2016 Dunk Contest: One to Remember

[KG215]

I know we live in the age of "Caught Up in the Moment", and that's probably exactly what I'm doing now, but that dunk contest truly, really was phenomenal. It was a dud early on, but the finals showdown between LaVine and Gordon was one for the ages.

Good shit.

[Milbuck]

GOAT dunk contest. This was the best ever.

[Hulk]

http://abload.de/img/untitled-37fqnk.gif

[SugarHill]

Yeah, never seen anything like it. It was fast, hectic and they were doing it on one try. Doing some incredibly insane dunks from two completely different styles. It started off slow but when the Drummond and Barton cut, that shit turned into the best contest ever

[Funktion]

http://abload.de/img/untitled-37fqnk.gif
Dem hops n length

[konex]

Gordon got robbed. Wtf

[Bless Mathews]

Dem hops n length

He FUCCIN pogos and gets higher because he pushes off

GTFO

[Styles p]

gordon got robbed it was almost as bad as the year iggy got held up at gunpoint.

[Jameerthefear]

Gordon got ****ing robbed. This is absolute highway ****ing robbery

[SugarHill]

He FUCCIN pogos and gets higher because he pushes off

GTFO
He doesn't even touch the mascot :facepalm

[BasedTom]

gordon got robbed it was almost as bad as the year iggy got held up at gunpoint.
no lie

[CJ Mustard]

Trading 50's. Shit was bananas. FUUUUUCKK

Both guys were easily better than Vince. And I thought Vince had the greatest dunk contest performance ever.

[Im Still Ballin]

He stabilizes on the ball mid air

It makes a difference

[WorldWarriors]

I know we live in the age of "Caught Up in the Moment", and that's probably exactly what I'm doing now, but that dunk contest truly, really was phenomenal. It was a dud early on, but the finals showdown between LaVine and Gordon was one for the ages.

Good shit. All of the events were competitive and thrilling. The dunk contest ended up being the most thrilling of all. Quality dunks until the end. Jesus.

[Bless Mathews]

He doesn't even touch the mascot :facepalm


Are you blind??

He grabs the ball and pushes.

Y'all niggahs are dumb af and don't understand simple physics.

[Cocaine80s]

He doesn't even touch the mascot :facepalm
He pushes off the ball

[4 Inches]

Damn we all though this was gonna be another schit one when Drummond and Barton choked but I gotta say these light skin fellas saved the day :bowdown:

[Milbuck]

Are you blind??

He grabs the ball and pushes.

Y'all niggahs are dumb af and don't understand simple physics.
No he doesn't. Literally nowhere in that dunk did he push off, it was the pass under the legs, period. Dude got that high on his own bounce. FOH

[Im Still Ballin]

holler cuz f0nky

[Milbuck]

I've never seen 2 guys go at it like that in the dunk contest. ****ing epic dunk contest! :bowdown:
Both put on better showings than Vince. We just saw the two greatest NBA contest performances ever at the same contest.

[Cali Syndicate]

Yeah, never seen anything like it. It was fast, hectic and they were doing it on one try. Doing some incredibly insane dunks from two completely different styles. It started off slow but when the Drummond and Barton cut, that shit turned into the best contest ever

Yup. I thoroughly enjoyed how they just jumped right into their dunks. No set up, no hyping the crowd...just dunks. This was right up there as one of the bests ever

[KG215]

Best contest ever might be a bit hyperbolic, but that finals showdown was great. Drummond and Barton sucked. And Gordon's entrance in the 1st round in the tuxedo was awkward and forced as hell, but it did turn into an epic, all-time great dunk contest finals showdown.

[Cocaine80s]

No he doesn't. Literally nowhere in that dunk did he push off, it was the pass under the legs, period. Dude got that high on his own bounce. FOH
Dude look at right when he jumps, he grabs and pushes the ball not even half way up

[Bless Mathews]

No he doesn't. Literally nowhere in that dunk did he push off, it was the pass under the legs, period. Dude got that high on his own bounce. FOH


Smh.

He pushes off the ball.

Watch it. Blind as a bat niggah.

[KG215]

Gordon did push off the ball on that under the legs dunk with the mascot, but it was still a really nice dunk.

[Jameerthefear]

If you think Gordon pushed off, here's an idea: Take a gun and put 3 ****ing bullets into your ****ing head. Do it now.

[SugarHill]

If you think Gordon pushed off, here's an idea: Take a gun and put 3 ****ing bullets into your ****ing head. Do it now.
:roll:

[Jameerthefear]

Here's the 3D view. He CLEARLY doesn't push off.
https://vine.co/v/inPtUOxahnE

[Fallen Angel]

Overrated. Dunk Contests can't be great without star players.

If I want to watch two scrubs trade cool dunks I'll go on YouTube and watch All-American dunk contests.

[derb2k2]

he does push off or at the least, gain some hang-time from it. Physics indeed.

[plowking]

That 360 Malone dunk is one of the GOAT dunks ever.

[SugarHill]

Here's the 3D view. He CLEARLY doesn't push off.
https://vine.co/v/inPtUOxahnE
what now, animal fvcker bless? :coleman:

[Styles p]

Here's the 3D view. He CLEARLY doesn't push off.
https://vine.co/v/inPtUOxahnE
:applause:

[Im Still Ballin]

He clearly pushes the ball slightly to exaggerate the hang time

[bluechox2]

light skinners taking over

[Jameerthefear]

That 360 Malone dunk is one of the GOAT dunks ever.
ANd to do it on the first try... Absolutely insane

[Cocaine80s]

That vine doesnt really show anything. It pauses and goes 3d when hes already above the mascot

[Sportal]

He FUCCIN pogos and gets higher because he pushes off

GTFO

You are straight up ****ing moronic if you think Gordon pushed off in any of those dunks.

I think Gordon was robbed tbh. His dunks had variety and shit those were impressive.

[Fallen Angel]

If you're stressing to defend someone not winning an All-Star weekend award then you need to reevaluate your life.

[tmacattack33]

He doesn't even touch the mascot :facepalm

The ball, not the mascot.

[Jameerthefear]

That vine doesnt really show anything. It pauses and goes 3d when hes already above the mascot
Kill yourself. No really, drink as much bleach as you can in the next 24 hours and go ****ing play in traffic.

[Bless Mathews]

what now, animal fvcker bless? :coleman:

For the last time I like fine bitches gettin fucced or suckin off animals.

FUCCIN an animal?

Gross bro.

Dang.


The stupid 3 d skips contact of the ball.

Physics you idiots.

[Bless Mathews]

You are straight up ****ing moronic if you think Gordon pushed off in any of those dunks.

I think Gordon was robbed tbh. His dunks had variety and shit those were impressive.

He gets a boos stupid ass no knowin ignant ass niggah.

[90sgoat]

http://abload.de/img/untitled-37fqnk.gif

Insane dunk:bowdown:

[Cocaine80s]

Kill yourself. No really, drink as much bleach as you can in the next 24 hours and go ****ing play in traffic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fP8FMdVcCQQ

[tmacattack33]

If you're stressing to defend someone not winning an All-Star weekend award then you need to reevaluate your life.

