at him. Look at the sideline over there. All the players, the fans as well. And Kenny Skywalker living up to his nickname. I guarantee you if there was ever a 50, that was a 50. We are now down to the peaceful resistance of All Star Saturday. Oh my taste the money and the trophy already by the Jedi. Drexler failed to land either of his two dunks in the finals while Skywalker set the stadium ablaze with his insane jams. While the runner up Clyde Drexler failed on each of his attempts. And so Clyde Drexler will get a score something under a five because he missed both of the dunks in his first opportunity after he replaced the final dunk on his way to the 1989 Slam Dunk Championship. Oh yeah. Walker would win the dunk contest in a route, completing three nearperfect slams in the final round. Kenny Walker with a 148.1 wins the championship to join the likes of Nance, Wilkins, Web, and Jordan. world was introduced to a new Dunk Lord, the Skywalker. 1990 was less a competition and more a celebration and farewell to Dominique Wilkins. The new belion from the Atlanta Dominique Wilkins. There’s no Dominique Wilkins. You see, Dominique has such great vertical leap, but he also is an exceptional power dunker and his first dunk of 48.1 to lead the dunkers. His pal MJ was impressed, cheering him from the sidelines. But let’s get into the fact that he was one of the great dunkers of all time. Dominique says this is how you drop it down below the knee and do the reverse jam. Dominique. It was one last moment of glory for the human highlight film. Well, here we go. Nick’s going to have to come out with something out of the bag of tricks now. That puts a little heat on the rest of the competition. Dominique Wilkins going into that next contest. I wasn’t going in to compete. I was going in to win. Uh because now I’m out in awe of all the other greats that was in the contest. The fans were in his corner and his scores reflected their support. In the end, Wilkins took home his second slam dunk title. The windmill dunk from Dominique Wilkins. A 492. And Dominique Wilkins is a repeat champion with a total cumulative score in the championship round of a 146.8. Dominique Wilkins, a champion from 1985, is now the champion from 1990. In a time when the dunk contest attracted the very best players in the league, Wilkins win had cemented him among the greatest dunkers to ever slam it. You’re looking at the slam dunk competitors warming up here prior to the 1991 Gatorade Slam Dunk Competition to the highlight of the evening, the slam dunk competition in just a moment from Charlotte, North Carolina. In 1991, we saw a new crop of dunkers. 610 240. Sean Camp was the favorite at the start. [Applause] had a little trouble with the catch, but then a very powerful slam. Uhoh. He’s pumping his shoes up. There you go. There. First of all, he’s got the favorite right there. He’s pumping up his shoes. But it was D. Brown who stole the show. That’s worth about a million bucks to him right there. Another reverse. Come on now. Come on. Now he’s letting the air out. There you go. Sean Kemp, Rex Chapman, Kenny Smith, and then probably D. Brown are going to be the guys to advance if if they just do anything here. Rex Chapman left his mark. Right there. The creativity. D. Brown. It’s Shawn Kemp. D. Brown is 22 years old, a rookie. John Kemp is in his second year, but only 21 years old. In the final round, Kemp had one of my favorite dunks ever. Pure poetry in air. [Music] I don’t think we’ve seen anyone dunk with that type of force, animosity, you know, just like score of the night’s been a 496. These judges awarded no 50. In the end, it was Brown who had the last lap. Brown executed a first of its kind no look dunk. The blind dunk. He’s got the Donnie Mo. Pull the plug. Let’s go home. Turn it down. The no look dunk. The clearcut winner. Sean Kemp agreed. Magic Johnson the defending champion. Dominique Wilkins agreed. D. Brown is going to get the trophy at $20,000 at 61 wins the slam dunk championship. Brown took home the title and a check for $20,000. He also landed an endorsement deal with Reebok. So, what are you doing here in New York? Pressing my new dunk in my new shoes. Reebok Zone. Oh yeah, switch jam. Orlando, land of the magic kingdom and the NBA basketball magic. Thick. The players realize that this is the fans weekend. They’ve come to see the best of the NBA. So, showtime is definitely on their mind. The following year saw the event held in Orlando. Up right here, Doug West. He’s going to do something fine here. The atmosphere was ripe for a new star to emerge. Nice looking jam from Doug West. Bruce ooze and Oz. The contest was between two men really. That’s big. A little bit reminiscent of Skywalker a few years ago. Oh yes, he still got it. I sure found it. He still got it. Big dunk high above the rim. Oh, he’s going to bring out a