From unforgettable dunks to clutch plays and jaw-dropping assists, the 2025-26 season delivered no shortage of memorable moments. NBA writers look back at their favorite highlights and select their NBA ID Fan Favorites picks.
AT&T Dunk of the Year
- Anthony Black – Steve Aschburner, Brian Martin, Shaun Powell
- Stephon Castle – Jeff Zillgitt, John Schuhmann
Powell: Anthony Black doesn’t have the reputation or even the imposing size to drop signature posters, but this one would qualify as unreal even for a certified dunker. He took on four defenders and put them all in the photo. A runner-up to Tre Mann, if only to hear the Hornets’ play-by-play announcer Eric Collins almost lose his mind.
State Farm Assist of the Year
- Nikola Jokić – Martin, Aschburner, Powell
- Karl-Anthony Towns – Zillgitt, Schuhmann
Zillgitt: You could have a collection of Nikola Jokić’s six best assists and any one of them could be the best assist of the year. With that said, these were six sublime dimes, showing off vision, court awareness and the ability to make a play when necessary from Jokić, Alperen Sengun, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Shaedon Sharpe, James Harden and Karl-Anthony Towns.
San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama and Dylan Harper had Towns trapped on the sideline in the Emirates NBA Cup, but Towns caught a glimpse of OG Anunoby and zipped a pass to him for a dunk.
Block of the Year
- Tyrese Maxey – Aschburner, Zillgitt, Martin
- Luke Kornet – Schuhmann
- OG Anunoby – Powell
Schuhmann: Both the Anunoby and Kornet blocks were high-stakes situations, but Kornet chasing down Isaiah Hartenstein and avoiding the foul was stunning.
Handle of the Year
- Stephon Castle – Powell, Schuhmann, Martin
- Tyrese Maxey – Aschburner
- Aaron Gordon – Zillgitt
Powell: I had to watch that video three times to see exactly what Stephon Castle did to shake the defense and I’m still not sure. Behind the back, along with a body turn, or something like that?
Performance of the Year
- Nikola Jokić – Aschburner, Powell, Schuhmann, Martin
- Jalen Brunson – Zillgitt
Martin: Nikola Jokić was busier than Santa Claus on Christmas Day, racking up a historic triple-double with 56 points, 16 rebounds and 15 assists in Denver’s 142-138 win over Minnesota. Not only did Jokić post the NBA’s first-ever 55-15-15 game, he scored 18 of his 56 points in overtime, breaking the NBA record for points in OT previously held by Stephen Curry (17 in 2016).
Clutch Play of the Year
- OG Anunoby – Unanimous
Aschburner: Nothing else comes close, in my view, to OG Anunoby’s tip-in to win Game 4 of the Finals. All the elements had to line up for him to even have a chance at it: San Antonio’s defensive confusion, Anunoby as the in-bounder, the kick of Brunson’s missed shot. His instincts were impeccable, the tip was from a surprisingly long distance from the hoop, the bucket completed the Knicks’ remarkable comeback and Anunoby’s team was about to lose a pivotal game that could have swung the championship series. You almost can’t get more clutch than that.
Photo of the Year
- Ja Morant – Aschburner, Schuhmann
- LeBron James – Powell, Zillgitt
- Anthony Black – Martin
Aschburner: To start, I went with the process of elimination. Anthony Black (dunk) and OG Anunoby (clutch) appear elsewhere on my ballot, and both are better served by video of their breathtaking plays. We’ve seen better of LeBron James and Victor Wembanyama, so that narrowed my choice to Cooper Flagg’s soaring dunk or Ja Morant’s athletic defense. While not fundamentally sound, that leap produced great visual composition out in the open court, where a photographer has to seize the moment in an instant.
Michelob ULTRA Drip of the Year
- Devin Booker – Aschburner, Powell, Martin, Zillgitt
- Nickeil Alexander-Walker – Schuhmann
Schuhmann: Alexander-Walker’s fit looks comfortable, but not sloppy. It’s the simplest of the group, but it’s sharp, and the bag doesn’t seem as much of a burden as a couple of the others.
