Zach LaVine is one of the finest dunkers we have ever seen and is one of the few men in NBA history to have won the Slam Dunk contest on multiple occasions. So, it was only fitting that when LaVine appeared on The WAE Show, he was asked to give his list of the top five dunkers of all time.
“Mount Rushmore, Mike (Michael Jordan), Kobe (Bryant), Bron (LeBron James),” LaVine said.
Co-host Lonzo Ball was a bit surprised to see LaVine put Kobe Bryant on his list.
“Oh yeah, for sure,” LaVine stated. “Kobe was trying to dunk on everybody… Vince (Carter) easily.”
LaVine was told he could put himself in there but declined.
“I’m not gonna include myself,” LaVine said. “I’ll be in there, though. I’ll go Shawn Kemp, Seattle.”
All the players LaVine mentioned were/are incredible dunkers.
Vince Carter might well be the greatest dunker of all time. He won the Dunk Contest in 2000 (the only time he participated) and delivered many iconic dunks over the years, like when he leaped over 7’2″ Frederic Weis and slammed it in at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Michael Jordan is widely regarded as the greatest player of all time and he was a phenomenal dunker too. Jordan won the dunk contest in 1987 and 1988, dazzling fans with some breathtaking displays.
Many regard Bryant to be the closest thing we have seen to Jordan and he was a great dunker like him as well. Also like Carter, he won the dunk contest the only time he took part in it, in 1997.
LeBron James was the second Los Angeles Lakers icon to make LaVine’s list and is a ferocious dunker. James has posterized countless players over the years but has never won the dunk contest, as he has never participated in one.
Shawn Kemp was LaVine’s final pick and certainly wasn’t a bad one. Kemp was a physical freak and while he never won the dunk contest, finishing runner-up in 1991, he is undoubtedly one of the greatest dunkers we’ve ever seen.
So, LaVine’s list isn’t a bad one as such but there are two notable omissions there. The first one is Dominique Wilkins.
Wilkins was nicknamed “The Human Highlight Film” and for good reason. He was a high-flyer and a spectacular dunker, who won the dunk contest twice, in 1985 and 1990.
The other big name LaVine left off was Julius Erving. Erving was one of the original high-flyers and won the inaugural dunk contest in 1975.
For me, Carter, Wilkins, and Erving are easy picks for the top five. Jordan probably gets in as the fourth pick but it gets tricky after that. There are a lot of deserving candidates and I don’t think I can pick just one.
LaVine certainly would be someone in consideration for that spot. The 29-year-old has dazzled fans with his dunks over the years, but he hasn’t taken part in the contest after winning it in 2015 and 2016, which is a shame. We’ll next see the two-time All-Star in action when the Chicago Bulls take on the Orlando Magic at Kia Center on Wednesday at 7 PM ET and, hopefully, he’ll treat us to some special dunks in that contest.
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