31) Mac McClung (2023)

When the Slam Dunk Contest roster for 2023 was announced and highlighted by McClung, it set off a renewed call for actual All-Stars like Ja Morant to grace us with their presence again, lending some excitement and star power to the yearly exhibition. But the day after the contest, McClung himself was the headline, with an incredible performance to earn the trophy. It’s notable that his four dunks equate to eight points, which matches his career NBA total leading up to the contest. McClung’s two NBA appearances came during the ’21-’22 season, one with the Bulls and one with the Lakers. He was named G-League Rookie of the Year that same season and will likely get a call up soon from the 76ers, who currently own his rights on a two-way contract with the Delaware Blue Coats.

30) Hamidou Diallo (2019)
29) Obi Toppin (2022)
28) Glenn Robinson III (2017)
27) Derrick Jones Jr. (2020)

Ever since the star studded but ultimately dull 2014 event, the Slam Dunk Contest has stabilized into being a showcase for youngsters with some eventual All-Star potential or end-of-the-bench athletic freaks. The four players are all still young enough to trend towards the former but seem to be settling into the latter as role players. This will prove problematic more so for Toppin, who was the #8 pick in the 2020 draft but has averaged just 6.7 points and 3.1 rebounds per game so far in his career, drawing the ire of notoriously demanding Knicks fans. Diallo and Robinson III were second round picks while Jones, Jr. wasn’t drafted, so there’s less pressure on those three to convert a Slam Dunk Contest win into actual stardom. Diallo has shown some promise recently for the Pistons as a versatile bench guard, while Jones, Jr. has proven his utility for the Heat, Blazers, and Bulls as a defensive specialist on the wing. Robinson III, whose namesake father was a two-time All-Star, bounced between six teams in his seven NBA seasons but hasn’t been in the league since the Kings waived him in 2021.

26) Anfernee Simons (2021)

With a solid, clever performance that included a dunk in which he almost kissed the rim, Simons became the first Slam Dunk Contest champion in Trail Blazers history in 2021. In his third NBA season at the time, the first round pick hadn’t accomplished much up to that point, averaging just 7.5 points per game. But he had a breakout season in ’21-’22, taking over as the starting shooting guard when Portland traded away C.J. McCollum, averaging 23.4 points and 5.8 assists per game in 27 games in the starting lineup. That success has carried over in ’22-’23 as Simons, still only 23 years old, has established himself as a potential cornerstone of Portland’s long-term plans.

25) Jeremy Evans (2012)

He wasn’t even supposed to be there. Though Evans, then in his second season with the Jazz, had built a reputation as one of the league’s premier dunkers, he wasn’t selected for the 2012 Slam Dunk Contest roster but slotted in late when Iman Shumpert pulled out with an injury. In an especially frivolous contest (spurred by fan voting being introduced, pushing the players further into gimmicks), Evans ended up winning the whole thing, thanks to an impressive two-ball alley-oop slam. He almost defended his crown in 2013, where the highlight was a dunk over a painted self-portrait, but lost out in the finals to Terrence Ross. Despite his incredible athleticism, Evans never made much of an impact in actual games. His career lasted eight seasons, six with the Jazz and then one each with the Hawks and Mavericks, but averaged just 3.5 points and 2.6 rebounds per game for his career. Out of the NBA since 2018, Evans has continued playing in Europe, including spending this season with Paris Basketball in the Pro A, squaring off against Victor Wembanyama, amongst others. 

24) Harold Miner (1993, 1995)

The first entry on our list that falls under the category of mediocre-to-decent as an overall NBA player but found their 15 minutes of fame thanks to a ’90s Dunk Contest. Miner’s dunking prowess turned out to be a blessing and a curse. He was a superstar at Inglewood High School and USC and was a subsequent lottery pick of the Heat in 1992. In his rookie season, he put on an impressive display at the All-Star Saturday Night in Salt Lake City, earning the Dunk Contest trophy without one signature dunk but rather an array of various dramatic ones. It was about this time that the press and fans started regularly calling Miner “Baby Jordan” in reference to his dunking ability but that nickname actually started when he was in high school. Regardless, it hung around his neck like an albatross for the rest of his career. Playing time was scarce in a Heat rotation where Steve Smith and Glen Rice had established themselves as the wings and Miner’s career peak turned out to be his second season, ’93-’94, when he averaged 10.5 points per game. Miner won the Dunk Contest again in 1995, this time in a much more pedestrian manner. He was barely in Miami’s rotation by then, languishing on the bench due to injuries, defensive struggles, and inconsistency. After a disappointing ’94-’95 season with the Cavaliers, Miner had knee surgery that summer from which he never fully recovered, ending his career at age 25.

