From rookies to Hall of Famers, some of the NBA Slam Dunk Contest’s largest competitors have turned in some of its most memorable moments.
To the novice observer, it might seem strange the annual NBA Slam Dunk Contest is not typically dominated by the league’s tallest players.
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That doesn’t sound right. After all, the dunk itself was popularized by basketball behemoths like Wilt Chamberlain. It was once outlawed in the college game so young giants like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar wouldn’t have an unfair advantage. As far as volume, the NBA’s most prolific and powerful dunkers have always been massive space-eaters such as Shaquille O’Neal.
The NBA Slam Dunk Contest is a different animal, however.
The smaller the athlete, the more impressive they look rising, flying and twisting through the air for a dunk.
Taller athletes don’t have to jump as high to dunk. Heavier athletes usually don’t generate as much hang time in the air to pull off convoluted dunks. Generally, bigger athletes often aren’t as fluid or graceful as smaller athletes.
Those factors tend to have an impact on NBA Slam Dunk Contest judges.
A lot of accomplished NBA big men — centers, power forwards and/or players who are close to 7 feet tall — have underwhelmed in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest.
Hall of Fame center Ralph Sampson (7’4″) comes to mind. Current All-Star center Andre Drummond (6’11”) was another forgettable entrant. Reigning league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo (6’11) tried his hand at the dunk contest in 2015 and couldn’t complete his first dunk attempt. He was eliminated in the first round.
On the other hand, some big men have shined on the NBA Slam Dunk contest stage.
One of them is Dwight Howard.
Back in 2008, Howard (6’10”) was the Orlando Magic‘s franchise superstar, in the prime of a career that includes three Defensive Player of the Year honors and will ultimately land him in the Hall of Fame. He added to his legend with an incredible showing in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest that will live forever in All-Star Weekend highlight reels.
Today, Howard is nearing the end his career. While he’s still in great shape, he is 34 years old and this is his 16th pro season. Once a focal point of any team he was on, now he’s a backup for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Howard has had plenty of vintage moments this season and now he has a chance to really turn back the clock. It’s being reported that Howard will compete in the 2020 NBA Slam Dunk Contest.
Superman is back: Lakers center Dwight Howard will participate in the NBA Slam Dunk contest at All-Star Weekend in Chicago, per sources. Story on @TheAthleticNBA: https://t.co/tox8RX7n3x
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 6, 2020
Howard will be one of the oldest competitors the contest has had since its inception in 1984 and he’ll be trying to do something unprecedented by defending the dunk crown he won 12 years ago. If he wins, he’ll be only the seventh man to win multiple NBA Slam Dunk Contest titles and the first big man to win more than one.
Headlined by Howard, here is a list of the best big men to compete in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest.