Zach LaVine and Aaron Gordon embrace after the 2016 Dunk Contest in Toronto.
Zach LaVine, the 2015 Slam Dunk Contest champ, casually walked out during introductions. No entourage, no flash. He’s been here before.
LaVine opened the night with a self-alley oop that earned a perfect 50. Aaron Gordon followed with a statement of his own, donning a magician’s outfit and delivering his first dunk with ease.
From the opening round, it was clear the 2016 Slam Dunk Contest was building towards something different.
Ten years later, as the NBA approaches All-Star Weekend in Inglewood, Calif., that night remains one of the most memorable moments in the event’s history.
Setting the stage
Before the Dunk Contest began, key moments took place. Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns won the Skills Challenge, highlighting the evolving big man, while Golden State’s Klay Thompson claimed the 3-point competition. Then came the finale.
The 2016 Dunk Contest featured Will Barton, Andre Drummond, Gordon and LaVine, with a judging panel featuring Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Tracy McGrady, George Gervin and Dikembe Mutombo.
At the time, the contest was searching for momentum. Recent years had drawn limited buzz, as many wondered if the glory days of Dominique Wilkins and Michael Jordan were gone. LaVine helped bring excitement back in 2015 by completing every dunk on his first attempt, but faced little resistance.
What made 2016 different was that he finally met his match.
LaVine and Gordon weren’t strangers. They both grew up playing on the AAU circuit, facing each other in the Pac-12 (Gordon at Arizona; LaVine at UCLA) and were both drafted in 2014. The familiarity showed, as each came prepared, answering the other with creativity and precision.
“We’ve always had a good rivalry and relationship,” LaVine said in 2016 after the Dunk Contest. “I think the dunk contest made that bigger than what it was between us. It was really fun and something for the culture and history.”
A dramatic finish
Aaron Gordon’s iconic dunk over the Orlando Magic’s mascot.
During the contest, LaVine and Gordon separated themselves from the field, trading perfect scores and pushing the competition to uncharted territory: a dunk-off.
“We were looking in our bag of tricks. Ain’t got nothing left,” LaVine said in 2016.
LaVine said he had prepared a few extra dunks just in case, while Gordon said he did not anticipate needing them.
When it was over, LaVine emerged with the trophy, earning a rare back-to-back Slam Dunk Contest championship. Gordon finished second, but his performance immediately entered Dunk Contest lore, capped by his iconic leap over Stuff, the Magic’s mascot.
“Zach’s an incredible dunker,” Gordon said in 2016. “He went through the legs from the free-throw line. That is insane.”
Reflecting on a historic night
In the years that followed, Gordon returned to the contest two more times, including a runner-up finish in 2020.
LaVine never returned, but his two-year run cemented his place among the event’s greats. Every generation has its defining Dunk Contest moment: Wilkins vs. Jordan, Vince Carter in 2000 and Blake Griffin in 2011.
Then there’s LaVine vs. Gordon.
“I think the (2016) one is the best one ever as far as creativity, guys stepping up and making dunks that probably haven’t been seen before and the level of competition,” LaVine said in 2016.
Every year, the Dunk Contest carries the same question: who’s next?
Ten years ago, LaVine and Gordon didn’t just answer it. They set a benchmark for what the contest can look like at its best.
As the 2026 NBA All-Star Saturday Night returns to Southern California, new players take the floor a chance to create a moment of their own.
History isn’t recreated often. But every so often, one night is enough to raise the bar.
