Greatest dunker alive (for at least 5 years)

Post #1 » by **penbeast0** » Mon Jul 17, 2023 3:19 am

Try to run a narrative from the beginning of the NBA (I really have no idea who was the best dunker pre-Elgin) to today. Talking about in game, not slam dunk competition types. Limit it to someone who has a legit case for being the best for at least 5 years to eliminate flash in the pan types (unfortunately that includes one of my childhood heroes, Gus Johnson).

Joe Fulks?
Jim Pollard?
?
Elgin Baylor
Connie Hawkins
Julius Erving
Dominique Wilkins
Michael Jordan
Vince Carter
Kobe Bryant?
LeBron James
Blake Griffin?

70sFan · Post #2 » by **70sFan** » Mon Jul 17, 2023 7:18 am

I think Joe Caldwell could be argued as the best dunker for the late 1960s - at least from pure enjoyment stance.

MyUniBroDavis · Post #3 » by **MyUniBroDavis** » Mon Jul 17, 2023 7:27 am

Vince probably

By the end of his career if he stays healthy Ja might have the best dunk mixtape though

henshao · Post #4 » by **henshao** » Mon Jul 17, 2023 7:51 am

Can't include MJ without his hero the Skywalker David Thompson

Jaivl · Post #5 » by **Jaivl** » Mon Jul 17, 2023 7:09 pm

MyUniBroDavis wrote:Vince probably

By the end of his career if he stays healthy Ja might have the best dunk mixtape though

He's not yet particularly close to Vince's first 3 years though.

Post #6 » by **165bows** » Mon Jul 17, 2023 7:34 pm

penbeast0 wrote:Try to run a narrative from the beginning of the NBA (I really have no idea who was the best dunker pre-Elgin) to today. Talking about in game, not slam dunk competition types. Limit it to someone who has a legit case for being the best for at least 5 years to eliminate flash in the pan types (unfortunately that includes one of my childhood heroes, Gus Johnson).

Joe Fulks?
Jim Pollard?
?
Elgin Baylor
Connie Hawkins
Julius Erving
Dominique Wilkins
Michael Jordan
Vince Carter
Kobe Bryant?
LeBron James
Blake Griffin?

It is surprising for most of these guys how quick the numbers drop off. Bbref dunk stats only go back to 96-97, but Jordan only dunked ~140 times total over his last two title seasons. Carter only had one season over 69 dunks, his age 23 season. Meanwhile Blake Griffin's first four seasons all topped any of Vince Carter's best season, then he pretty quickly fell off the map and was more of a skill guy.

Best in-game dunker though by a quick statistical perusal and also my memory is Shaq. Dude dunked all over fools for years.. 8 out of 9 seasons over 200 dunks, I don't think anyone in the three point era is close to that (though I'd be curious to know how close Jordan is, he's probably the closest. Also Barkely, but realistically no one touched Shaq for sheer volume).

I suppose DHoward with an honorable mention, at least when he was in Orlando. He was close to doubling LeBron's in-game dunk numbers year over year for years even when he was falling off quite a bit.

So in-game I'd go with the big men overall even though the wings get the accolades. Shaq, followed by Jordan because he has to be there, Blake Griffin, Dwight Howard. Not sure who the best dunker of the late teens was would have to think about that.

Post #7 » by **Texas Chuck** » Mon Jul 17, 2023 7:36 pm

not sure I'd have any of Mike, Kobe, or Lebron as the best in-game dunkers. Mike at least has a case, I don't see it for the other two. But Mike was competing with Nique and Kemp both of whom were superior in-game dunkers. And neither Kobe nor Lebron were particularly known for their in-game dunking and Kobe overlapped with Vince for the majority of his career.

MyUniBroDavis · Post #8 » by **MyUniBroDavis** » Mon Jul 17, 2023 8:15 pm

Jaivl wrote:
MyUniBroDavis wrote:Vince probably

By the end of his career if he stays healthy Ja might have the best dunk mixtape though

He's not yet particularly close to Vince's first 3 years though.

That’s fair but bro just does not care about his own safety so if he manages to stay healthy he’s gotta end up with the best poster reel if he keeps doing it lol, although he won’t have one better than Olympic Vince lol

Post #9 » by **penbeast0** » Mon Jul 17, 2023 10:01 pm

Thanks. I was thinking stylistic rather than frequency; wondering if Artis didn't dunk more than Julius in the ABA too. I'm fine with frequency, probably a better measure than artistic excellence.

Samurai · Post #10 » by **Samurai** » Tue Jul 18, 2023 1:17 am

henshao wrote:Can't include MJ without his hero the Skywalker David Thompson

Thompson was the one I thought of but wasn't his "Skywalker" prime even shorter than Gus Johnson's?

BlackThought · Post #11 » by **BlackThought** » Tue Jul 18, 2023 1:28 am

My top 5 is Vince, Dominique, MJ, Westbrook, Gerald Green?

Only started watching basketball in the 90s so even Nique was mostly in highlight videos.

NbaAllDay · Post #12 » by **NbaAllDay** » Tue Jul 18, 2023 2:43 pm

Texas Chuck wrote:not sure I'd have any of Mike, Kobe, or Lebron as the best in-game dunkers. Mike at least has a case, I don't see it for the other two. But Mike was competing with Nique and Kemp both of whom were superior in-game dunkers. And neither Kobe nor Lebron were particularly known for their in-game dunking and Kobe overlapped with Vince for the majority of his career.

I disagree on Lebron. I think he gets quite underrated at times.

He isn't a 'flashy' dunker and many don't think it's that aesthetically pleasing (hard to look that pleasing when you are a ball of muscle) but I've never seen anyone be able to catch it mid air, either hand from any angle or speed the way he has done countless times. I also feel like he very rarely misses dunks no matter where they come from or traffic he is in. Ja misses more in a season than he has all career lol.

Now I guess you could just say that's more of an alley op and therefore different, if not his definetly in that convo for me.