23) Kenny Walker (1989)

Many point to the early days of the Dunk Contest as its heyday, based primarily on the star power of its participants. Superstars Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins were early winners, as was the All-Star Larry Nance and the illustrious Spud Webb. Things took a turn in 1989, when Walker beat out a loaded field that included Webb, Jerome Kersey, Ron Harper, and pre-contest favorite Clyde Drexler. A two-time All-American forward at Kentucky (where his jersey is retired), Walker was the #5 pick in the 1986 NBA Draft and got off to a decent start with the Knicks, averaging 10.2 points and 4.8 rebounds per game in his first two seasons. But by the 1989 All-Star Weekend, he had been buried on Rick Pitino’s New York depth chart behind Johnny Newman and Charles Oakley and was ultimately a non-factor in their thrilling 1989 postseason run. But for one night in Houston, “Sky Walker” was king, earning the dunk title with a series of 360 throw downs. Just three years later, Walker was out of the league completely, plying his craft in Spain. In seven total seasons with the Knicks and Bullets, he finished with a career average of just 7.0 points per game.

22) Fred Jones (2004)

Winner of arguably the most forgettable Dunk Contest in All-Star history, Jones also had a relatively featureless career to match. An overreach for the Pacers at the #14 pick in the 2002 NBA Draft (thanks, Isiah Thomas), Jones slotted as an understudy and eventual replacement at shooting guard for the aging Reggie Miller. But by the time Miller retired in 2005, Jones had lost that starting spot to Stephen Jackson and didn’t find much success in later stops with the Raptors, Knicks, and Clippers. One spot Jones will always hold in Pacers franchise history is as its first Slam Dunk Contest champion. But he didn’t win that 2004 title in Los Angeles in any kind of awe-inspiring fashion, doing so instead as more of a technicality as the favorite, Jason Richardson, was eliminated on a controversial new rule that capped the amount of missed attempts.

21) Gerald Green (2007)

One of the more underrated participants in Slam Dunk Contest history, Green put up a dizzying display in 2007 and 2008 without too much reliance on gimmicks. Instead, it was his pure athleticism and creativity that won over the crowds and judges, propelling him to an upset victory over Nate Robinson in the former contest and a second place finish behind Dwight Howard in the latter. Prior to that, Green also took home the top prize in the 2005 McDonald’s All-American Slam Dunk Contest for prep players, while leading all scorers in the All-American Game the same weekend. Not too shabby for a guy who didn’t even play competitively until his sophomore year of high school. Initially committed to Oklahoma State, Green instead opted to head straight to the pros at age 19 and struggled early on with injuries and inconsistency. His NBA career seemed to be effectively over at age 23 when he absconded for a pro team in Russia but he made a surprise comeback following the 2011 lockout and developed into a solid, journeyman bench scorer for the Nets, Pacers, Suns, Heat, and Rockets before retiring in 2019 to transition into coaching.

20) Terrence Ross (2013)

Nicknamed “The Human Torch” for his explosive flights through the air, Ross won the Slam Dunk Contest as a rookie in 2013, then put on a repeat solid but unspectacular performance in 2014. The sky was the limit at the time for the young swingman, whom the Raptors had drafted #8 overall out of Washington in 2012. Just a few weeks before the 2014 Dunk Contest, Ross had what seemed to be a breakout game, dropping 51 points in a loss to the Clippers, tying Vince Carter’s single game franchise record. But Ross could never find real consistency after that, either with Toronto or with Orlando, after he was traded there in 2017. On the Magic, Ross has at least found a viable role as a solid bench scorer, averaging as much as 15.6 points per game in ’20-’21.