Nah, I was mad about Igoudala getting robbed in 2006...and i'm still mad. So i can see why somebody would want to defend someone losing it. Gordon didn't get robbed this year though, it was very close and Levine deserved it.

[Milbuck]

Overrated. Dunk Contests can't be great without star players.

If I want to watch two scrubs trade cool dunks I'll go on YouTube and watch All-American dunk contests.
OMG SO MUCH EDGE LOL

F*ck off with your self fart smelling contrarian garbage.

[Cali Syndicate]

Here's the 3D view. He CLEARLY doesn't push off.
https://vine.co/v/inPtUOxahnE

Definitely doesnt look like any pushoff.

If he is pushing, where's the opposite force? If Gordon is pushing hard enough to create a force for his jump any higher, the mascot would show some indication for equal reaction.

[Im Still Ballin]

He touches the ball way before he reaches the peak of his parabolic flight

[Black and White]

Overrated. Dunk Contests can't be great without star players.

If I want to watch two scrubs trade cool dunks I'll go on YouTube and watch All-American dunk contests.

Negged.

You know who's overrated? James Harden

[Cali Syndicate]

he pushes off.

[Cocaine80s]

Definitely doesnt look like any pushoff.

If he is pushing, where's the opposite force? If Gordon is pushing hard enough to create a force for his jump any higher, the mascot would show some indication for equal reaction.


he pushes off.
:coleman:

[plowking]

If anything it looks like he uses it to stabilize his body. I was just thinking, if he missed the ball, he'd have to grab the ring on the way down just so he doesn't kill himself landing.

[$LakerGold]

Dumbf*cks, he didn't push off the ball, he used the ball to guide himself in the air. Huge difference.

[outbreak]

Best dunk in years and ag still doesnt win. More original too

[HurricaneKid]

I will take Aaron Gordon's 2nd -6th dunk over any dunk contestant ever and he lost.

Lavine is amazing but it's the same dunk every time.

Gordon got robbed. Badly. All three of his 50s were better than all three of Levine's Finals dunks.

[PleezeBehave]

He didn't push off, he's grabbing the ball while sit-flying (had to create a word here) over the darn mascot while keeping his eyes on the rim, and since you guys are mentioning physics you should know that when you touch or grab something with force, it tends to move unless it's a bloody mountain or a building. The mascot is a guy in a fluffy suit, he has a mascot head on his own head. Of course he's going to move a bit when a big guy comes flying with both feet over his head to grab the ball and dunk it. It would be very hard for Gordon to grab that ball in that scenario without causing some downward force on the mascots head as he's actually grabbing the ball under his bottom. He didn't push off the mascot to gain air time. Physics.

The guy had one of the best dunks of all time and you're talking about the mascots head briefly moving from the force when Gordon grabs the ball like it should have been a 45 and not as spectacular as people are saying :facepalm

[Cocaine80s]

He didn't push off, he's grabbing the ball while sit-flying (had to create a word here) over the darn mascot while keeping his eyes on the rim, and since you guys are mentioning physics you should know that when you touch or grab something with force, it tends to move unless it's a bloody mountain or a building. The mascot is a guy in a fluffy suit, he has a mascot head on his own head. Of course he's going to move a bit when a big guy comes flying with both feet over his head to grab the ball and dunk it. It would be very hard for Gordon to grab that ball in that scenario without causing some downward force on the mascots head as he's actually grabbing the ball under his bottom. He didn't push off the mascot to gain air time. Physics.

The guy had one of the best dunks of all time and you're talking about the mascots head briefly moving from the force when Gordon grabs the ball like it should have been a 45 and not as spectacular as people are saying :facepalm
He pushed off.

Deal with it

[Styles p]

oh well if he pushed off, remember when dwight didn't dunk that ball but he won the dunk contest?

[BuffaloBill]

The reason AG didn't win is because his entourage game was weak. You saw how many people overreacted to lavines dunks? His whole team was there too. People barely even stood up for Gordon's dunks

[Rake2204]

He FUCCIN pogos and gets higher because he pushes off

GTFOI think Aaron Gordon had a wonderful contest regardless, but I believe he absolutely used the mascot on at least one of those dunks to boost himself.

He probably would have made the dunks without a boost but that's why he looks so ungodly high. I've seen folks do those two-hand leapfrogs via FlightBrothers or whatever and a number of them do the same thing.

It really might not make or break the dunk but it may provide a wider window for success and also add a hover effect.

[outbreak]

I think Aaron Gordon had a wonderful contest regardless, but I believe he absolutely used the mascot on at least one of those dunks to boost himself.

He probably would have made the dunks without a boost but that's why he looks so ungodly high. I've seen folks do those two-hand leapfrogs via FlightBrothers or whatever and a number of them do the same thing.

It really might not make or break the dunk but it may provide a wider window for success and also add a hover effect.
There's in game college dunks where he gets just as high

[no pun intended]

The reason AG didn't win is because his entourage game was weak. You saw how many people overreacted to lavines dunks? His whole team was there too. People barely even stood up for Gordon's dunks
I agree that this may have had an some sort of influence.

[Jameerthefear]

The reason AG didn't win is because his entourage game was weak. You saw how many people overreacted to lavines dunks? His whole team was there too. People barely even stood up for Gordon's dunks
This.

[Milbuck]

This.
Yeah wtf was up with the Timberpups losing their shit on every Zach dunk but Elf/Dipo/Mario nowhere to be found? I think I saw Mario after one of them but I don't know how you don't go nuts as a Magic player after every Gordon dunk.

[Milbuck]

I think Aaron Gordon had a wonderful contest regardless, but I believe he absolutely used the mascot on at least one of those dunks to boost himself.

He probably would have made the dunks without a boost but that's why he looks so ungodly high. I've seen folks do those two-hand leapfrogs via FlightBrothers or whatever and a number of them do the same thing.

It really might not make or break the dunk but it may provide a wider window for success and also add a hover effect.
Give me some footage man. There's a vine of that under both legs dunk on one of the other threads, there's zero pushing off. He passes it under both legs cleanly and there's no push off with either hand. It was perfectly clean. He legitimately has that kind of bounce, he's always had it, just rarely shows it in games.

[Rake2204]

There's in game college dunks where he gets just as highHe was getting way up there on his other dunks tonight too, just not that high. If he'd straightened his back out on one of the mascot dunks it seemed like his chest could have been sitting on the rim.

Do you have any college links where he was that high?

[Rake2204]

Give me some footage man. There's a vine of that under both legs dunk on one of the other threads, there's zero pushing off. He passes it under both legs cleanly and there's no push off with either hand. It was perfectly clean. He legitimately has that kind of bounce, he's always had it, just rarely shows it in games.Still digging. On this Vine, palming the rock with his right hand on top of the ball right off the bat is what gives the extra oomph: https://vine.co/v/inPpIU0ha5Y

But again, to be extra clear: HE WAS INCREDIBLE REGARDLESS. Just those two top-of-mascot dunks... it seemed he may have made things a little easier for himself. I know that boost, I've seen it.

[JimmyMcAdocious]

I think Aaron Gordon had a wonderful contest regardless, but I believe he absolutely used the mascot on at least one of those dunks to boost himself.

