Top 10 Dunkers of All Time?

[Just2McFly]

NBA INGAME (based on dunking ability, creating dunks & longevity):

1. Dominique Wilkins
2. Michael Jordan
3. Lebron James
4. Julius Erving
5. Vince Carter
6. Shawn Kemp
7. David Thompson
8. Kobe Bryant
9. Tracy McGrady
10. Darryl Dawkins

How is Vince not even in your top three?

[Noob Saibot]

1. VC
2. MJ
3. Dominique Wilkins
4. Dr J.
5. Kemp
6. Clyde The Glide
7. Jason Richardson
8. LeBron
9. David Thompson
10. T-Mac

[andgar923]

No love for Eddie Jones?

While his stint was short, he was a highlight machine always explosive and dangerous.

[Segatti]

Lebron best dunker than Vinsanity?

The things I have to read...

[mshahidz]

NBA INGAME (based on dunking ability, creating dunks & longevity):

1. Dominique Wilkins
2. Michael Jordan
3. Lebron James
4. Julius Erving
5. Vince Carter
6. Shawn Kemp
7. David Thompson
8. Kobe Bryant
9. Tracy McGrady
10. Darryl Dawkins
\

Lebron...seriously? He does the same dunk over, and over, and over, and over again.

[mshahidz]

#1 Vince Carter
#2 Dominique Wilkins
#3 Michael Jordan
#4 Kobe Bryant
#5 Shawn Kemp
#6 Julius Erving
#7 Griffin
#8 Spud Webb
#9 David Thompson
#10 Clyde Drexler


Not really sure where to put griffin really...I give him importance soley based on the sheer volume of dunks he has, and how he is probably the first person since VC to bring dunking back from mediocrity. He has posterized a lot of shock blockers already.

Don't have J.Rich on my list just cause his dunks aren't clean at all, he has his legs and arms flailing all over the place when he dunks....it bothers me lol.

[Rojogaqu11]

Vince Carter
Jason Richardson
Michael Jordan
Dominique Wilkins
Kobe Bryant
Steve Francis
Lebron James
Julius Erving
Tracy McGrady
Nate Robinson

[Bird]

I really can't put them in an exact order, but the ten guys on my list:

Vince Carter
Julius Erving
David Thompson
Dominique Wilkins
Michael Jordan
Clyde Drexler
Shawn Kemp
Blake Griffin
Darryl Dawkins
Tom Chambers

Narrowly missing are Harold Minor (Baby Jordan), Eddie Jones (and I LOVED him in the 90's, I really thought he was going to be a top player for a long time), Kobe (I just don't think he is top 10 material), Charles Barkley (just for his size and ability to have that athleticism), LeBron James (same reason), Bobby Sura, Dee Brown, Kenny "Sky" Walker, John Starks (I feel like I was always seeing him dunk over some giant center in the 90's), etc.

[bergs14]

people forgetting dudes like Larry Nance, Tom Chambers and most importantly Orlando Woolridge: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJ-CH_dHw8Q


1. Nique
2. Carter
3. Jordan
4. Kemp
5. Dr J
6. Dawkins
7. Griffin
8. Drexler
9. Woolridge

Then in no order, Kenny Walker, McGrady, Chambers, Nance, Webb, LeBron, J-Rich, David Thompson, Steve Francis, Dee Brown, Green, Nate, Miner, J-Smoove, Pippen, Kevin Johnson, Westbrook, Wall, Stansbury, Kobe Griffith and so on....

Good call with Woolridge.
First between the legs dunk

[Toizumi]

I have Shaq no.1 all time.. by a fair margin.

Check 82 games. You'll find that in most seasons, about 25% of Shaq's fg's were dunks. 1 out of every 4 shot he made was a dunk He has more dunk-ons than VC and eventhough they might not be as aesthetically pleasing, they were hard as hell.

[Rake2204]

I have Shaq no.1 all time.. by a fair margin.

Check 82 games. You'll find that in most seasons, about 25% of Shaq's fg's were dunks. 1 out of every 4 shot he made was a dunk He has more dunk-ons than VC and eventhough they might not be as aesthetically pleasing, they were hard as hell.

I understand where you are coming from, but my personal qualifications (and most others) differ from what you're working with. I mean, volume counts for something to me, but mostly only in terms of meeting a minimum quota. For instance, Harold Miner likely would not find a place on my list because he just wasn't around long enough to have an in-game dunking impact.

Otherwise, how much a person dunked per field goal attempt is not necessarily a sign of an all-time great dunker to me. When I think great dunkers, I think those with the greatest style, flair, ability, situational finishes, elevation, power, and versatility are the ones I value most. If I went the Shaq route, I feel like we'd have to start considering players like Otis Thorpe, Kevin Willis, David Robinson and Alonzo Mourning, guys who dunked a lot (and dunked on people) but like Shaq, mostly did not contain a lot of the other characteristics I consider when listing great dunkers (while at the same time recognizing that O'Neal's performed 360's and reverses before).

No love for Eddie Jones?

While his stint was short, he was a highlight machine always explosive and dangerous.

I ask this with respect, but do you really believe Eddie Jones is worthy of a Top Ten Dunker of All-Time slot? Or are you just saying that if we're talking about dunking, he at least deserves to be brought up in the conversation? I'd understand the latter, no so much the former. He had some nasty dunks during his career, but it was a lot of the same to me. I was impressed with a lot of what he threw out there, like his one-handers over Andrew Lang and Shawn Bradley, but beyond those, there was nothing really mind-bending about his dunks to me.

[It's A VC3!!!]

I'm pretty sure you and I have discussed dunks before and I'm thinking we probably just politely agreed to disagree, so I don't know if there's a point in me chiming in right now but... I still can't wrap my head around ranking Vince Carter 5th all-time in in-game dunks (and behind LeBron James no less), particularly when you cite ability, creating dunks, and longevity.

To start things off briefly and succinctly, I believe Carter has performed more styles of in-game dunks, in more situations, more times, in more varieties, than anyone in NBA history. He may earn this honor largely in part due to being fortunate enough to watch those who came before him and perfecting and expanding upon what they did, but it still is what it is.

The logical part of me acknowledges a very large part of dunk interpretation is just that, it's interpretative and open to a variance in opinion. Even still, placing LeBron James' dunking career over Carter's is almost offensive to me.

Well, that homer is the only person to rank LeBron ahead of Vince in this entire thread and he should honestly be banned for this fanism it's disgusting.
When you see that 99.99% of this thread has Vince at number 1 and few at number 2, it's ban worthy to put him at number 5. And lol at LeBron even being in the list. He deserves to be nowhere in the top 10. But of course this guy will find a way to put him there.

[MasterDurant24]

Jason Richardson on people's lists In game dunks aren't nearly as good as anybody else on these lists.

[Glide2keva]

How does lebron make this list?

He does the same exact dunk, every single time.

1. Vince Carter
2. Michael Jordan
3. Dominique Wilkins
4. Shawn Kemp
5. Blake Griffin
6. Dr. J.
7. Darryl Dawkins
8. Clyde Drexler
9. Tracy McGrady
10. Jason Richardson/Nate Robinson

[Rake2204]

#1 Vince Carter
#2 Dominique Wilkins
#3 Michael Jordan
#4 Kobe Bryant
#5 Shawn Kemp
#6 Julius Erving
#7 Griffin
#8 Spud Webb
#9 David Thompson
#10 Clyde Drexler

I must ask, I am fully aware of David Thompson's reputation and the stories of his leaping exploits, but I'm wondering, is there some hidden mixtape some of you guys have access to, or are you all just listing Thompson based on stories, rep, and hearsay? I feel as though I've seen footage of like, ten career David Thompson dunks. And to be very clear, that doesn't mean I don't think he was a great dunker, I was just wondering where you guys were coming from with your choices.

From the bit I've seen, I notice some pretty spectacular Thompson dunks (a couple of tip slams and a big fast break takeoff) and I know there's a pile of dunks of his I'll never see due to the lack of footage. But from what exists, I don't get any sort of feeling that'd make me want to include him as one of the top ten dunkers of all-time. For instance, if we were somehow able to compile all of Thompson's professional dunks onto one reel and we pitted that reel against, say, Dwyane Wade's clips, I don't feel like it'd even be a contest.

On the flip side, I think Julius Erving still stands the test of time. He performed a number of slams in certain situations that folks still haven't replicated today (ex: his cuff over Cooper). I'm just curious to see where you guys are coming from with DT.