blindfold. They got Dan Marley, the blindfold, his teammate who’s also playing in the Allar game. Now we got some creativity here. Despite some solid dunks from West, Cedric pulled out the blindfold and stole the show. Yes, the blindfold dunk would etch the 92 contest into full delivery. Cedric Sabalos with a perfect 50 on that final dunk. The dominating winner of the slam dunk competition, Cedric Zabalo from the Delta Center in Salt Lake City. Let’s meet the competitors in the Slam Dunk Championship. Harold Miner, the rookie from Miami. The 93 event was a one-man affair. [Applause] That guy over there. Oh, that’s a wakeup call. Harold Miner came to win. Harold Miner with the 49 and brought an arsenal of dunks to the competition. Harold Miner, he electrified the crowd. Got a 49. A guard from Miami. Let’s watch him. Miner led from wire to wire. Big power on that Charles. Harold Miner way out in front. The top three will advance after the first round. So this is a big miss for him. This takes him out of the finals at this point. The competition had a rough night and Smith misses off the blast. Misses on his first attempt. The judges were not impressed. So Harold Miner continues in the dunker seat here and he is right now in the driver seat to win this. Miner finished with a nearperfect jam and sealed the deal. Very good left-handed windmill jam from Miner. And that’s probably right. The fat lady has sunk. You can just about wrap this up and take it on home. Slam king. Get ready to look at Harold Miner on some big time commercials over the next 12. Miner would miss the next season’s competition. In his place, Isaiah Ryder made his mark. Town favorite Isaiah Ryder. If he does that corner dump where he takes the ball between his legs and comes up around the back. This was another event lacking competition. Oh, between his legs. How about it, Charles Barkley? What do you think? Oh my god, that might be the best I ever seen. That was awesome. [Applause] Ryder was dominant from the get-go and the event was locked up early. Here’s Robert Pac who missed his d [Applause] Dominique said it best. He reminded him of himself when he was younger. Not quite yet, Dominic. No, I don’t think so. Ryder with the highest score so far. In 1996, Brent Barry’s free throw line dunk captured the event. All new field for the Nestle Crunch slam dunk. And only the fourth time in 13 years of this event that no former champion is in the field of competitors. the Los Angeles Clippers. Welcome Brent Barry. Not only that, Brett Barry has a crowd. Listen to him. They’re already starting to cheer for Brent Barry. If he does anything spectacular right now, he’ll have everybody on his side. Is going to do it in the first round. He’s bringing it out. But you know what? You have to love it because it’s still a tremendous leap. [Music] [Applause] The crowd was frenzied. [Applause] Did you see his expression? He said, “What do you want? What else do you want?” And the fans are showing tens and nines in the crowd. The 1996 Wesley quote slam dunk champion is Brett Barry. Barry was crowned the NBA slam dunk champion. Another rookie and the youngest player in the competition from the Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant. The 1997 event was headlined by rookie Kobe Bryant. Kobe Bryant is the favorite. 18 years old, 66. Ow. Yes. But look at his style. Look at his rhythm. Check out the way he walks. He’s cocky. He looks cocky. Check his eye contact with the crowd. They love this kid. He’s unstoppable. And uh I’ll label him the next Michael Jordan. 18 and 1/2 years old. Third dunk. Bryant made sure to seize the moment. [Applause] Oh, that was big. Went down between his legs and got the reverse jam. Here are the finalists in descending order. Kobe Bryant, Michael Finley, and Carr. and the way he worked at his skill level to become one of the most amazing scorers, one of the most amazing offensive players that we’ve ever seen. Kobe cruised to a win. Oh, it will be the leg. Look at him now. Check him out. Check him out. Straight to the NBA, to Hollywood, and now to Cleveland. is the 1997 slam dunk champion. Everything was done to try to learn how to become a better basketball player. Everything. RIP Kobe. Due to waning interest, the dunk contest was shelved for two seasons and would not return until the year 2000. What would become arguably the greatest dunk contest performance ever. This guy was doing stuff back in the day these kids still can’t do to this day. I really thought the top was going to come off of the building. I have never seen that before. Here is the man that this crowd wants to see. This is what everybody’s been waiting for. It’s the climax of the night and we’re going to see what Vince Carter can really do. And here is Vince Carter with his first. I was in another world. I felt like Mario just powered up to Super