He probably would have made the dunks without a boost but that's why he looks so ungodly high. I've seen folks do those two-hand leapfrogs via FlightBrothers or whatever and a number of them do the same thing.

It really might not make or break the dunk but it may provide a wider window for success and also add a hover effect.

Thoughts on Drummond's performance?

[Jameerthefear]

There's in game college dunks where he gets just as high
I can't find the picture. It was when Gordon was trying to attempt a dunk and he injured himself. I don't think people really understand how high he can jump without the ball. I posted it here before

[Jameerthefear]

Yeah wtf was up with the Timberpups losing their shit on every Zach dunk but Elf/Dipo/Mario nowhere to be found? I think I saw Mario after one of them but I don't know how you don't go nuts as a Magic player after every Gordon dunk.
Elf is an introvert and Mario is Croatian. Dipo stays calm usually. LaVine's hype won it.

[Wally450]

Lots of great dunks. Aaron Gordon's under both legs was the best dunk of the night IMO.

[Rake2204]

Thoughts on Drummond's performance?Could have been interesting if he made that very first attempt (seemed like it was the closest he came). Buuut his night was over pretty quickly after that. Clearly had a back-up prepared but if you screw up the back-up too, you're in trouble.

And he broke a dunk contest cardinal sin in round two: never pin your hopes to a guy in street clothes, even if it's a possibly inebriated Steve Nash in yoga pants.

[Milbuck]

Still digging. On this Vine, palming the rock with his right hand on top of the ball right off the bat is what gives the extra oomph: https://vine.co/v/inPpIU0ha5Y

But again, to be extra clear: HE WAS INCREDIBLE REGARDLESS.
Idk how that gives him a boost though, he's just gripping the ball to prep the pass underneath. Palming it with no contact with the mascot shouldn't get him higher. I get what you're saying though, I just don't agree with some other people acting like he straight up pushed off the mascot with his hand to get extra ups because he clearly didn't do that.

You're a dunk connoisseur, help me with this. Better dunks than that under the legs you've ever seen in NBA contest history? I can't think of any. Maybe one of Zach's dunks, but not to me.

[Jameerthefear]

Idk how that gives him a boost though, he's just gripping the ball to prep the pass underneath. Palming it with no contact with the mascot shouldn't get him higher. I get what you're saying though, I just don't agree with some other people acting like he straight up pushed off the mascot with his hand to get extra ups because he clearly didn't do that.

You're a dunk connoisseur iirc, help me with this. Better dunks than that under the legs you've ever seen in NBA contest history? I can't think of any.
Exactly. What's being suggested isn't even possible.

[Styles p]

how did he push off when the mascots arm didn't move at all? he must be buff as **** to hold gordon up with one arm.

[Cocaine80s]

Idk how that gives him a boost though, he's just gripping the ball to prep the pass underneath. Palming it with no contact with the mascot shouldn't get him higher. I get what you're saying though, I just don't agree with some other people acting like he straight up pushed off the mascot with his hand to get extra ups because he clearly didn't do that.

You're a dunk connoisseur, help me with this. Better dunks than that under the legs you've ever seen in NBA contest history? I can't think of any. Maybe one of Zach's dunks, but not to me.
Any contact with the ball helps you get higher


One of those pro dunkers on instagram made a post about this. I should try and find it

[Rake2204]

Idk how that gives him a boost though, he's just gripping the ball to prep the pass underneath. Palming it with no contact with the mascot shouldn't get him higher. I get what you're saying though, I just don't agree with some other people acting like he straight up pushed off the mascot with his hand to get extra ups because he clearly didn't do that.

You're a dunk connoisseur, help me with this. Better dunks than that under the legs you've ever seen in NBA contest history? I can't think of any. Maybe one of Zach's dunks, but not to me.Yeah I'm open to being wrong on this one. I can't say with certainty, but I was basing on the boosts I've seen before and the observation of things as a whole. Really takes very little and it's easy to disguise, especially when you've got a giant mascot head as a base.

I guess the best example I can think of off the top of my head is... I don't know... like jumping next to a friend and seeing if you can't make yourself stay in the air just a tiiiiny bit longer by palming his shoulder for a split second while on your way up.

It's not a perfect analogy, but I'm just trying to illustrate how little leverage it takes in that situation to gain an advantage to some degree.

Either way, again, he was still super impressive, even on those dunks in question. Like, historically impressive.

As for ranking things, I need to go back and re-watch everything, haha. My mind is still spinning a little.


Any contact with the ball helps you get higher


One of those pro dunkers on instagram made a post about this. I should try and find itI'd be interested in seeing that video if you can find it. From my experience (doing way less impressive things than these guys), it's very true when done correctly.

[Jameerthefear]

****. Outbreak, you know what pic I'm talking about right. It was Gordon jumping high as hell and he even sat out a game after because he jumped so damn high

[Fallen Angel]

People are gonna look back on this thread and say, "Who are Aaron Gordon and Zach Lavine"?

Get some superstars in the dunk contest and keep these no-name kids in the Rookie-Sophomore games

[Cocaine80s]

I'd be interested in seeing that video if you can find it. From my experience (doing way less impressive things than these guys), it's very true when done correctly.
I know for sure it was this kid: https://www.instagram.com/isaiahrivera1/?hl=en

He had a post where he ranted about how other dunkers were pushing off and how his way was legit

Mightve been deleted though

[Milbuck]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4t_lMwgqKw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7gE1iV9r00

Look, I loved Vince's dunks, but there is no way anyone is convincing me that this isn't better. AG just put on the GOAT contest performance. Who would've f*cking thought.

[Milbuck]

People are gonna look back on this thread and say, "Who are Aaron Gordon and Zach Lavine"?

Get some superstars in the dunk contest and keep these no-name kids in the Rookie-Sophomore games
Only obnoxious contrarians like you will talk this contest down. Any basketball fan worth a damn will never forget this contest.

[Cocaine80s]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4t_lMwgqKw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7gE1iV9r00

Look, I loved Vince's dunks, but there is no way anyone is convincing me that this isn't better. AG just put on the GOAT contest performance. Who would've f*cking thought.
Yea AG had better dunk contest dunks but overall I'd put Vince ahead because he was even better in games

[Jameerthefear]

Only obnoxious contrarians like you will talk this contest down. Any basketball fan worth a damn will never forget this contest.
He's just trying to get attention. His gimmick is to just post the dumbest shit ever until someone finally replies to him

[Relinquish]

People are gonna look back on this thread and say, "Who are Aaron Gordon and Zach Lavine"?

Get some superstars in the dunk contest and keep these no-name kids in the Rookie-Sophomore games

You act like two 20 year olds with sky high potential will be nobodies by the end of their careers. :roll:

[$LakerGold]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4t_lMwgqKw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7gE1iV9r00

Look, I loved Vince's dunks, but there is no way anyone is convincing me that this isn't better. AG just put on the GOAT contest performance. Who would've f*cking thought.
For me, Aaron Gordon had the best dunks tonight since he surprised the hell out of me. I'll probably end up saying Zach Lavine's the greatest after watching it over & over again.

