5 best big men in NBA Slam Dunk Contest history
By Amaar Burton
1. Dwight Howard (2007, 2008, 2009)
Dwight Howard was so good in the 2008 NBA Slam Dunk Contest that he basically won it with something that some people didn’t even think was a dunk.
Always the showman, Howard donned a superhero’s cape and costume for his “Superman” dunk attempt. He took off just inside the free throw line and soared through the air — catching a lob teammate Jameer Nelson tossed from behind the backboard — then threw the ball into the rim without actually touching the rim.
That was Howard’s second straight score of 50 in the contest. Before that, he got perfect marks on a left-hand windmill (he’s right-handed) after throwing the ball to himself off the back of the backboard.
The final round was essentially a formality, but Howard was nice enough to provide a volleyball-style dunk that could’ve been the signature dunk of the contest in many other years.
Howard had some incredible moments in his two other NBA Slam Dunk Contest appearances.
more nba. Power Rankings -- Bucks rolling as dog days of January arrive. light
In 2007, he placed a sticker 12½ feet high on the backboard with one hand before dunking with the other hand in one motion. He finished third that year.
In 2009, he brought out another hoop, had the rim raised to 12 feet, stepped into a phone booth and came out dressed as Superman, then made a two-hand dunk (easily) on the 12-foot rim. He also did a free throw line dunk and got two 50 scores in that contest.
Howard even played a major role in Nate Robinson‘s winning dunk in 2009, allowing the 5’8″ Robinson to jump over him in his Superman costume while Robinson wore all green — they called it the “Kryptonite” dunk.
Next. Each team's best era. dark
More than a decade later, Howard will return to the NBA Slam Dunk Contest looking to make history.