Mario. Let’s go home. Let’s go home, ladies and gentlemen. Let’s go home. Let’s Let’s go home. Let’s go home. This building just exploded. You dunk it and put your arm. Greatest dunker ever was Vince Carter. Vince Carter. I might I might have to go with Vince Carter also over Michael. That was a dream of mine. A lifelong dream. Being in the Dunk Country was a lifelong dream. I wasn’t afraid to fail. It’s over. It’s over, ladies and gentlemen. Oh my goodness gracious. It is over. You remember the reactions of Shadoo, KG, Web. I mean, you talk about guys have seen dunk contest. Sure. Seen you dunk. Mhm. It was just different. Surprising absolutely no one. Vince Carter won. You and Vince, you think you would have got it in? No. Why? I will enter the games I know I can win. See, that’s what I wanted. After Carter’s historic win, interest in the dunk competition was reinvigorated. I welcome you back to the MCI Center in Washington. What in the world is happening in this country? Because you got to say something about them outfits. I love them. I love them. It reminds me of the old Ali fights and they were old fights. by Cory Mcetti. A little contestants were forced to pull out all the stops to live up to the hype. Oh, he puts it down with help from teammate Richardson. Hey, it’s hard. You know, the fans had an opportunity to see Vince Carter last year and you know, he’s not in it this year as well as, you know, Kobe’s not in it. So, I mean, you know, quite naturally, it’s going to take a lot for them to get excited. I promise you. More and more gimmicks were introduced to the dunks. Well, this is a teammate and a prop at the same time. You get extra credit for the camera. And boy, this is great. And he made a great pass. This one is starting to heat up right now. Very creative work by the combination of Aaron Davis, David Wesley will determine the champion. Here is Desmond [Applause] Mason. That’s like the old Michael Jordan. A little bit different angle, but with the left hand again instead of the right. Overall, it was difficult to live up to the Vince Carter contest. All right, Slam Dunk fans, prepare to take off. It’s time to get above the rim with the contestants in the NBA.com. Slam Dunk presented by Real One. In 2002, one of my favorite dunkers entered the arena. Jason Richardson, Golden State rookie. He’s 21 years old. [Applause] Richardson pulled off some incredible jams. Uh-oh. Uh-oh. Uh-oh. He’s letting us know he’s here still. This is this this is going to be interesting for him. [Applause] Five for Jason Richardson to win. And it looks like he’s uh is he he was conferring with Gilbert Arenas. I don’t know if he’ll use him here. Is what he said. Come on. There it is. That’s the bounce. Capturing the first of his slam dunk titles. [Applause] on the line. Jason Richardson with that. We have a winner. That, my friends, is how you finish a dunk contest. Richardson returned the following season to defend his title. From the Golden State Warriors at 6’6, the defending slam dunk champion, Jason Richardson. [Applause] Well, this is a good dump though. He does make it to warm up with That’s a good You know what he did? He went away from the basket that time. Got to rock it twice. Rock it to sleep, baby. You going to rock it if I get to sleep. This was one of the more competitive contests in a long time. Yeah, but he’s 6’3 and he walked like Dominique. You know that walk? Yeah. Yeah. You could he could stripe cover and put mass between his. That’s what I’m talking about. That’s a 50. That’s a perfect dunk. That’s a 49 in my book only cuz he didn’t kick the legs. Seemingly every dunk was a 49 or 50. Consistent. They’re going to give him eight. So he’ll stay eight all from all the judges. Eight and nine. Uh it’s it’s between Mason and Jay Rich. They’re going to be in the finals. [Music] [Applause] I was typing that in the sophomore rookie game. He leads this competition. Desmond Mason seemingly had the contest locked up. That is freaky right there. That is freaky. The lead between the legs is freaky. That is 55. He’s saying that. He’s saying that. That is a top 10 dump of all and look at Jay Rich. statements going, “Oh my good, he needs a 49 to win. He needs 48 to tie.” To repeat, Richardson would need to deliver something truly special. I’ve never seen before. I’ve seen something I’ve never seen before. And he’s like, “You got the championship.” What? [Applause] Oh, the contest is back. Yes, it is. In the back. You know what? It’s sad that somebody has to lose that cuz that bowl. I’d like to see if they’re one more. Oh my. That, my friends, is how you finish a dunk contest. Richardson did it, cementing himself among the greatest dunkers to ever jam it with the clutch 50point finish. The 2004 contest was held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Freddy Jones from [Music] Oregon. He is 6’4. Fred Jones came out with a Too easy. It’s too easy, man. It’s too easy for him. Fred Jones had some tricks up his sleeve. That was nice. That was kind of nice. Putting the pressure on defending two-time champ Jason Richardson. Richardson rose to the moment. Oh my goodness. He is the new reigning champion. Give it to him. Give it up. That is incredible. That is the most incredible I’ve ever seen. I think you said that every year. That is You’ve never seen that. That was nice. Have you ever seen Slam Dunk Championship Jason Richardson from the Golden State Warriors? [Applause] Unfortunately, Richardson faltered in the fight. 