1a & 1b, holy shit, AG's spinner dunk is probably the GOAT dunk -- you could see he never wanted to miss/fail before taking off, he had that look, that demeanor every take off.

I'll be rooting for the Magic (as I've been rooting for the Wolves since last year Lavine) in key games, much f*cking respect. This kid. Holy shit. Surprise, motherf*ckers!

Thank you, Zach & A-God for bringing back the dunk contest. motherfsadsadsadasdasdsadsa

[SwishSquared]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4t_lMwgqKw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7gE1iV9r00

Look, I loved Vince's dunks, but there is no way anyone is convincing me that this isn't better. AG just put on the GOAT contest performance. Who would've f*cking thought.He probably put on the best show since Vince. I know it could be recency bias blah blah blah, but he entertained the best tonight, which counts for something in a dunk contest imo. That also was the best use of props in a long time that I can remember.

Vince was such a showman that he didn't need props in the same way, but the dunk contest has evolved to point where it's expected.

He legit had two top 10 dunks of all time (maybe better) and he lost. That's why I keep saying I think he was robbed lol. Lavine would have crushed anybody else in the last few years with his stuff tonight, but AG was better.

[Fallen Angel]

You act like two 20 year olds with sky high potential will be nobodies by the end of their careers. :roll:
Dunk Contest champion who had sky high potential

https://i.gyazo.com/10ca69105793548af1bd1576858ef047.jpg

[$LakerGold]

You act like two 20 year olds with sky high potential will be nobodies by the end of their careers. :roll:
Just put him on the ignore list as I have 30 mins. ago -- what I should've done ages ago.

[sd3035]

Amazing dunk contest

Gordon obviously pushed off but it was still a 50. Nobody got robbed, both guys deserved to win

[Rake2204]

Amazing dunk contest

Gordon obviously pushed off but it was still a 50. Nobody got robbed, both guys deserved to winSo perfectly and succinctly put.

[no pun intended]

Lol yall clowns writing paragraphs to explain whether or not Gordon pushed off. At least it wasnt a blatant pushoff like the one when Paul George dunked over Hibbert.

https://youtu.be/sz0R4CKY5EM

[dunksby]

Man, it was a beautiful contest, but Gordon had no chance since Lavine was the winner before everything started. Nobody expected Lavine to be out dunked, and when Gordon did it, the hype around Zach offset everything.
All in all, the best dunk contest in memory, too bad the guy who made it memorable lost it.

[tragicbronson]

what fcking push off, he just grabbed the ball out of mascot's hands and dunk it, stop with this crap. Just imagine if you gave someone ball and he holds it in the air and you jump and push off it, even if it's possible, there would be some body movement on the person holding the ball that would indicate it, this mascot was standing as still as it is.

[kNIOKAS]

Just watched the highlights and I thought the dunks were great. I loved what I saw from Gordon, and Lavine was also spectacularly athletic. In sympathy I'd give an edge to Gordon, but Lavine also did some great dunks.

I don't know how come it was only two of them participating, however..? But apparently it paid off in a solid and not watered-down performance.

[ArbitraryWater]

Gordon was straight up robbed. No debate.


Just watched the highlights and I thought the dunks were great. I loved what I saw from Gordon, and Lavine was also spectacularly athletic. In sympathy I'd give an edge to Gordon, but Lavine also did some great dunks.

I don't know how come it was only two of them participating, however..? But apparently it paid off in a solid and not watered-down performance.

there were 4, lol.. they both made the final

[TheOne]

Big pushoff on 2 of Gordon's dunks. Look at his muscle. Look at the 2nd acceleration in the air.

I want to see Gordon do the sit-in-the-air dunk without a mascot.

[WindmiLL]

One of the most important things was that when Gordon and Lavine went at it, both were making dunks in the first try. That made that WOOOW factor go through the roof, especially Gordon since no one expected him to be soo good.

[Jameerthefear]

if you didn't expect gordon to be a good dunker i'm not sure what to tell you

[thefatmiral]

Gordons under the legs dunk was a Harlem globetrotter in space jam dunk. Wasn't sure what to expect when I saw the results this morning but it was the first thing too come up on fb. Now I know why

[Nuff Said]

Is there any way to catch a replay of the events?

[SugarHill]

Best dunk in years and ag still doesnt win. More original too
Both have been done before, just not in the NBA dunk contest.

His kwe parker dunk with the malone and mascot spinning was classy tho

[k0kakw0rld]

http://abload.de/img/untitled-37fqnk.gif
INSANITY :eek: FREAK and not FAIR :cry:
GOAT dunk imo.

[Smook A.]

My cousin called me dumb yesterday for saying this was probably the best dunk contest ever. Am I wrong? I mean we've never seen two guys go at it LIKE THAT. Then he starts naming Nique vs MJ :oldlol: They were great but Zach's and Gordon's dunks were far more impressive and appealing to watch, imo.

GOAT dunk contest.

[PleezeBehave]

My cousin called me dumb yesterday for saying this was probably the best dunk contest ever. Am I wrong? I mean we've never seen two guys go at it LIKE THAT. Then he starts naming Nique vs MJ :oldlol: They were great but Zach's and Gordon's dunks were far more impressive and appealing to watch, imo.

GOAT dunk contest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqPRdzrjWpU

What we saw last night was on another level, imo. Sure, a lot of time has passed and guys in past years have had to use their creativity more to do something never done before and MJ vs. Nique was an all-time classic... but... 2016 was epic. Dunk after dunk made me get goosebumps. It was an instant classic and hard to beat imo.

[Draz]

Everyone's going to remember the under the butt sitting mid-air dunk by Gordon. It's an instant classic and favorite now, forever will be. The bench's favoritism reaction towards Zach's dunks caused the judges to be lenient and bias as well.

[jimmybball]

It was definitely the best in years.

[Bankaii]

Anyone cool enough to have a link where I can watch the full thing?:cheers:

[Rake2204]

My cousin called me dumb yesterday for saying this was probably the best dunk contest ever. Am I wrong? I mean we've never seen two guys go at it LIKE THAT. Then he starts naming Nique vs MJ :oldlol: They were great but Zach's and Gordon's dunks were far more impressive and appealing to watch, imo.

GOAT dunk contest.Probably depends upon what people mean when they say "best dunk contest ever".

If we only literally mean "best, most advanced dunks completed ever", yeah, tough to debate that considering last night's intersection of dunk evolution and outstanding dunkers. It only makes sense that each generation will have super athletes that will be able to build upon what the previous generation's athletes laid before them (like Carter building off Dominique Wilkins, Michael Jordan, and even Jamie Watson).

That said, I've learned that things like impact, innovation, and relativity to the status quo can be a part of what people consider when ranking contests. Like, by the time Jonathan Bender dunked from the free throw line in 2001, no one really cared. But the first time Dr. J. bused it out in the ABA, the excellence of that jam in comparison to what was known as being possible at the time was off the charts.

Same goes for Vince Carter, in terms of him essentially inventing three dunks that evening in 2000. The feeling and surprise associated with watching a guy making up brand new ways of dunking is tough to surpass, especially with the internet today and whatnot.

