Best in-game dunks in NBA history: Ja Morant’s insane slam compared to Blake Griffin, Michael Jordan and more

We love NBA Dunk Contests, but nothing compares to the exhilaration of landing a successful dunk on an in-game poster. A moment of anticipation when you see a player load up, a moment of hesitation when you think about it, “There’s no way he’s actually going to finish this,” and finally, a thrilling explosion when the ball pierces the rim. . .

I have spent most of my time on this earth as a dunk enthusiast. I have VHS versions of Vince Carter, Steve Francis and Tracy McGrady’s legendary 2000 NBA Dunk Contest and James White’s taped version of his 2001 McDonald’s All-American Dunk Contest (yeah yeah lol lol) Gen Z) religiously rewatched. In 2004, as he jumped out of a camping folding chair in his college dorm room, Jason Richardson lifted his feet off the glass, forgetting that his Minolta digital camera was in his lap. rice field. It’s the floor, but I don’t regret it. While the rest of my family slept, I was alone watching the epic 2016 showdown between Zach Lavigne and Aaron Gordon on my tablet at 4 a.m. at an AirBnB in Paris.

This history is why my reaction to Ja Morant’s face-melting poster dunk against the Indiana Pacers on Saturday is so telling. I didn’t scream when I posterized poor Jalen Smith with his fully extended arms behind his head. I didn’t jump Didn’t spit out the adult drink.

Dunk was literally speechless. I leaned forward, gesturing wildly with my fists, and looking around the empty house to see if the non-existent spectator saw what I just saw. I was taken aback, but the whole post-dunk celebration was wordless – a silent movie. Shortly after, I started screaming and went to Slack and his group message to tell him what just happened. When her wife came home from work, I used her handy NBA “every angle” post to show her about 50 dunks.

Dunk of the Year? How about the greatest in-game dunk of all time?

Contest dunks are clearly the most difficult. But it’s impossible to surpass the wow factor from an incredible dunk during an NBA game. There are a few caveats when thinking about all-time records. First, wide-open haste doesn’t count. The man did his 360-degree jump, went between his legs, and in transition he did a solo windmill. Sorry, that’s too much like a dunk his contest. The dunks Morant faces must be in the action of the real game him. Second, these are his NBA dunks only, so unfortunately he won’t be on the list that Carter literally dunked Frederick Weiss in his 2000 Olympics.

Here are some of the best dunks in the game of all time (I’m not saying they’re all great).

Julius Erving (1983)

It might be a good idea to start with the classics. Dr. J’s “Rock the Baby” dunk is one of his most iconic in league history and has never been replicated. Not only is he one of the smoothest dunks we’ve seen, but reigning champion and all-time defender Michael he could also go up against Cooper. It was punctuated by an incredulous call from his GOAT NBA broadcaster Chick Hahn, who came up with the idea of ​​”rocking the baby to sleep” on the spot. Not much better.

Dominic Wilkins (1984)

His nickname was “The Human Highlight Film” for a reason. Dominique’s potential submissions abound, but this one is nominated for sheer power and creativity. Dunk (basically sideways) to the incoming Bob Lanier.

Tom Chambers (1989)

Poor Mark Jackson. While playing for the Phoenix Suns, the 6-foot-10 Chambers rose…and rose…and rose…until he was almost elbow level with the rim, and in the future. NBA head coach and ESPN analyst. The flank angle is the best indication of just how high Chambers got, but a few micropoints could be deducted for the boost potential after hitting Jackson.

Michael Jordan (1991)

I knew MJ must be somewhere. This dunk speaks for itself, but it’s his game in the playoffs, and it gets extra juice because of how Jordan has ravaged the Knicks repeatedly over the course of his career.

Shawn Kemp (1992)

Oh baby Lister blister. This dunk has it all: cuffs, posters and points. Add in the fact that it came during a playoff game? Kemp is there with the best of them.

John Starks (1993)

The Bulls beat the Knicks many times in the ’90s, but the Starks will always have this dunk over Horace Grant and (sort of) Michael Jordan. In the closing stages, he lifts and contorts his body to unleash a morbid left-handed dunk. This is his one of the standout moments in Knicks history.

Ricky Davis (1999)

This is a deep cut, but it deserves more love than it gets. His head is literally on the rim. When it comes to putback dunks and pure athleticism, it’s hard to beat.

Vince Carter (1999)

Carter took the NBA by storm en route to being named Rookie of the Year in 1998-99. This would have justifiably won his 90s dunk in his contest and he achieved it in in-game traffic. Absolutely dirty.

Vince Carter (2005)

There are plenty of Carter dunks to choose from, but he ranked this one as his personal favorite. First, he hits a smooth behind-the-back dribble to fend off Jason Williams, then reaches and dunks Alonzo Mourning, one of the greatest shot blockers in NBA history. If we were to pick the best dunkers of all time, VC would have to be at the top of the list.

Baron Davis (2007)

“We Believe” The Warriors’ lasting memory is perhaps the most aesthetically similar to Morant’s dunk. Davis puts it back together, unleashing 6-foot-9 Andrei Kirilenko and sending the Oracle Arena crowd into madness.

I couldn’t pick just one. The first Griffin created a new verb when he “mozgord” the 7-foot-1 Russian center. Then, in the following season, he probably outdid himself by destroying another heavyweight, Kendrick Perkins. Some argue that these aren’t technically dunks because Griffin hasn’t touched the rim. Get out of here with it. You can come back to me with those discussions once you get high enough to throw the ball down over the net Griffin has a very impressive contender for the best in-game dunk of all time he has two

Gerald Green (2012)

Green is one of the greatest dunkers of all time and this may be his best in-game experience. Yes it’s in transition but there are enough defenders in the area for this to qualify. I think it goes through your head when you can.

King has received many accolades in the NBA. For example, he’s about to become the all-time leading scorer in league history, but he’s also one of the few players to ever dunk past a human. John Lucas III had no idea what hit him because LeBron had never actually hit him. He just passed over him and the traffic on his way to the finish in this back alley cleared him away like a cone.

Unsurprisingly, Griffin gets most of the flowers, but DJs line up with him to show off the best dunks in the game. If some of the dunks on this list are ballets, this is Monster Truck Rally, pure, unadulterated carnage. It has led to countless memes of poor Brandon Knight being slammed to the floor and into outer space. This was the “Rob City” Clippers at their best.

Remember when LeBron jumped over people? Well, Giannis jumped over even bigger people and looked too casual. There’s a reason they call him a Greek freak.

Aaron Gordon (2022)

Putting in a recent one, Gordon gets an extra point of context here. bottom. It takes a certain amount of confidence when you give someone one of your most prized possessions in the game.

As mentioned above, this is by no means a comprehensive list.Feel free to reach out to us on Twitter @colinCBSSports In the forgotten dunk. No matter where you put Morant, he’s definitely in the NBA dunk hall of fame for his in-game dunks.