Slam Dunk! The History, Hype and Heroes

Every player dreams of scoring the winning point in the last second of the championship final. And, of course, it has to be a slam dunk — the most athletic, the most dramatic, the most iconic of all basketball throws. Let’s have a look at the amazing world of the slam dunk.

Perhaps the first recorded dunk was made by Joe Fortenberry in 1936 while playing for the McPherson Globe Refiners. Seven-foot center Bob Kurland was a regular dunker in the 1940s and 1950s, though it was an unpopular move among opposing teams, who felt humiliated by the drama and tried to shut down any such attempts. In fact, the dunk shot only became known as a “slam dunk” when it was used by legendary LA Lakers announcer Chick Hearn.

Players like to innovate, so the shot has evolved over the years into many different kinds. You’ve probably seen spectacular examples of:

· The tomahawk, when the ball comes from behind the head and slams through the net. If both hands are used, it’s called a backscratcher.

· The windmill, when the arm swings in a wide, arm-stretched arc to dunk the ball. It’s difficult to keep the ball under control and in the hand.

· Between-the-legs, when the player transfers the ball between the legs while airborne before pounding it through the rim.

· The elbow hook, when the player’s arm goes through the hoop with the ball and he or she hangs off the rim for a few seconds. Also called the honey dip or cookie jar.

· The alley-oop, when the player catches a pass while already in the air then dunks the ball. This can be combined with the other forms of dunk.

The Slam Dunk Contest

Since 1976, the famous NBA Slam Dunk contest has showcased the most spectacular dunks from the greatest players. Each player has a maximum of two minutes to attempt five dunks in different ways: from a standing position, from ten feet away and from different locations on the court.

The competition has created some amazing dunk variations such as a between-the-legs reverse, a behind-the-back slam and a between-the-legs left-hand dunk. Without the pressure of competitive play, players try to do something new, crazy and memorable. In the original 1976 contest, Julius Erving dunked after leaping from the free-throw line — a move that was improved by Michael Jordan in 1988 when parted his legs making the same shot. In 2008, Gerald Green, put a cupcake with a candle on the rim and blew out the candle with his dunk. In 2011, Blake Griffin jumped over a Kia car to perform an alley-oop tomahawk dunk, while in 2012 Jeremy Evans jumped over comedian Kevin Hart for his dunk.

The Slam Dunk content is great entertainment, but it comes with some criticism. Players like LeBron James have been reluctant to participate due to the risk of injury. As players try to make new and wild shots, there’s always the danger of a fall that could take you out of action for league games. It’s also true that, while the contest is competitive and has a winner, this is not official game play and the stakes are not the same. An awesome dunk during a game is always more amazing and outrageous.

With that in mind, here are our choices for five of the wildest slam dunks in competitive play:

1) Gerald Green, 2012, New Jersey Nets v Houston Rockets

With less than three minutes left to go in the third quarter, MarShon Brooks passes to Gerald Green, already airborne, and Green windmills the alley-oop through the net. Even the opposing bench was pretty impressed.

2) LeBron James, 2013, Miami Heat v Boston Celtics

Considered one of the most unguardable moves in the game, James’ tomahawk alley-oop from a Norris Cole pass leaves defender Jason Terry lying on the court and James’ standing over him like Muhammed Ali stood over Sonny Liston.

3) Kobe Bryant, 2003, LA Lakers v Denver Nuggets

In this one-of-a-kind play, Bryant catches the pass and has to get creative against the defense. His response? A behind-the-back 360-degree reverse dunk ­– the kind of thing you’d normally only see in the Slam Dunk contest.

4) Julius Erving, 1983, Philadelphia 76rs v LA Lakers

Considered by some to be the greatest dunk in NBA history, Dr J’s stunning windmill shot followed an audacious steal and a long run. He was in the air for so long, he seemed to be moving in slow motion as his arm came around.

5) Michael Jordan, 1991, Chicago Bulls v NY Knicks

It’s not only about getting some air. In this shot, Jordan fought off three determined defenders with some very fancy footwork. There wasn’t any space for him to take a run-up, leaving only one option: go straight up vertically.

6) Jerome Lane, 1988, Pittsburgh Panthers v Providence Friars

OK, this was the NCAA rather than the NBA, but this play from Lane still gets into many dunk top ten lists. Players like Shaq and Jordan made backboard smashing almost a common occurrence, but this colossal dunk that ripped off the rim is still remembered decades after.

The Excitement of the Game

Here at Basketballverse, our mission is to bring the passion of the real-world game to the metaverse. That means killer graphics, of course, but it also means gameplay that replicates what you can do on a real court.

Playing roles in Basketballverse are dynamic and are based on a baller’s performance. You can take multiple roles, including: Score, Thief, Mr Block, Playmaker, Shooter and Dunker. You can also buy in-game skills from real-world players. Want to improve your baller’s rebounding or blocking? Get help from a legend!

In Basketballverse, the baller also has hidden characteristics that we see in real-world games: morale and confidence, mental toughness and composure. These are based on performance, merch sold, fanbase size, mental toughness score and home arena advantage.

If you love the game like we do, we’re waiting to see your best dunk!