LaVine and Gordon's dunk show was spectacular regardless, but imagine never knowing that things like the Kwe Parker 360, free throw line alley-oop, and two-hand under-the-legs oop were even possible. That's kind of what it was like to watch Vince Carter's contest unfold.

Either way, even with all that said, last night's contest belongs in every single discussion possible. It was personally the best head-to-head battle I've ever seen live (from 1994 to present day) and has a case for best, period.

[Relinquish]

Anyone cool enough to have a link where I can watch the full thing?:cheers:

It has a few cuts, but this is the best one I've found so far (in terms of the "full" experience).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-dTAdMtgdw

It started with Zach's first dunk which was actually the last of the first 4 dunks, however. It was the first REALLY good dunk though, although Barton's first dunk was pretty sick and AG's wasn't bad either.

[ShannonElements]

Whatever boost Gordon might have gotten by "pushing off"(and if he did push off do you think the mascot was applying enough force to the ball to counter the force ofthr push off to hold on to the ball?) accounted for like less than 1% of his total hops and hangtime; so insignificant that it isn't even worth hating on him for it. :no:

[Sarcastic]

The light skin black guy was the best dunker of the night.

[Rake2204]

Whatever boost Gordon might have gotten by "pushing off"(and if he did push off do you think the mascot was applying enough force to the ball to counter the force ofthr push off to hold on to the ball?) accounted for like less than 1% of his total hops and hangtime; so insignificant that it isn't even worth hating on him for it. :no:Like I said, I think he could probably make the dunk regardless and it would have been a 50 regardless, but I still believe there's a good chance he used that tiny boost (or at least, brief stabilization) to give himself a wider window of success. The dudes who completed that dunk before him used a similar technique in that regard.

That said, considering I don't have any way of proving this (though others can't prove otherwise), I guess I should hold my tongue because folks really, really don't seem to want to hear that it was a possibility. I feel bad for bringing it up — was just trying to inform that it was a good possibility from everything I've seen regarding those types of finishes, combined with some of the other clues (like his extra rise that popped up on those dunks but not the others).

[ArbitraryWater]

https://i.gyazo.com/d9d851a00dce90bfe74b74c9e18c349b.png
https://i.gyazo.com/c3b10512cc3514693e775be5501b583f.png

[Smook A.]

https://i.gyazo.com/d9d851a00dce90bfe74b74c9e18c349b.png
https://i.gyazo.com/c3b10512cc3514693e775be5501b583f.png
Good god. Shaq writing like a 1st grader made his messages impossible to understand if you read them the first time :oldlol:

[STATUTORY]

https://i.gyazo.com/d9d851a00dce90bfe74b74c9e18c349b.png
https://i.gyazo.com/c3b10512cc3514693e775be5501b583f.png


:roll: :roll: Big Aristotle

[ArbitraryWater]

he makes himself so hard to like.. sad, he was cool af as player.

[Bankaii]

It has a few cuts, but this is the best one I've found so far (in terms of the "full" experience).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-dTAdMtgdw

It started with Zach's first dunk which was actually the last of the first 4 dunks, however. It was the first REALLY good dunk though, although Barton's first dunk was pretty sick and AG's wasn't bad either.
Thanks man youdabes.:cheers:

I might have to start watching more Orlando games though. Gordon can become something special if he works hard. His raw talent and athleticism alone make him entertaining.

[ILLsmak]

GOAT dunk contest. This was the best ever.

It has its own beauty. To me, though, I am wowed by what they have been able to do (all of those between the, under the, or behind the... type of dunks), but I would like to see more artistry. Their motions are super awkward. Even though they did it. It's almost autistic or robotic. I'd compare it to like a heavy metal 80/90s guitar solo where people are just hitting the notes at an ungodly speed... to someone who did a solo with more precise, ringing notes.

Let me put it this way: the dunks are soooo much better than they were in the 80s/90s. In terms of the amount of shit people do after they leave the ground... but those old dunks are still really impressive. Why is that? There has to be some intangible thing that is missing. Otherwise shit would have been better for quite some time.

But it was cool to see 'new dunks' altho I dislike that it's all about going between the legs and behind the back or whatever now. Something about just dunking the hell out of the ball and doing it with a kind of artistic flair will always get me. Dudes don't even kick their legs or change their body direction anymore because they are doing stuff they can only do with perfect motion. It doesn't look like they are flying as much anymore.

-Smak

[Jameerthefear]

It has its own beauty. To me, though, I am wowed by what they have been able to do (all of those between the, under the, or behind the... type of dunks), but I would like to see more artistry. Their motions are super awkward. Even though they did it. It's almost autistic or robotic. I'd compare it to like a heavy metal 80/90s guitar solo where people are just hitting the notes at an ungodly speed... to someone who did a solo with more precise, ringing notes.

Let me put it this way: the dunks are soooo much better than they were in the 80s/90s. In terms of the amount of shit people do after they leave the ground... but those old dunks are still really impressive. Why is that? There has to be some intangible thing that is missing. Otherwise shit would have been better for quite some time.

But it was cool to see 'new dunks' altho I dislike that it's all about going between the legs and behind the back or whatever now. Something about just dunking the hell out of the ball and doing it with a kind of artistic flair will always get me. Dudes don't even kick their legs or change their body direction anymore because they are doing stuff they can only do with perfect motion. It doesn't look like they are flying as much anymore.

-Smak
:facepalm :rolleyes:

[Lebron23]

The best dunk contest since the Jason Richardson vs. Desmon Mason Duel in 2003.

[Milbuck]

It has its own beauty. To me, though, I am wowed by what they have been able to do (all of those between the, under the, or behind the... type of dunks), but I would like to see more artistry. Their motions are super awkward. Even though they did it. It's almost autistic or robotic. I'd compare it to like a heavy metal 80/90s guitar solo where people are just hitting the notes at an ungodly speed... to someone who did a solo with more precise, ringing notes.

Let me put it this way: the dunks are soooo much better than they were in the 80s/90s. In terms of the amount of shit people do after they leave the ground... but those old dunks are still really impressive. Why is that? There has to be some intangible thing that is missing. Otherwise shit would have been better for quite some time.

But it was cool to see 'new dunks' altho I dislike that it's all about going between the legs and behind the back or whatever now. Something about just dunking the hell out of the ball and doing it with a kind of artistic flair will always get me. Dudes don't even kick their legs or change their body direction anymore because they are doing stuff they can only do with perfect motion. It doesn't look like they are flying as much anymore.

-Smak
Dude like 80% of the reason 80s/90s dunks are so "aesthetically pleasing" is because the degree of difficulty was garbage tier. Aesthetics and smoothness were all you had to focus on.

How much room is there to be pretty when you're literally jumping over a mascot and passing it under both legs, full power with your head at rim level? Dude was straight up lounging in the air with both legs fully above a grown ass dude, how could you possibly expect that to look as "smooth" as basic windmills, 360s, etc?

Standards have changed. Do you honestly expect guys to be throwing down regular dunks "with flair" when the other guy has stuff like FT line windmills and behind the back reverses? You can't win a dunk contest doing what they did 30 years ago.

Also, every single dunk Lavine has done in the past 2 contests is about as silky smooth as you could ask for considering the types of dunks he was doing. His behind the back last year, his between the legs reverse, FT line windmill, etc..literally nothing he's done has been "robotic" to me.

[zizozain]

Aaron Gordon got robbed.

Gordon obviously pushed off but it was the best dunk.

[HenryGarfunkle]

Zach Lavane's 360 cuff off the bounce is better than Gordon's 360 over a slowly rotating mascot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCuWI_gqGgc

One of the best dunks ever ^

[Dr Hawk]

I don't get the comments saying Gordon got robbed.

Each dunk Lavine made in the final were 50 point dunks. He couldn't lose based on that. He can consistently make 50 point dunks, and since 50 points is the limit, he can't lose.

[SexSymbol]

He pushed off.

Deal with it
why are you always a retard

[Milbuck]

I don't get the comments saying Gordon got robbed.

Each dunk Lavine made in the final were 50 point dunks. He couldn't lose based on that. He can consistently make 50 point dunks, and since 50 points is the limit, he can't lose.
Gordon didn't get robbed of the trophy, he got robbed of a fair chance to win the trophy.. There is zero reason why his double pump reverse shouldn't have been a 50. There should've been another round.

[Dr Hawk]

Gordon didn't get robbed of the trophy, he got robbed of a fair chance to win the trophy.. There is zero reason why his double pump reverse shouldn't have been a 50. There should've been another round.

Agree on that

[HenryGarfunkle]

I don't get the comments saying Gordon got robbed.

Each dunk Lavine made in the final were 50 point dunks. He couldn't lose based on that. He can consistently make 50 point dunks, and since 50 points is the limit, he can't lose.
If you go back and watch, Lavine wins off consistency.

Gordon had a dunk or two that weren't on Lavines level

And Lavine answered Gordons best dunks. Every Lavine dunk was a 50 to me while Gordon had a couple 49's

[Nick Young]

http://abload.de/img/untitled-37fqnk.gif
o my gawd


This is the first time I missed it in 5 years, and it's the first time it was good. need to go back and watch.

[VeeCee15]

if you can dunk and have tried doing dunks.

Every bit helps..gordon did push off the ball a bit. It helps to get you higher.

[Bless Mathews]

if you can dunk and have tried doing dunks.

Every bit helps..gordon did push off the ball a bit. It helps to get you higher.

Exactly.

Just look at the gif above.

Clearly

[Rake2204]

Dude like 80% of the reason 80s/90s dunks are so "aesthetically pleasing" is because the degree of difficulty was garbage tier. Aesthetics and smoothness were all you had to focus on.

How much room is there to be pretty when you're literally jumping over a mascot and passing it under both legs, full power with your head at rim level? Dude was straight up lounging in the air with both legs fully above a grown ass dude, how could you possibly expect that to look as "smooth" as basic windmills, 360s, etc?

Standards have changed. Do you honestly expect guys to be throwing down regular dunks "with flair" when the other guy has stuff like FT line windmills and behind the back reverses? You can't win a dunk contest doing what they did 30 years ago.

Also, every single dunk Lavine has done in the past 2 contests is about as silky smooth as you could ask for considering the types of dunks he was doing. His behind the back last year, his between the legs reverse, FT line windmill, etc..literally nothing he's done has been "robotic" to me.I disagree that aesthetics came through simplicity. I thought a lot of the dunks last night were very difficult but still had aesthetic appeal. For instance, Gordon and LeVine's Kwe Parker 360's both looked delightful (and there were more).

But regardless of how one feels about the fluidity of the dunks last night (I thought they were mostly great), it's undoubtedly a thing. It's the same reason why hundreds, if not thousands, of people have replicated Vince Carter's clockwise, cuff, windmill 360 from 2000 but so few (if any) have been able to make it look as good as he did.

Or, in a more obvious example, Orlando Woolridge was the first NBA player to go between-the-legs, and it was actually really ugly (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCDUJTBppLw). Of course, at the time I'm sure there were folks who said the same thing though ("How much room is there to be pretty when a man has to concentrate putting a ball between his legs before dunking?!")...

But then came J.R. Rider.

But I mean, that's kind of what keeps the concept of the dunk moving forward. Even as certain types of dunks are completed for the first time, there's room for refinement from a technical perspective, aesthetic perspective, and an innovation perspective.

That said, the only dunk off the top of my head that I remember not looking super great last night was one of LeVine's tiebreaker slams... the one from behind the backboard. It was impressive that he was able to complete it but it looked like he didn't hit it quite right.

As for the other ones... I can see someone stepping up at some point, for instance, and completing that alley-oop from the free throw line with even more authority (and maybe an accentuated extension). That kind of stuff.

But yeah, last night was still undeniably nasty. Not much room for complaint.

[Lebron23]

Drummond and Barton should be ban for joining the dunk contest. Barton looks high as a Kite while Drummond just sucked in the dunk contest.

[plowking]

The problem with the dunk contest now is over exposure.
People have seen everything on youtube, so doing a really nice, fluid, hard windmill or any other variation won't get you good scores or much reaction.

Then the other problem arises that now these guys are pushed to try absolutely ridiculous dunks. Then due to the difficulty, they tend to miss so much.
What made last night so special is that they pulled off all these dunks on their first go despite how difficult they were.

[2swift4u]

Can't believe I'm saying this but this was the best nba dunk contest ever. Even better than Vince.

[2swift4u]

Any contact with the ball helps you get higher


One of those pro dunkers on instagram made a post about this. I should try and find it
Jordan Kilganon (the guy who did the scorpion dunk during the all star game) once explained how it works. He said one could do it either way. Using the guy/ball to push off or not. Both is possible. Sometimes you can see it sometimes not. To me it didn't look like Gordon was pushing off when he went under both legs.

[Rolando]

If he was pushing off, it wasn't much. His hand slides from the top to the side of the ball because he has to actually grab it. You can see it in the gif. His hand is always moving as it contacts the ball.

Hard to push off and slide the hand at the same time. Excellent Dunk in any case. With or without push off. :bowdown:

[Dr Hawk]

http://www.basket4us.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/1.jpg

[Rake2204]

Jordan Kilganon (the guy who did the scorpion dunk during the all star game) once explained how it works. He said one could do it either way. Using the guy/ball to push off or not. Both is possible. Sometimes you can see it sometimes not. To me it didn't look like Gordon was pushing off when he went under both legs.Right on. And both Kilganon and Gordon are insane dunkers to begin with; you have to be to even attempt most of these dunks.

But if one watches a Kilganon mixtape, as you said, you can see the times where he does and does not appear to benefit from a boost (or at worst, a stabilizer). The one at the 23 second mark is far and away the most obvious, but the advantage is often a little more subtle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-c90HRun1o#t=0m23s. The very next clip after that has him just pulling the ball out of a mascot's hand, so it serves as a pretty solid comparison between the two techniques.

I thought the interesting twist about Gordon's mascot incorporation is that it could mask any possible boost a little better than two clear hands and a head out there holding and resisting (like in Kilganon's Sunday night dunk). Gordon's second leapfrog appeared to have a little more of a boost than the first round flush over the mascot, but they both seemed to have a little more pop than his non-frog dunks (which were freakish enough to begin with).