78. Was a little antilimactic, wasn’t it? Yeah. Almost by default, Fred Jones took home the title. A new slam dunk champion had been crowned. The next year, we began to see more and more spectacle. Josh Smith and Kenny Martin of the Denver Nuggets were hope. They had the same age. Josh Smith jumped over a seated Kenny Martin. Oh my go. Okay, that’s what I’m talking about. Look at the crowd is absolutely going nuts. That’s what I’m talking about. Standing ovation. The dunk contest is where you make your name. Next, Josh paid respect to the past and dawned a Dominique Wilkins jersey. Oh, he’s killing me right now. back. He’s killing me right now. The height, everything you can just This entire contest was about Josh Smith. Oh, put it back. Get the pocketbook. Ladies and gentlemen, you can get some exact winner right there. Dropping backto back 50s, Smith took home the title. Presented the Sprite Rising Stars Slam Dunk Champion Trophy to Sh Smith, who was accompanied by his Sprite Contest winner, Desmond Fussell. In 2006, we got our first appearance from 5’9 Nate Robinson. 5 foot nate Robinson. And they already went crazy, Kevin. See, a little guy like him, he got to do something first just to get the crowd on his side. So then for the rest of the night, he’s got everybody on his side. Let’s see what he’s got. Like Sud went before him. Nate captured the fans hearts. [Music] Oh, he’s going to get a couple tens, too. Going to get a couple trees. He’s in first. There was an electricity in the arena as the crowd watched the little man fly. Oh, that was cool. What better way to close it out than to involve Spud Webb himself. That’s what I know what he’s doing. He’s coming. He’s bringing out Spud. He’s bringing out Spud Webb, the 1986 Slam Dunk Champion. This may be 50 kitty. 50 [Applause] kitty. I don’t care what you say. The young fell came in here and put on a show. That’s theater right there. That’s theater right there. That’s theater. That’s drama. Swing out whales over at the rising stars slam dunk championship trophy to Nate Robinson of the New York Knicks. 2007 saw the event held in Las Vegas. It is now time to experience. There was quite the lineup for this contest featuring Dwight Howard, Gerald Green, and returning to defend his title, Nate Robinson. Judges for tonight, Vince Dominique. Green set the tone early. The Las Vegas crowd was in for a treat. This is a new one. This is a new one. Yes, sir. Let the guy pick the winner. That was nice. That was nice. He’s got to come out impressive because everybody’s going to be like, “We remember this from last year.” [Music] Oh, that was impressive. There he is. Especially where he caught it. Like the great duels of the past, this contest lived up to the hype. some good opinion. Here we go. Number [Music] one top. He tried to touch the top of the back. Oh, he put a sticker. He put a sticker at the top of the backboard. Man, that’s that’s that’s incredible right there. Howard brought out some truly unique ideas. Old school deep round. There’s some thoughtfulness in this. Yes, sir. Green took the idea of leaping over Spud Webb and decided to leap over Nate. He also blocked his eyes like D Brown from years earlier. That was terrific. Yeah. You know what? He’s in jail right now. You can you can see it happening. There’s a there’s a dunk contest champion being born right here. Yeah. Yeah. All right. They got a couple tens and three nines. The creativity of Gerald Green won him the day. He was now the 2007 Slam Dunk Contest Champion. Here it is, the fourth of four skills competitions tonight. The Sprite Slam Dunk. In 2008, Dwight Howard returned to make another run at the title on the other basket. He took out all the stops right out of the gate. Oh my goodness. Yes, indeed. 