Check out every dunk that has received a perfect score in All-Star Slam Dunk Contest history from 1984 to 2024!
The first-ever Dunk Contest was held on January 27, 1976, at halftime of that year’s ABA All-Star Game, featuring George “Iceman” Gervin and Julius “Dr. J” Erving in what was the final season before the ABA-NBA merger
At that inaugural contest, Erving won and the NBA brought back the competition permanently in 1984, when the Phoenix Suns’ Larry Nance defeated Erving in the finals to claim the first free-standing event title in the history of the sport.
After that short history lesson, let’s get into five of the best Slam Dunk Contests of all-time.
(Note: These are listed in ascending order by year.)
1985: Michael Jordan vs. Dominique Wilkins
Dominique Wilkins and Michael Jordan dazzled in the 1985 Dunk Contest.
While he played 15 NBA seasons, Wilkins was quickly known as “The Human Highlight Film” for his high-flying jams. The future nine-time All-Star took down a rookie Jordan in a battle that helped catapult the NBA to new heights, both on the court and off.
Wilkins and Jordan went back and forth all evening, with Wilkins’ jaw-dropping two-handed windmill following Jordan’s unbelievable below-the-rim reverse whilst cupping the ball. Jordan forced a tough decision between the judges with his one-handed slam from the free throw line, but the combination of bounce and power from Wilkins gave him the upper hand.
1988: Jordan vs. Wilkins, Round 2
Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins square off in Chicago Stadium in one of the league's most memorable duels.
At the 1988 NBA All-Star Weekend, “Air Jordan” left fans and judges speechless when he treated the crowd with his iconic free-throw line jam.
In front of the Chicago crowd, Jordan’s creativity in his baseline reverse dunk with a pump and gravity-defying dunks from just inside the stripe certified him as the Dunk Contest champion, making it two straight titles and some revenge from 1985 for the Bulls legend.
Wilkins threw down several punishing dunks in the defeat, including a 360-degree tomahawk and a self-pass off the backboard that looked like he leaped from a trampoline to finish with force, in addition to his powerful one- and two-handed windmills.
2000: ‘Vinsanity’ in Oakland
Take a look at this mix highlighting Vince Carter's Dunk Content performance in 2000!
As a first-time All-Star with the Toronto Raptors, Vince Carter put on a one-man show that flipped the entire Dunk Contest on its head. He started with perhaps one of the greatest dunks of all-time, inciting broadcaster Kenny Smith to yell, “Let’s go home, ladies and gentlemen!” Fans rose to their collective feet when “Vinsanity” powered up with two dribbles before converting a reverse 360 windmill with his right hand, leaving judges no choice but to reward the high-flyer with a perfect 50.
Carter followed that up with a 180-degree windmill from underneath the hoop, then took a bounce pass from teammate (and Dunk Contest competitor) Tracy McGrady between the legs, but he wasn’t finished blowing our minds just yet. He opened the final round by showing us something never seen before: “the elbow dunk”.
The name speaks for itself, but most people watching couldn’t comprehend exactly how difficult and ridiculous Carter’s slam actually was until they watched it again on replay. That performance, and countless in-game dunks throughout his 22-year Hall of Fame career, is why many consider him the greatest dunker in NBA history.
2003: Jason Richardson goes back-to-back
Jason Richardson looks back on the 2002 and 2003 NBA Slam Dunk Contest.
For the second consecutive year, “J-Rich” and Desmond Mason went toe-to-toe to ignite the All-Star festivities. Mason did everything he could to exact revenge from his defeat in 2002, most notably his between-the-legs left-handed jam that Smith called “a top ten dunk of all-time” on the broadcast. However, Richardson demanded his second straight crown and took it.
He sent the Atlanta crowd and his league mates into an absolute frenzy by catching a self-pass from the baseline and switching from right to left between his legs before finishing beneath the rim. Richardson’s reaction afterwards and other players storming the court was the finishing touch for the repeat champion.
2016: Zach LaVine vs. Aaron Gordon
Zach LaVine and Aaron Gordon unleash an array of never-before-seen jams and take it all the way to sudden death.
Following his breakout victory at the 2015 Dunk Contest, LaVine pulled out all the stops in an unforgettable spectacle against Gordon a year later. The effortlessly fluid athletes matched creativity and competitiveness throughout the evening that left fans both in attendance and watching at home in disbelief.
LaVine seemed to float through the air on flights from the free-throw line and behind-the-back slams from every angle, and ‘Air Gordon’ was born with two dunks from the help of Orlando’s mascot that essentially made gravity look like a hoax. The two traded perfect scores in a contest that rivaled the Jordan versus Wilkins battles in the 1980s. Ultimately, it was LaVine who earned his second straight title thanks to a pair of foul line finishes, one where he went between-the-legs, the other a Space Jam-like windmill to seal it.