They're not exact angles, and a 360 saps some direct elevation so it's not a 1:1 comparison, but I believe the difference is obvious and drastic enough for one to realize that even under the same conditions, Kilganon's leapfrog versus standard jump wouldn't be the same:

Pulling from a mascot (for a 360):

http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g423/Rake2204/Kilganon2.jpg

Pushing from the top while leapfrogging:

http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g423/Rake2204/Kilganon1.jpg

[plowking]

http://www.basket4us.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/1.jpg

Anyone have a photo in this type of angle when he did the windmill from the FT or better yet, the one from the alley oop?

[Chadwin]

Richardson's off the backboard and between the legs is still the goat

[Overdrive]

Can't believe I'm saying this but this was the best nba dunk contest ever. Even better than Vince.

I don't agree completely, but Gordon has the flair Vince had in his dunks. I think his outing was equal. Lavine is the better athlete just from vert horizontal leaping, but his dunks look more mechanic.

Would've taken Gordon 100%.

I once watched and episode of sports science I think it was called on ESPN and they explained what makes a dunk look elegant and like hanging in the air has a lot to do with leg movement in midair.

[ErhnamDjinn]

Richardson's off the backboard and between the legs is still the goat
I loved that dunk also for me that was the best dunk in the dunk contest then vince was second, but now I have to say Aaron Gordons is 2nd now.

[eliteballer]

Richardson's off the backboard and between the legs is still the goat

Yeah, the only that competes with it for me is the one Gordon did over the mascot under the legs.

[Cocaine80s]

Still the GOAT dunk imo

http://www3.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Sprite+Slam+Dunk+Contest+hpURDMMo3sol.jpg

[Dro]

The Vince thing is nostalgia. Now if we're talking hype, aura and all that, sure Vince could still be argued #1 contest. But if we're talking difficulty of dunks, there's no contest. Hell, there's dunks that have been done in the last 10 years by Iggy, J Rich and others that are better than Vince's dunks. With Vince, it was the first time anybody had seen any of those.

Even these dunks gordon and Lavine did, the only one I had NEVER seen was his ft line, between the legs, all the rest I've seen on youtube. They got those dunks from other dudes, namely Kenny Dobbs and others...

[JimmyMcAdocious]

http://www.basket4us.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/1.jpg

Haven't seen the others, except the Gordon one under both legs. Is that the most poster worthy image from the contest?

[Dro]

I don't get the comments saying Gordon got robbed.

Each dunk Lavine made in the final were 50 point dunks. He couldn't lose based on that. He can consistently make 50 point dunks, and since 50 points is the limit, he can't lose.
Because Gordon should have gotten a 50 on his behind the head, bring it down to his knees dunk...

[Dro]

Kwe Parker 360's both looked delightful (and there were more).
Was trying to think of that dudes name all day. I knew they took that dunk from him. I knew you would come through...

[Cali Syndicate]

Because Gordon should have gotten a 50 on his behind the head, bring it down to his knees dunk...

It should've, because it was a great dunk and tbh the judges probably didnt quite understand the extent of it until after they scored it, but...if free throw windmills and under the leg dunks can only be scored a 50, they scored Gordon's dunk correctly. Any other round, Gordon's dunk is a legit 50.

[Lebron23]

Zach Lavine might be the greatest dunker in NBA History. I also think J-Rich is a better dunker than Vince.

[Cali Syndicate]

Zach Lavine might be the greatest dunker in NBA History. I also think J-Rich is a better dunker than Vince.

Better than Vinsanity? No way. Not in-game or dunk contest.

J-Rich is definitely underrated though. But considering he's basically limited to being a two-footed leaper and cant palm the ball....he just isnt on Carter's level.

[Dro]

Better than Vinsanity? No way. Not in-game or dunk contest.

J-Rich is definitely underrated though. But considering he's basically limited to being a two-footed leaper and cant palm the ball....he just isnt on Carter's level.
Good point, I agree...

[miggyme1]

Better than Vinsanity? No way. Not in-game or dunk contest.

J-Rich is definitely underrated though. But considering he's basically limited to being a two-footed leaper and cant palm the ball....he just isnt on Carter's level.


its apples and oranges. kinda like comparing wilkins to Jordan. Jordan had that rare combination of everything but wilkins was just as gifted but dunked with raw power...couldn't fly like Jordan though. But was the better in game dunker.

vince carter gets all the love from the 2000's as being the best dunker..even some going as far as calling him the best dunker ever. Its been a lot of guys ive ssen over the years that would have given vince a run for his money....this guy lavine IMO just knocked carter off his throne

[Rake2204]

its apples and oranges. kinda like comparing wilkins to Jordan. Jordan had that rare combination of everything but wilkins was just as gifted but dunked with raw power...couldn't fly like Jordan though. But was the better in game dunker.

vince carter gets all the love from the 2000's as being the best dunker..even some going as far as calling him the best dunker ever. Its been a lot of guys ive ssen over the years that would have given vince a run for his money....this guy lavine IMO just knocked carter off his throneFrom a personal perspective, and likely for others as well, I think Carter's contest is going to always resonate for people who lived it because of how extraordinary it was compared to anything we'd ever seen in the dunking world up to that point.

Even in the case of Wilkins vs. Jordan in '88, I'm certain the people watching live were thrilled but even then, Jordan had already completed the free throw line dunk in '87 and '85 and Wilkins was bringing a lot of dunks he already had on the table in '84.

But in Carter's case, he paved a new world of dunking that night. Each dunk, aside from the two-footed dunk from inside the free throw line, was something the world had never seen. The craziest thing for me was how I'd dreamed all the possibilities in my head of what Carter might do leading up to that contest, and then he somehow invented things I'd never even fathomed in dreamland.

But I mean, if someone did Vince Carter's 2000 honey dip in 2016, it's not blowing minds anymore. Many would be like, "That's it?" But when you're the first one to dream it and reveal it to the masses, it's pretty insane and when people consider their best dunk contests and best moments, that's why it's always going to be hard to top for them.

Through no fault of their own, a lot of LaVine and Gordon's stuff was things a lot of us had seen before, just not on an NBA stage, which is a bummer (ignorance is bliss in this case). So it was still incredible to watch an often clear evolution of what Carter created, but from a mind-blowing perspective, it was kind of missing what made Carter's run so special.

If I had to guess, in terms of feeling for viewers, LaVine-Gordon was probably hovering right in the Jordan-Wilkins range. The star power was not there (and whether I like it or not, I acknowledge that plays a role) but they were performing numerous dunks never before seen on the NBA stage (something that was missing on a lot of dunks in the Jordan-Wilkins contest).

[Showtime80']

Very good and entertaining performance by Lavine and Gordon and in terms of creativeness they probably take the cake.

However, like someone mentioned, what made the Jordan-Wilkins showdown in 1988 special was who those players were at that moment in time in the NBA, the two leading scorers in the NBA finishing 1st and 6th in MVP voting that year, young cornerstones of their respective up and coming franchises (Bulls-Hawks) and two guys that ended up in the HOF (one the greatest and most popular basketball player ever).

