19 Greatest In-Game Dunkers of All-Time

• ‍25-1: Greatest power forwards in NBA history
• 20-to-1: The greatest point guards in NBA history
• 25-1: Greatest small forwards in NBA history
• 25-1: Greatest shooting guards in NBA history

"Don't fake the funk on a nasty dunk" is a line out a famous Reebok commercial aired during the 1993 Super Bowl. Wilt, Kareem and Bill Walton were welcoming Shaquille O'Neal into the "Big Man Fraternity". Shaq was already on his way to becoming one of the most ferocious in-game finishers in the history of the game.

But where does he rank all-time? This is the definitive list of the Top 19 In-Game Dunkers in NBA history.

19. Darryl Dawkins

• Nickname: Chocolate Thunder
• Height / Weight: 2.11 m, ~120 kg
• Position: Centre
• NBA Career: 1975–1989
• Teams: Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Nets, Utah Jazz, Detroit Pistons

"Your Momma, The Right Hand Spine Chiller Supreme, In Your Face Disgrace, Chocolate Thunder Flyin’, Glass-Flyin', Rim-Wrecker, Babies Cryin', Cat's Cryin, Rump Roastin' Bun Toastin', Thank you, Wham M'am I Am." Those are just some of the names Darryl Dawkins gave to his in-game dunks. He shattered two backboards in 1979, which led to the NBA introducing snap-back rims. Dawkins was the first player to go straight from high school into the NBA in 1975. He was an absolute specimen, possessing little finesse but raw power and would monster the rim at every opportunity. Couple to his size, Dawkins had supreme leaping ability.

18. Aaron Gordon

• Height / Weight: 2.03 m, ~107 kg
• Position: Forward
• NBA Career: 2014–present
• Teams: Orlando Magic, Denver Nuggets
• NBA Champion: 2023 (Denver)

Most casual NBA fans would associate Aaron Gordon with the NBA All-Star Dunk Contest. It's hardly a surprise, he did jump over a mascot in 2016 and has multiple variations of a between-legs 360. I mean, who can't do that? But more hardened fans of the Orlando Magic and Denver Nuggets know Gordon was a mean posteriser. Gordon, 30, has caught numerous bodies during his NBA career and his ability to get to the rim and finish with authority, over people, is all-world.

17. Gerald Green

• Height / Weight: 2.01 m, ~92 kg
• Position: Wing
• NBA Career: 2005–2020
• Teams: Celtics, Timberwolves, Rockets, Suns, Nets, Heat (among others)
• NBA Dunk Contest Champion: 2007

Probably the best way to describe Gerald Green's NBA career is: He came straight out of high school (2005), entered the league as an athlete first, and spent much of his career oscillating between rotation minutes and highlight immortality. Green is 2.01m tall and his head was at the rim on a lob finish for the Nets. For those playing along at home, that is a 40" vertical - insane. Green was a lob threat in the carpark on the way to the game, let alone once he got in. He famously blew out a candle sitting on the rim during the NBA Dunk Contest - equally insane. Green's highlight reel is something to behold.

16. Tracy McGrady

• Height / Weight: 2.03 m, ~95 kg
• Position: Wing (SG/SF)
• NBA Career: 1997–2013
• Teams: Raptors, Magic, Rockets, Knicks, Spurs
• Accolades: 7× All-NBA, 2× scoring champion

Funnily enough, T-Mac dunked on Vince Carter quite a lot. Some of his highlight reel dunks are McGrady beating Carter off the dribble as well as catching his own pass off the backboard to finish with authority. It's almost criminal to have McGrady outside the top 10 but this list is ridiculously tough. T-Mac was a rare blend of raw power, athleticism, creativity and pure leaping ability. What a nightmare to guard.

15. Jason Richardson

• Height / Weight: 1.98 m, ~102 kg
• Position: Shooting Guard
• NBA Career: 2001–2016
• Teams: Warriors, Bobcats, Suns, Magic, 76ers, Hawks
• NBA Dunk Contest Champion: 2002, 2003 (back-to-back)

Back-to-back Slam Dunk Champion Jason Richardson brought that flair and finishing into games. Whether he was on the fast break finishing with a windmill or 360 or coming down the middle of the lane and elevating off two feet over someone, Richardson was vicious. Richardson was an explosive two-foot jumper with hops for days.