7 foot or nothing. I don’t care. That is a 10. I told you this guy was going to win it. Green brought out a cupcake with a lit candle in it. I have no idea, Magic, what you can do with a birthday cake and a ladder. Are you kidding me? He’s not blowing out the candle. Hey. Oh, all he going to blow out the candle. Demonstrating incredible leaping ability, Green elevated and blew the candle out mid dunk. Oh, he got it. And it stayed on. It stayed on. Come on, Chuck. He blew it out. In response, Dwight Howard turned into Superman and performed a dunk for the ages. Superman is in the building. Yes, he is. Glo kid is winning the full booth and he comes out and Superman has came to the building. There’s one thing I do know, son, and that is you are here for a reason. You win. You win, young fella. You win. Superman. Superman is here. Oh my goodness. The Superman sort of dunk was enough to propel Howard to his first NBA dunk title. In 2009, Nate Robinson returned to battle the Superman, Dwight Howard. Oh. Oh. You see what I’m saying? See, that’s a 44. That’s He 45. That’s the best dunk because that’s a 45. He’s 52. No, but he had the extension in his windmill. Both men brought their aame. There he is. There. That’s a good toss. But nice. That’s a 44. Remember when he jumped over Spud? Yes. He said he’s going to jump over something else. And that’s why the kryptonite shoes, man. He should win it. But when Robinson leapt over Superman, it was over. That’s pretty good. That’s pretty good. That’s pretty good, Rich. That’s good. Right slam dunk champion is Nate Robin. I called him. I called him. This is you get the crowd and you will win. Nate Robinson was now a twotime slam dunk champion. In 2010, Nate Robinson was looking to become the first ever threetime NBA slam dunk champion. Just look at these low scores. The event was all Robinson. Oh, I like that. Adding a prop. The city of New York loves Nate Roberts because he brings that energy and he plays so hard and and he’s just an entertaining little guy. Yeah, you don’t have a bright future in basketball. People are telling me all the time and I’m like, you know what? I’m going to switch sports just to show you guys that I can make it to the NBA. [Applause] The 2010 NBA right slam champion is he got it the third time. Ladies and gentlemen, Nate Robinson. Robinson captured another title. The first ever three-time champ. Free throw. 2011 saw some tremendous competition and pageantry. [Music] line. Blake Griffin made his contest debut. [Applause] There were all kinds of never-beforeseen antics in this one. There we go. Each dunk seemed to one up the previous attempt, snatching a stuffed animal off the rim with his [Applause] teeth. Oh, he caught [Music] it. But nothing could top what came next. Can I bring some extra stuff out? We going to bring the pageantry to the dunk contest. Blake Griffin who with his coach. Yes, Blake Griffin brought out a car and a choir. [Applause] The creative jam cemented Blake’s spot a top the event. [Applause] Sometimes it’s real. [Music] He was now a slam dunk champion. In 2012, there was a whole lot of jumping over people. Oh my goodness. [Applause] Seemed everyone thought the way to win was to jump over someone else. You did this three times before. Wow. I’m telling you, that’s a tough dunk here. Jeremy Evans was named the 2012 Dunk Champion. The next year, we saw the return of Gerald Green. Green. This is going to be one of the top 10 dunk contest. I sure hope it is. But it was Terrence Ross who stole the show. Eric Bloodsha. Ross paid tribute to Vince Carter and in doing so locked up the title, [Applause] Terrence Ross. In 2015, we get the first appearance of Zack Lavine. Yeah, man. This guy’s unbelievable. Oh. [Music] [Applause] Oh yes he is. But I tell you something special. He says I want a 50. I don’t want 49. Don’t want 48. Said I was going to give this kid. He’s got you on his feet again. He’s got you on his feet again. It was easy work for Lavine who took the contest by storm. This win set up one of the all-time great dung contest battles in 2016. From the Orlando Magic, Aaron Gordon. Here he is. Aaron Gordon versus Zack Lavine. This was one for the books. [Music] Both guys brought everything to the fight. He does this. Just when one dunk seemed untoppable, something new was introduced. That’s a good trying to jump for the free throw line as he throws him out. [Applause] Gordon did another impossible double. This is real. This is real. But it still wasn’t over. Come on, [Applause] man. A windmill from the free throw line. Oh, we got welcome. [Applause] Zack Lavine needed a 48 to seal the deal. Lavine lined up for another free throw dunk. This one between the [Applause] legs. Tell you this thing, nobody lost that one. No, nobody lost that. Another perfect score and Zack Lavine was crowned backto back dunk champion. 522 upside the head for Ken. That’s nice. It’s hard to live up to the 2016 contest, but 2017 gave it a shot. Here we go. Here we go. Just get ready. Just get ready. Oh, get on his back. Okay. All right. Okay. Show me something then. Oh, okay. I like it. I like it. I like I like the setup of the duck. I like this. You know, enjoy the festivities, America. Glenn Robinson leaping over multiple people earned him the title. I have no backward. Okay. Donovan Mitchell showed some extreme creativity in the 2018 contest. Donovan Mitchell Vince Carter Vince Carter Vince Carter. You put that jersey on. You got paying homage to Vince Carter. Mitchell brought the fans to their feet. [Applause] The creative jams were enough to deliver Mitchell the slam dunk title. 