With Zack and Gordon you basically have two young future career role players who WILL NEVER be anything more than serviceable athletic bodies that can spark a bench!You would get the same feeling watching a bunch of guys from the internet going at it like the dude who dunked in jeans during a break in the all star game. You would be entertained but you wouldn't be emotionally invested.

Jordan-Wilkins 88' had an aura of a heavyweight championship fight! You had to be there to feel it.

With no superstars interested in getting in the contest. This is the Gordon- Lavine showcase is the best the league can hope for from now on.

[Dro]

The one thing about the superstars thing is, I mean who do we want to see? Westbrook, Durant, Lebron, Anthony Davis? I mean those are the stars in today's game. But that would be a horrible dunk contest.

[BurningHammer]

Zach Lavine might be the greatest dunker in NBA History. I also think J-Rich is a better dunker than Vince.
Aaron Gordon can easily surpass Lavine if he returns.

Also, comparing J-Rich and Vince is very debatable. But in term of impacts, Vince wins.

[Cocaine80s]

The one thing about the superstars thing is, I mean who do we want to see? Westbrook, Durant, Lebron, Anthony Davis? I mean those are the stars in today's game. But that would be a horrible dunk contest.
Westbrook would be beast in a dunk contest

[BurningHammer]

The one thing about the superstars thing is, I mean who do we want to see? Westbrook, Durant, Lebron, Anthony Davis? I mean those are the stars in today's game. But that would be a horrible dunk contest.
I don't think none of those names can pull anything close to what Lavine and Gordon did with that level of creativity.

I would rather gamble on youngsters with fresh legs and full of fun ideas.

[Rake2204]

The one thing about the superstars thing is, I mean who do we want to see? Westbrook, Durant, Lebron, Anthony Davis? I mean those are the stars in today's game. But that would be a horrible dunk contest.Yep, I agree with you there. It's never as simple as saying "Get the superstars in there!" in my opinion. Clyde Drexler was a superstar too but having him turn in so-so performances in the dunk contest didn't make them any more legendary or fun.

I think some are just saying, by happenstance, 1988 had an extra built-in feeling of importance by the game's two premier dunkers also happening to be amongst the best players on the planet, and they were performing in Chicago, going head-to-head in the finals.

It's hard to find a good parallel for what it must have been like to watch live, but I guess it'd be like if LeBron James and Kobe Bryant faced off in a 2004 dunk contest in Cleveland and the two of them happened to have a final round head-to-head featuring back-and-forth theatrics (say, a Kobe Bryant between-the-legs variant followed up by LeBron James dunking with his foot entirely behind the free throw line).

Admittedly, even if a contest like that didn't feature a Vince Carter-like revolution, I can see it being pretty epic in hindsight, and the names involved would have something to do with it in that case.

Mostly though, I'm a supporter of NBA dunk talent, period. Miner, Rider, Brown, Richardson, Mason, McGee, Ham, Stansbury... lot of great non-star moments out there.

[Funktion]

drummond :lol

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i259/funnymunny77/Aaron_Gordon_Final_Dunk_zpsru6zs6ig.gif

https://giant.gfycat.com/LeadingLittleAbyssiniancat.gif

[dunksby]

Aaron Gordon by far had the freshest and eye popping dunks, flair, athleticism, awe factor everything you want from a dunk contest.

[OmniStrife]

why are you always a retard
:applause:

[2swift4u]

Jordan-Wilkins 88' had an aura of a heavyweight championship fight! You had to be there to feel it.



I know what you mean, but it doesn't make the dunks better. Look at the tape and you'll see those dunks weren't as great as they look on posters now. Zack and Aaron's dunks this year were on a whole different level. Even better than Carter's dunks and to me he is the GOAT dunker. So all the nostalgia aside, this was the best dunk contest ever. Not the biggest names, but the best dunks.

[Showtime80']

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tA-l1K01olc

Watch the first two minutes of this video to see what I'm talking about, that contest meant something, it was a battle of 2 of the top 5 players in the WORLD at that moment at the peak of their dunking powers! No props, no stupid teammates jumping on the sidelines, no ridiculous entrances, no light shows, no BS!!! Just straight up battle!

As far as the difficulty of dunks go, you're right but I've seen internet dunkers do better dunks than those in 88 or last Saturday night. The side stories and the players involved are what made 1988 special.

Besides how much practice on their dunk "routines"do you think Jordan-Wilkins did versus Lavine-Gordon?!? Those two scrubs look like they rehearsed those dunks just as much as practicing free throws!

Tell Jordan and Dominique in 1987 to just concentrate on the dunk contest with their athleticism and leaping ability and I'm sure they could've come up with even better stuff!

[Goro]

Jordan-Wilkins 88' had an aura of a heavyweight championship fight! You had to be there to feel it.
Are you saying you were there?

[Showtime80']

Glued to the TV watching TBS!

[Rake2204]

Are you saying you were there?I'm guessing he means it was special to witness as it was happening. I'm not sure I quite understood that angle until I experienced the 2000 dunk contest firsthand.

It's more than possible to appreciate a contest for all it provided in hindsight, but some folks who weren't there don't know any better, even if they think they do. Perhaps witnessing the 2016 contest firsthand will help many kind of understand what certain past dunk contest moments were actually like.

For instance, I've seen some folks downplay Carter's elbow dunk in 2000, citing how so many people have done it since and even guys like Blake Griffin have added additional variables to the dunk (off-the-backboard). Those fellows are missing the point. To witness ground zero of a dunking revolution creates an indelible moment that's not going to be easily surpassed the moment someone completes a technically better dunk.

Similarly, the Wilkins-Jordan battle doesn't hold a pile full of dunks that have never been topped. Quite the opposite, in fact. But all the aspects that go in to making a dunk contest spectacular were there, and then some. Sometimes watching great dunks is enough. Sometimes watching an epic battle between two of the game's best as they perform certain dunks with a unique style in front of one man's home city can take it to the next level and keep it there, even if better dunks are performed years later.

TL;DR - Sometimes the moment is highly underrated when it comes to looking at dunk contests in hindsight. The technicality of dunks should progress year-by-year (or five years by five years to give it some space). But that doesn't necessarily make every new year's dunk contest the best ever.

For example, compare the 2015 contest to the 2016 contest. 2015 featured some nasty LaVine dunks that'd never been done in the NBA contest (same for Victor Oladipo, actually). But the 2016 contest blew last year's out of the water because it went beyond the technicality of the dunk completed — it was about a head-to-head battle, a wild 50-streak, each dunker's accuracy, Gordon's swagger, etc. And it'll hold its place in history even as the dunks are inevitably surpassed.

[Showtime80']

That's a perfect post Rake!

I'm not denying the creativity in this year's contest was OFF THE CHARTS and very entertaining but it didn't have the emotional investment and intensity the 88' contest had, not by a long shot.

That's why people basically CLAMMORED for Kobe, Vince, McGrady and LeBron to be in the dunk contest back in the mid 2000's because they were superstars and people would've been holding their breath on every one of their dunks even though Jason Richardson was probably more creative than all of them, nobody cared about J-Rich!

What Lavine-Gordon did the other night would've been just as easily duplicated by the dude who dunked in jeans and three other guys from the internet because these guys ARE NOT STARS and never will be!