19) Isaiah Rider (1994)

Relentlessly brash and talented, Rider looked like a budding superstar for the Timberwolves when he won the Slam Dunk Contest in 1994. Then playing in a season that would end with him being named 1st-Team All-Rookie, he wowed fans and fellow players with his patented “East Bay Funk Dunk,” making good on a brazen title guarantee he had proclaimed on draft day. He became one of just three players to win the dunk contest on his home court and was granted hero status in Minnesota, but that good will was quickly squandered by selfish on-court play and near constant off-court issues. Rider averaged 18.5 points per game over his first five seasons but was mostly just racking up stats for bad teams. He was also regularly showing up late for practices, blowing off team meetings, undermining teammates and coaches, and compiling a rap sheet, getting arrested multiple times including for domestic violence. Basically washed up by age 29, Rider signed with the Lakers in 2000 and earned a championship ring that season but was left off the postseason roster.

18) Nate Robinson (2006, 2009, 2010)

The only three-time winner of the Slam Dunk Contest, Robinson took home the title in 2006, 2009, and 2010 (he also finished in second place in 2007). His greatest asset in that competition was his height, or lack thereof, as his 5’9″ frame places him as one of the shortest players in NBA history. That size was more of a liability in actual NBA games but Robinson had a decent career thanks to his speed, his compact strength, and his attacking style. In ’08-’09, the season he took home his second dunk title over the All-Star Weekend, Robinson averaged a career high 17.2 points per game for the Knicks. He averaged 10+ points per game in five other seasons and was also an adept rebounder for his size, averaging as many as 3.9 per game. The ’12-’13 season was his crowning achievement, filling in for an injured Derrick Rose and giving a Herculean effort for the Bulls, leading them to a first round playoff upset over the Nets. While Robinson’s Dunk Contest shtick got tiring after a while, his first performance in 2006 still holds up, eking out the title over Andre Iguodala with an impressive display in Houston.

17) Desmond Mason (2001)

A victim of circumstance, Mason was a solid player in his prime but was reviled in Milwaukee as the player who couldn’t live up to the departed Ray Allen. Drafted by the SuperSonics in 2000, Mason was that franchise’s first ever Slam Dunk Contest champion in his rookie season. He returned in 2003, placing second behind Jason Richardson, and just a few days after that was traded, along with Gary Payton, to the Bucks for a package built around Allen. In two-plus seasons in Milwaukee, Mason averaged 14.3 points per game and was a team leader but fans couldn’t get over the transaction that brought him there (it didn’t help that Payton skipped town after just one season). After a couple solid seasons with the Hornets, Mason’s career wound down and he retired in 2009. He’s now an artist and when the Bucks won the championship in 2021, he was commissioned to paint a series of murals around the city of Milwaukee in tribute.

16) Dee Brown (1991)

Amidst the late glory days of Larry Bird, Robert Parish, and Kevin McHale, Brown managed to render himself as arguably the most popular Celtics player in 1991 with his Slam Dunk Contest performance. Donning the newly released Reebok Pumps, Brown put on an impressive performance, including his infamous no-look dunk, to take the title in Charlotte. It was his debut season with Boston, who had drafted him in the first round in 1990 as a potential replacement at point guard for the retiring Dennis Johnson, and it ended with him getting named 1st-Team All-Rookie. While Brown never became a star player like Johnson, he was a solid one, averaging 11.6 points and 4.0 assists per game in his seven seasons with the Celtics, before a short, similarly successful stint with the Raptors. He takes his rightful place on this list ahead of the other fleeting superstar dunk contest champs of his era, like Kenny Walker, Isaiah Rider, and Harold Miner.