14. Scottie Pippen

• Height / Weight: 2.03 m, ~103 kg
• Position: Forward
• NBA Career: 1987–2004
• Teams: Bulls, Rockets, Trail Blazers
• Accolades: 6× NBA Champion, 7× All-NBA, 10× All-Defensive

Scottie probably has close to one of most famous contact dunks in NBA history, detonating over the top of the Chicago Bulls arch nemesis' New York Knicks centre Patrick Ewing in the playoffs the year MJ was playing baseball. But Pippen caught bodies, a lot of bodies. His ability to jump off one foot and both feet gave him a distinct advantage coming down the middle of the lane. He got Ewing more than once, Rick Mahorn, Charles Barkley, Manute Bol, Alonzo Mourning, Dale Davis and Charles Smith. The fact Pippen did it while winning six rings makes it even better.

13. D-Wade

• Height / Weight: 1.93 m, ~100 kg
• Position: Shooting Guard
• NBA Career: 2003–2019
• Teams: Miami Heat (primarily), Bulls, Cavaliers
• Accolades: 3× NBA Champion, Finals MVP (2006), 8× All-NBA

D-Wade dunked with absolute disdain on EVERYONE. Not much more needs to be said. As a league guard at 6'5" he jumped over people, through people and on people. Wade wasn't just a finisher, he could get to the rim off the dribble and get UP. Like Pippen, Wade could jump off two feet and one foot and he took advantage of that versatility.

12. Dwight Howard

• Height / Weight: 2.08 m, ~120 kg
• Position: Centre
• NBA Career: 2004–2022
• Teams: Magic, Lakers, Rockets, Hawks, Hornets, Wizards, 76ers (among others)
• Accolades: 3× Defensive Player of the Year, 8× All-NBA, NBA Champion (2020)

"Superman is back in the building..." There's a lot of Darryl Dawkins in Dwight Howard's athleticism, size and raw power. But Howard took it to the next level. Prime Howard was a beast and dunked with anger. How was a constant lob threat, catching balls that no one else on the floor to could get to and his ability to finish through contract, over contact was a perpetual highlight reel.

11. Clyde Drexler

• Height / Weight: 2.01 m, ~95 kg
• Position: Shooting Guard / Small Forward
• NBA Career: 1983–1998
• Teams: Portland Trail Blazers, Houston Rockets
• Accolades: NBA Champion (1995), Hall of Fame, 10× All-Star

The was a reason why Clyde's nickname was "The Glyde". Drexler was at his best in the open floor, at speed and getting in the air before anyone had time to react. Clyde was often caught in the shadow of mid-80s Jordan highlights but his style was different, he appeared to soar at speed with extraordinary body control. The way he kicked up his legs gave the illusion that he was even further off the floor than he was.

10. Blake Griffin

• Height / Weight: 2.06 m, ~114 kg
• Position: Power Forward
• NBA Career: 2009–2023
• Teams: Clippers, Pistons, Nets, Celtics
• Accolades: 6× All-Star, All-NBA, Rookie of the Year (2011)

Something bad must have happened between Blake Griffin and rim because he spent his prime destroying it. Explosive doesn't even come close to describing Griffin's ability to get off the floor and finish with power. Most players get a Top 10 Dunks of All-time, Griffin's is 28. He could go off one foot or two and still finish with the same force. It's probably easier to list the players Griffin didn't put on poster.

9. Kobe Bryant

• Height / Weight: 1.98 m, ~96 kg
• Position: Shooting Guard
• NBA Career: 1996–2016
• Team: Los Angeles Lakers
• Accolades: 5× NBA Champion, MVP (2008), 18× All-Star

Kobe entered the league as a teenager with elite athleticism and left it as a master technician — and his dunking evolved the same way. He was a master of the one-foot takeoffs, he had explosive elevation off gathers and he took pride in coming up on the other side of the rim on baseline dunks. His most memorable finishes came out of footwork, not raw vertical. Bryant arrived with his win in the 1997 Slam Duck contest and it translated to his game.

