Top 10 Moments Of Jason Richardson’s NBA Career
1. The 2003 Slam Dunk Contest
In the 2003 Slam Dunk Contest, Richardson quickly proved he was out to defend his title with a vengeance. His first dunk, an off-the-bounce windmill, earned him a perfect 50 from the judges.
His second dunk, an off-the-bounce 360 windmill, earned him another perfect score. His third dunk, another off-the-bounce beauty, saw Richardson catch the ball with two hands, cock it between his legs and throw down an impressive reverse dunk for a 45. But it was his incomparable final dunk that established Jason Richardson as one of the greatest dunkers of all time.
Attacking from the baseline, Jason Richardson went with another off-the-bounce dunk. But rather than your typical between-the-legs, off-the-bounce dunk (what do you mean you can’t do that?), Richardson put the ball between his legs the opposite way, finishing the one-handed dunk with his left hand from the front of the basket.
As you can probably guess, this dunk earned Richardson a perfect score and his second consecutive Slam Dunk title. J-Rich became the second player in NBA history to win back-to-back Slam Dunk Contests, joining Michael Jordan (1987-88). It was fitting, since MJ was one of the judges that night.
Nate Robinson (2009-10) later joined Jordan and Richardson in winning back-to-back Slam Dunk Contests.
It’s unfair that this is No. 1 on the list for Jason Richardson, since he really should be known as more than just an enigmatic dunker. But like it or not, if you had to take one lasting image from his NBA career, it’d have to be this unforgettable dunk from 2003.
Next: NBA: 50 Greatest Players Of All Time
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