“In the same year he made his All-Star Game debut, Wall also walked away with the Slam Dunk Contest trophy. Well, sort of…”

15) Zach LaVine (2015, 2016)

After several years of lackluster competition, LaVine revived the Slam Dunk Contest with his back-to-back title performances in 2015 and 2016. This was especially true in the latter, a memorable mano-a-mano battle with Aaron Gordon. Those took place during LaVine’s early career with the Timberwolves but his breakout happened after a 2017 trade to the Bulls. Starting in ’18-’19, LaVine averaged 25.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game over the next four seasons. He also made his All-Star debut in 2021 and in 2022 led the Bulls to 46 wins, their highest total in seven years. Still only 27 years old as of this writing, LaVine is primed to continue climbing up this list over the next few seasons. 

14) Spud Webb (1986)

At 5’6″, Webb wasn’t quite the shortest player in NBA history but he was the lightest, weighing in at just 133 pounds. Seeing that slight frame glide through the air for acrobatic dunks won over the fans and judges at the 1986 Slam Dunk Contest in Dallas, propelling Webb to an upset victory over his Hawks teammate Dominique Wilkins. If you’re too young to recall the NBA of the ’80s and ’90s, it would be easy to assume that Webb was something of a sideshow oddity, hauled out for dunk contest appearances (he participated again in 1988 and 1989) and contributing little else on the court. But his freakish athleticism and preternatural court sense translated into game situations as well, allowing Webb to craft a solid 12 seasons in the NBA. His time with the Hawks is the most renowned thanks to those dunk contest appearances but it was Webb’s later seasons with the Kings where he peaked statistically, averaging 13.7 points and 6.7 assists per game over a four-year stretch starting in ’91-’92, and leading the NBA in free throw percentage in ’94-’95.

13) Brent Barry (1996)

The second youngest son of underhand free throw shooter Rick Barry seemed an unlikely participant in the 1996 Slam Dunk Contest. But Barry was an athletic play maker and finisher, winning over Clippers fans in his rookie season with a bevy of no look passes, dribble drives, and aerobatic fast break dunks. He actually didn’t want to participate but was coaxed into it by his franchise, which was languishing in the standings and needed some media attention. Of course, Barry went ahead and won the thing, thanks largely to disappointing showings from Jerry Stackhouse, Darrell Armstrong, and Michael Finley. He finished 2nd-Team All-Rookie for the Clippers and his career took some interesting detours from there, from a short, stressful stint on Pat Riley’s Heat (where Barry’s lack of defensive skill stood out like a sore thumb), to replacing Michael Jordan as Chicago’s starting shooting guard, to winning two championships with the Spurs as a three-point shooting specialist off the bench. It was not exactly the career his Hall of Fame dad compiled but a solid showing nonetheless, with a career average of 9.3 points per game over 14 seasons.

12) Cedric Ceballos (1992)

His 1992 Slam Dunk Contest title in Orlando was a major upset and a controversial one, as Ceballos completed his infamous blindfolded dunk to edge out the heavy favorite, Larry Johnson. While Johnson went on to the superior overall career, Ceballos was a solid player in his own right. In fact, three years after his dunk title he was named to the actual All-Star team as a reserve, though he was unable to participate due to an injured knee. Injuries were unfortunately a large piece of Ceballos’ career story, starting in ’92-’93, when he won the starting small forward spot for the Suns but missed the NBA Finals due to injury and arguably could have been a difference maker. Traded to the Lakers in 1994, Ceballos hit his peak over his first two seasons in L.A., averaging 21.4 points and 7.6 rebounds per game for a team remaining surprisingly competitive in the wake of Magic Johnson’s surprise retirement. Ceballos was traded back to Phoenix during the ’96-’97 season (for Robert Horry) and that was when knee troubles really derailed him, eventually forcing his retirement in 2001 at age 31.

11) Donovan Mitchell (2018)

Over the last few seasons, he’s developed into one of the premier all-around players in the NBA but early in his career, Mitchell was pegged as an exceedingly athletic scorer with an otherwise minimal skillset. The Slam Dunk Contest was therefore a seemingly perfect fit for the then Jazz rookie and he made the most of his opportunity, in a breathtaking, albeit reductive performance. With Larry Nance, Jr. also in the field, the 2018 contest turned into a celebration of the original 1984 affair, won by Nance’s father. Mitchell had no familial connections to the 1984 participants but did possess a spiritual one with Darrell Griffth, a former Jazz great and Louisville alumnus. Mitchell donned Griffith’s jersey (the actual jersey from the franchise’s archives, not a throwback facsimile) for his final round dunk and took home the title. Like Griffith, he also later added a solid jumper to his offensive repertoire and is now a legitimate MVP candidate for the Cavaliers, looking to add to a trophy case that includes three All-Star appearances. 