8. LeBron James

• Height / Weight: 2.06 m, ~113 kg
• Position: Forward
• NBA Career: 2003–present
• Teams: Cavaliers, Heat, Lakers
• Accolades: 4× NBA Champion, 4× MVP, All-Time Scoring Leader

When you play for a thousands years its easy to forget just how explosively athletic LeBron was as a younger man. He was a head at the rim finisher without fear or favour and caught almost every big in the league ... what am I talking about, he's still creating bodies at 41. Prime (still) LeBron was a lob threat, a fast break threat, a finish in traffic threat, a driving down the middle threat, a put-back threat. Pretty much anyway you can think of, Lebron was (is) a show-stopping monster.

7. Shawn Kemp

• Height / Weight: 2.08 m, ~104 kg
• Position: Power Forward
• NBA Career: 1989–2003
• Teams: Seattle SuperSonics, Cavaliers, Trail Blazers, Magic
• Nickname: The Reign Man
• Accolades: 6× All-Star, All-NBA, 1996 NBA Finals

The Reign Man didn’t just dunk — he announced himself every time he went up. Kemp's finishes were a two-foot explosion with violent extension at the rim. He often finished downward and they were don't until he landed. It was a show from the buildup to sticking the landing. Nobody had ever seen what Kemp was doing and it was spectacular. His 6'9" frame filling the lane, catching lobs from Gary Payton would blow the roof off in Seattle. The ferocious one-hand and two-hand finishes right over the top of people were as shocking as they were, simply awesome.

6. Ja Morant

• Height / Weight: 1.88 m, ~79 kg
• Position: Point Guard
• NBA Career: 2019–present
• Team: Memphis Grizzlies
• Accolades: Rookie of the Year (2020), All-NBA

Ja Morant may be the only player whose missed dunks improve his dunk legacy. His attempts over Kevin Love, Jakob Poeltl and Anthony Davis missed because of contact with the rim but even then, they stunned crowds and defenders alike. And then there's the dunks he finished. He elevates with reckless abandoned regardless who is at the rim trying to stop him. Morant is one of those dunkers that makes you grimace, twist your face into a contortion and think, "what in the heck was that!" There are more posters to come for the freakishly athletic guard. Ja's vertical is estimated between 44–46 inches, he has elastic hips and ankles and has that rare ability to elevate even after contact.

5. Dominique Wilkins

• Height / Weight: 2.03 m, ~100 kg
• Position: Small Forward
• NBA Career: 1982–1999
• Team: Atlanta Hawks (iconic), plus Celtics, Clippers, Spurs
• Nickname: The Human Highlight Film
• Accolades: 9× All-Star, 7× All-NBA, Hall of Fame

The Human Highlight Film was just that. Wilkins was the ultimate two-foot finisher who invented the windmill. Wilkins ability to shift his body in mid-air and still finish with brutal authority – supreme violence – was unique to 'Nique. Prime Wilkins was a pure leaper and a must-watch. He was robbed by Jordan and judges in the 19888 Slam Dunk contest in Chicago when the contests were gimmick-free. Just raw athleticism and creativity. Wilkins didn't just do those dunks in a contest he did them in games over anyone who stood between he and the rim and it was awesome.

4. Shaquille O’Neal

• Height / Weight: 2.16 m, ~147 kg (playing weight varied)
• Position: Centre
• NBA Career: 1992–2011
• Teams: Magic, Lakers, Heat, Suns, Cavaliers, Celtics
• Accolades: 4× NBA Champion, 3× Finals MVP, MVP (2000), Hall of Fame

The Big Aristotle was the most destructive dunker the NBA has ever seen — not the highest jumper, not the most creative, but the only one who routinely threatened the equipment. He broke two backboards during games and forced the NBA to rebuild them, stronger. Shaquille sits alone in dunk history because he forced rule and equipment changes, he made dunking a power imbalance, not a highlight and turned the rim and the defenders in front of a liability. His reverse spin out of the post to catch lobs three feet above the rim were a staple at Staples Centre during the Lakers threepeat. The photo of him dunking on the entire New Jersey Nets in the NBA Finals really says it all.

