NBA Slam Dunk Contest Winners and History

The NBA Slam Dunk Contest winners has seen it everything in its 40-year existence, from the greatest of highs to the lowest of lows. From players being restricted to dunking within a particular time frame to only having a set number of tries, to the 2014 edition, when someone had the brilliant (or not) idea of putting it East against West, the contest has gone through numerous changes. Some role players have built a name for themselves in this tournament, while great players (hello, LeBron James) have stayed away from it entirely. Is it for more rest or to avoid potential embarrassment? Nobody knows.

But one thing is certain: the competition's grandeur has always been limited to the dunker's originality. While the quality of the dunks has deteriorated over time (law of diminishing returns), it remains an exciting watch as the major event of All-Star Saturday Night. It's always interesting to watch what new trick a competitor comes up with or what they chose to dunk over.

The NBA Slam Dunk Contest Winners and History.

The event was created by the ABA, which was renowned at the time as the league with the most flamboyant plays over the NBA. The first one was in 1976, and Julius Erving won it. Following the ABA-NBA merger the following year, the league reinstated the dunk after a 10-year prohibition and staged a Dunk Contest throughout the season. Darnell Hillman won the competition, but he didn't get his trophy until a few years ago.

During the 1984 All-Star weekend, the NBA made the Dunk Contest a permanent, yearly competition, which Larry Nance won. Even as the Three-Point Contest has grown in popularity, the Dunk Contest has remained the last Saturday event, and has featured some memorable moments over the years, including the original duel between Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins, Vince Carter ending the competition, Nate Robinson defying the odds, and Blake Griffin jumping over a car. While the Three-Point Contest may be the most exciting, the Dunk Contest always has the highest chance of winning.

Previous Dunk Contest champions (and their locations):

Julius Erving died in 1976 in Denver.
Darnell Hillman (everywhere lol) in 1977
Larry Nance (Denver) 1984;
Dominique Wilkins (Indianapolis) 1985;
Spud Webb (Dallas) 1986;
Michael Jordan (Seattle) 1987
Michael Jordan 1988 (Chicago)
Kenny Walker 1989 (Houston)
Dominique Wilkins 1990 (Miami)
Dee Brown 1991 (Charlotte)
Cedric Ceballos 1992 (Orlando)
Harold Miner 1993 (Salt Lake City)
Isiah Rider (Minnesota), 1994
Harold Miner died in Phoenix in 1995.
Brent Barry (San Antonio, 1996)
Kobe Bryant (Cleveland) in 1997
Vince Carter (Oakland) in 2000
Desmond Mason (Washington, D.C.)
Jason Richardson (Philadelphia) in 2002
Jason Richardson was born in Atlanta in 2003.
Fred Jones (Los Angeles, 2004)
Josh Smith (Denver) in 2005
Nate Robinson (Houston) in 2006.
Gerald Green (Las Vegas, 2007)
Dwight Howard (New Orleans, 2008)
Nate Robinson (Phoenix) in 2009.
Nate Robinson (Dallas) in 2010
Blake Griffin (Los Angeles, 2011)
Jeremy Evans (Orlando) in 2012.
Terrence Ross (Houston) in 2013.
East; John Wall was named "Dunker of the Night" in 2014. 2015
(New York): Zach LaVine 2016 (Toronto):
Zach LaVine 2017 (New Orleans): Glenn Robinson III
Donovan Mitchell (Los Angeles) in 2018;
Hamidou Diallo (Charlotte) in 2019.
Derrick Jones Jr. 2020
(Chicago) 2021 (Atlanta)
Anfernee Simons 2022
(Cleveland) Obi Toppin 2023
(Utah) Mac McClung

FAQ's

Who won slam dunk 3 times?

Nate Robinson, three-time NBA Slam Dunk Champion, Analyzes SlamBall On ESPN - ESPN Front Row.

Who has the most dunks in NBA history?

When one hears the phrase dunk in basketball, one immediately thinks of a tall player or a high leaper. Dwight Howard and Shaquille O'Neal hold the NBA record for most dunks.

Who is the best NBA dunker of all time?

Erving is known as the ''Father of Dunking'' because of the skill he demonstrated throughout his playing career. The poster dunk over Michael Cooper in 1983, when he ''babied'' the ball to avoid the shot blocker, is Dr. J's most memorable dunk.

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