10) Jason Richardson (2002, 2003)

In Richardson’s two years on campus, Michigan State made back-to-back Final Four appearances, winning the NCAA title in 2000, when he was named an All-American. Subsequently drafted fifth overall by the Warriors, he was a back-to-back Slam Dunk Contest champion in his first two NBA seasons, was named 1st-Team All-Rookie, and was awarded MVP of the 2002 Rookie Challenge, in what seemed like the start of a promising pro career. But accolades would be difficult to come by for the rest of Richardson’s basketball playing days, much of which was spent languishing on the cellar dwelling Warriors. He ultimately played in the postseason just four times in 12 seasons, with only one Conference Finals trip, in 2010 with the Suns. An All-Star or All-NBA appearance never happened either for Richardson, despite his averaging 20+ points and five-plus rebounds per game in three different seasons. In addition to his dunking prowess, Richardson was also an accomplished three-pointer shooter, leading the NBA in three-point field goals in ’07-’08.

9) Josh Smith (2005)

One of the greatest pure athletes in NBA history, Smith’s raw talent was on display in Denver during the 2005 All-Star Weekend, when he took home the Slam Dunk Contest at age 19. It took a while for his overall game to catch up to his natural capacity and by the time it did, he spent his prime underrated, plugging away with solid but unspectacular numbers on solid but unspectacular Hawks teams. Overlooked numerous times for the All-Star roster, Smith had to settle for his Dunk Contest crown as the only real individual accolade earned (he was also 2nd-Team All-Defensive in ’09-’10). Similar to Jason Richardson, Smith’s reputation is additionally dinged by his lack of postseason success, with just one Conference Finals appearance in his career, in 2015 with the Rockets.

8) Larry Nance (1984)

Later in his career, when he developed into a key post scorer, rebounder, and defender for the late ’80s and early ’90s Cavaliers, younger fans may have been shocked to realize Nance was once seen first and foremost as a sublime dunker. Equal parts acrobatic and powerful, Nance put on a dizzying display at the inaugural NBA Slam Dunk Contest in 1984, upsetting Dominique Wilkins and Julius Erving to take home the title. He made his All-Star Game debut a year later with the Suns, then two more appearances representing the Cavs in 1989 and 1993. Starting in his second NBA season, ’82-’83, Nance averaged 16+ points and eight-plus rebounds per game for 11 consecutive years, before capping his stunningly consistent career in 1994. His son, Larry, Jr., finished second in the 2018 Slam Dunk Contest.

7) John Wall (2014)

In the same year he made his All-Star Game debut, Wall also walked away with the Slam Dunk Contest trophy. Well, sort of, anyway, as the NBA overcomplicated proceedings in 2014, introducing a “team” concept to the contest that ended with Wall receiving the most fan votes as “Dunker of the Night” after leading the Eastern Conference to victory. Still, it felt like a coming out party for the former #1 overall pick, who eventually finished second in the NBA in assists in the ’13-’14 season while leading the Wizards to their first playoff appearance in six years. While he never returned to the Slam Dunk Contest, it was the first of five consecutive All-Star Game appearances for Wall, who was also named to the All-Defensive team in ’14-’15, 3rd-Team All-NBA in ’16-’17, and averaged 19.9 points and 9.9 assists per game during that span. But he couldn’t manage to lift Washington past the Conference Semifinals and was never the same athletically after undergoing knee surgery in 2017.

