Throughout the chapters of its history, the NBA has seen many remarkable slam dunk artists. The acrobatic move of putting the ball through the hoop with one hand of both is one of the most spectacular eye candy skills in basketball, if not amongst all sports.
Many legendary players in the history of NBA are slam dunkers, but only a few have perfected the art. Scoring for your side, as well as setting the crowd on a frenzy with the picturesque move, dunking is one basketball skill that is one for the books.
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From the aerial wizards to the power dunkers, the list of the best in performing the art goes on. So, here are five of the greatest slam dunkers from the chapters of the National Basketball Association.
Slam Dunk: five NBA legends who perfected the art
5. Shawn Kemp
Revered for his powerful dunk moves, former NBA icon Shawn Kemp is one of the greatest NBA legends who perfected the art. A vicious power forward of the 90s era, the Seattle SuperSonics hall of fame was unbelievably consistent with the move, with his most famous one being in the match against Golden State Warriors in the 1992 playoffs. Below here are top ten of Kemp’s greatest ever dunks, courtesy of the official YouTube channel of NBA.
4. LeBron James
While he wasn’t e regular dunk artist in basketball, the late legend of the game LeBron James was still one of the best ever in the craft. The Los Angeles Lakers icon, the L-Train performed an astounding 1,680 dunks in his career, and was hailed as one of the greatest Tomahawk dunkers ever. Check out the NBA clip below of LeBron’s best dunks from the 2003 to 2016 seasons.
3. Michael Jordan
The poster boy of late 80s to the 90s NBA, Michael Jordan’s spectacular leaps towards the basket ended with a hang from the ring, creating a surge of adrenaline among the spectators. The undisputed legend of the sport, Jordan is hailed as one of the best double clutch dunkers in basketball, winning the Slam Dunk title back to back in 1987 and 1988. The Chicago Bulls luminary was an extravagant dunker, and here is a compilation from NBA to do the claim justice.
2. Dominique Wilkins
A high flyer around the basketball court, an NBA fixture starring Dominique Wilkins meant slam dunks here and there. The legendary Atlanta Hawks small forward, Wilkins came only second to Jordan in the 1988 slam dunk contest. However, many NBA enthusiasts of the bygone era still swear by Wilkins as the greatest dunker of all time. Below here are 60 of Wilkins’s best dunk movies, courtesy of the NBA.
Honourable mention: Julius Erving
Julius ‘Dr. J’ Erving, the iconic small forward of the 70s and 80s influenced generations after him to be inspired in the art of dunking, and is credited for bringing it into mainstream basketball. The Philadelphia 76ers legend brought a unique flavour to the court, and his finesse above the ring became a massive entertainment factor back in those days. Enjoy Erving’s top ten career dunks below, courtesy of YouTube channel Erik Kozma.
1. Vince Carter
Be it a list of best slam dunkers of all time, the top spot will always be reserved for Vince Carter. Nicknamed ‘Vinsanity’, the legendary shooting guard epitomised the art of slam dunk, following the footsteps of Erving who brought dunking into the NBA limelight. From 360s to windmills, the 2000 Slam Dunk contest winner turned each NBA game into a dunking contest. Enjoy the video below as the legend himself narrates his top ten memorable dunks, but lets face it- all of Carter’s dunks are extraordinary.
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