2019 saw the OKC kid Hamadoo Dio put on a show. Left hand. Come on now. Okay. You got to like that. You got to teach. You got to teach Kenny how to dance. Josh Collins brought out a Wright brothers dunk, leaping over an airplane. Told you. I told you that plane might take him out. Good thing it was a red. This type of spectacle was par for the course at this point. I don’t know about this. And you know who who’s here, Reggie? Superman is in the building. Leaping over Shaq and finishing with a Vince Carter elbow inside the basket dunk was the highlight of the competition. Come on, man. Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me? Get your Get your camera out. Get your camera out cuz in the building left city, we’re alive. That that that Dio was now the 2019 Slam Dunk Champion. Superman is back in the building. Give it up for Dwight Howard. The 2020 contest was another great one. The tornado. We got a tornado. We have a tornado warning in Chicago. Aaron Gordon returned to compete. Gordon brought the electricity with him. 50. He took a chance and he man those 50s out. Go get that. Give those 50s out like it’s Halloween trick or treat. But Derek Jones Jr. was equally fantastic. Oh yes, it is the first time in the history of the slave dunk that he’s jumped over a guy off the back between the legs. This incredible dunk brought us this popular meme from Dwade. Gordon and Jones went back and forth. That’s a 50. That’s a 50. But Jones clenched it with this beauty. A free throw windmill with some style. That is graceful. That is beautiful. AT&T slam dunk from the Miami Heat. Derek Jones Jr. The lockout year was a bit weaker in my opinion. Okay. How do I get that? He’s 63. There were some creative jams, but without a packed house, the contest loses some luster. It was It was impressive. He made it look easy, but he made it look too easy. Anthony Simon from the Portland Trailblazers lift it up. It’s an endgame dunking. Jaylen Green. In 2022, the crowds returned, but the event was one-sided. There you go. Obie Topphen was the runaway champion by default. Oh my goodness. He doesn’t like that he didn’t because he didn’t like the way I mean five sixes would win it for us. So if he’s going to win there might not be a five bunch of memories here. Backboard. Yeah. Come on, Kenny. That haven’t seen that one before. His off the backboard dunk was more than enough to deliver him the championship. 2023 saw the dawn of the Mac Mlung era. Welcome to the MBA. McClung Mania took the event over. Hey, what’s up, Giddy? Reverse. Hey, young fella. Young fella. And a reverse. I have one thing to say. Welcome to the NBA. Welcome to the NBA. Tech and win in high school in Virginia. He broke. Look at the numbers. Really missing what? Here comes Mlen. Oh, he go. That’s a Hezi. That’s called a Hezi dump. Ooh, look at his head. Oh, wow. Yes, [Applause] mama. Uh-huh. He got it. He got it. That’s it. He got it. Over 50. Got a prop here. High school jersey. Yeah, high school. High school jersey. This is the high school that he played for and he putting on the handle. After several lackluster events, McClung had restored the shine to the dunk contest. [Applause] Ladies and gentlemen, it is over. Ladies and gentlemen, it is [Music] a face. He know it. We have witnessed a star being born tonight. Matt McClung has saved the dough contest. There you go. Give this man his flowers, man. This man his flowers. I’m going to hit myself again. In 2024, Mlen returned to continue his reign a top the dunking rings. That’s what I’m saying. That’s what I’m saying. No, that’s not nice. That is not Reggie. That is not nice. That is not done ever. Get the crowd going, fellas. The crowd ooed and aed at McClung’s every move. It was a one-man show, but what a show it was. That’s his high school. Is that his highly? He said he was going to do two dunks that we’ve never seen in the Olympic contest. Let’s see it. [Applause] In his finale, he left over Shaq. It’s over. Defends his championship. It’s over. This year, M. McClung set aim on the three Pete. Back to back slam on champion Mlung. Leaping over a car was just the start. Oh my god. Reintroduce myself. My name is M. Come on here. The competition was loads of fun, but in the eyes of most spectators, there was only one guy to watch. With history on his mind, McClung went to work. Come on, bro. Yeah, I think he’s going to put it behind his back. First down. Mlung sealed the victory, winning backto backto back titles. And putting himself into the highest ranks of dunkers to ever slam it. Nobody brings it home like Joe. Nobody. Make it so.