6) Vince Carter (2000)

In the era of bombs away shooting and “unicorn” athletic marvels, this is maybe the last example we’ll have for a while of a superstar whose game is predicated on dunking. Not that Carter wasn’t otherwise a solid all-around player but he never quite lived up to expectations and much of that supposition was based on his incredible winning performance in the 2000 Slam Dunk Contest. Over a career that eventually spanned 22 seasons, Carter compiled over 25,000 points, was an All-Star eight times, and averaged 20+ points 10 times. In addition to his dunk contest win, he also provided us with arguably the greatest in-game dunk ever later that year, a leap over the head of 7’2″ French center Frederic Weis at the 2000 Olympics that the French media dubbed “la dunk de la mort.”

5) Blake Griffin (2011)

Knee surgery delayed his rookie season by one year and Griffin quickly proved rested and ready when he got the chance. In a season that eventually ended with a Rookie of the Year award by unanimous vote, Griffin also made his All-Star debut and participated in the Slam Dunk Contest. Performing in front of a raucous home crowd in Los Angeles, Griffin won the contest with an infamous lob dunk over a Kia Optima parked in front of the hoop. The next day, he became the first rookie in nearly a decade (since Yao Ming in 2003) to participate in the All-Star Game. It was the first of six All-Star appearances for Griffin, who was also named 2nd-Team All-NBA three times in his career, averaged 20+ points and eight-plus rebounds per game five times, and finished as high as third in MVP voting, in ’13-’14. His career was also unfortunately marked by injuries and playoff disappointments, robbing him of rising higher on this list.

4) Dominique Wilkins (1985, 1990)

A forgotten man sometimes from the ’80s NBA heyday, Wilkins has been receiving a corrective of attention lately, centered around his inclusion on the 75 Greatest Players list. One of the most explosive athletes in basketball history, he could score from anywhere on the floor but was an especially adept dunker. With a dizzying array of windmills, reverses, and tomahawks, Wilkins was the Slam Dunk Contest champion in 1985 and 1990, plus finished as runner-up in the legendary 1986 and 1988 editions (behind Spud Webb and Michael Jordan, respectively). In addition to his exhibition exploits, ‘Nique was also arguably the greatest in-game dunker the NBA has ever seen, a big part of why he’s top 15 in career scoring, made nine All-Star appearances, and finished in the top five in MVP voting three times.

3) Dwight Howard (2008)

His reputation has taken quite a hit over the last decade, to the point that he was a notable absence on the 75 Greatest Players list, but in 2008, Howard was not just one of the best players in the NBA but one of the most beloved. His Slam Dunk Contest performances were mixed in retrospect but blockbusters at the time, especially his 2008 championship, which included the infamous Superman dunk. ’07-’08 was also the first of five seasons that Howard led the NBA in rebounding, over an incredible six year stretch that also included two blocks titles, six All-Star appearances, three Defensive Player of the Year trophies, five times being named 1st-Team All-NBA, four times finishing in the top five in MVP voting, and almost single-handedly carrying the Magic to the 2009 NBA Finals. Things leveled off from there, with a one-year disappointment with the Lakers to brief and unspectacular stops with the Rockets, Hawks, Hornets, and Wizards. Howard redeemed himself somewhat as a key piece of the ’19-’20 Lakers title run but while he’s reached the top 40 of our all-time list, his prominence has steadily declined in recent years in more subjective estimations.

2) Kobe Bryant (1997)
1) Michael Jordan (1987, 1988)

Earning the Slam Dunk Contest title has made household names out of otherwise also-rans like Harold Miner, Isaiah Rider, and Nate Robinson, and solidified the notoriety of All-Stars like Dominique Wilkins, Larry Nance, and Vince Carter. But only two all-time great legends have ever taken home the trophy. Bryant did so in 1997, at the tender age of 18. Likely coaxed into competing by a league office desperate for All-Star Weekend star power, the then rookie Bryant put on a solid but uninspiring show to beat out Chris Carr and Michael Finley in the finals. It was notable as the first major award of a career that would eventually include a league MVP, two Finals MVPs, four All-Star Game MVPs, and induction into the Naismith Hall of Fame. But it was also conspicuous as such a mundane affair that the NBA opted to just cancel the 1998 edition. This ran counter to the Slam Dunk Contest performances of Bryant’s idol, Jordan, who was victorious in back-to-back years in ways that blasted both his popularity and that of the league into overdrive.