3. Julius Erving

• Height / Weight: 2.01 m, ~90 kg
• Position: Forward
• Pro Career: 1971–1987 (ABA → NBA)
• Teams: Virginia Squires, New York Nets, Philadelphia 76ers
• Accolades: 4× MVP (ABA/NBA), NBA Champion (1983), Hall of Fame

Julius "The Doctor" Erving didn’t just elevate above the rim — he invented the idea of dunking as gravity-defying flight. Everything that followed, from Jordan to Vince, traces back to Dr J. Julius is is the OG of creative in-game dunks. No one was smoother, cooler nor humble about his ability to fill stadiums and dunk on people's heads. His "Rock the Baby" over Michael Cooper is one of the most iconic finishes in NBA history. Erving could hold the ball like it was a tennis ball and his ability to move it in mid-air lead to great moment after great moment and when he couldn't hammer it home, he simply unleashed the finger roll. He was the first player in history to dunk from the free throw line. The frightening thing was Dr J was just as athletic on asphalt as he was on the hardwood.

2. Michael Jordan

• Height / Weight: 1.98 m, ~98 kg
• Position: Shooting Guard
• NBA Career: 1984–2003
• Teams: Chicago Bulls, Washington Wizards
• Accolades: 6× NBA Champion, 5× MVP, 10× Scoring Titles, Hall of Fame

Jordan took dunking on people personally. He had the the perfect blend of athleticism, timing, and intent. One foot, two feet, over people, around people, through people, on people, on his own, in traffic, one handed, two handed, you name it MJ did it ... over and over again. Jordan dunked on everyone and made a point of catching people if he hadn't, none more so than the NBA's best shot blocker in the 1990s, Dikembe Mutombo. It'll take the better part of the day to watch every time MJ dunked on someone's head and he's the reason why ESPN Sportscenter's Top 10 was so popular.

1. Vince Carter

• Height / Weight: 1.98 m, ~100 kg
• Position: Shooting Guard / Small Forward
• NBA Career: 1998–2020
• Teams: Raptors, Nets, Magic, Suns, Mavericks, Grizzlies, Hawks, Kings
• Accolades: 8× All-Star, Olympic Gold (2000), Hall of Fame–level legacy

"Half-man Half-Amazing" quite literally jump OVER 2.18m centre Frédéric Weis during the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Over. Him. Some on this list may have done it in a dunk contest but Carter did it in a game ... at the Olympics. It makes Vince the greatest in-game dunker in basketball history — not by consensus hype, but by range, execution, creativity, and longevity. He didn’t just win the dunk contest; he ended the argument. "It's over..." are Carter's own words during the 2000 NBA Slam Dunk Contest and he was right. I watched it live and, even as an 'old school' cynic back then, I leapt out my seat and hugged my mate's head sitting next to me. Carter had effortless elevation (estimated 43–45 inch vertical), extreme hang time, full body control, ability to finish late, wide, or through contact and with raw, unadulterated power. Carter took those contest dunks into games and basically filled arenas by himself. His ability to finish at the rim was inevitable but when and how he did it were still shocking. Vinsanity simply had no weaknesses in his dunk résumé.

About the Author

Peter Brown is the head coach of the Sydney Comets Women’s Youth League team in the Waratah Basketball League in NSW. He is also the assistant coach for the Comets NBL1 women’s team in the NBL East Conference. Peter is a 30-year journalist, starting as a sports reporter at the NT News in the early 1990s. He played junior basketball for the Northern Territory at national championships from U16 to U20 and for the Territory’s senior men’s team at numerous international tournaments. Peter has been a basketball fan since the early 80s, especially the NBA. Basketball is his passion — and his opinions his own. Email peter.brown@basketball.com.au with feedback.