Ranking The Last 20 NBA Slam-Dunk Contest Champions

Joel Piton
3 days ago
17 min read

by Joel Piton

Sportz Nation - 2/10/2026

Once upon a time, the NBA Slam Dunk Contest was must-see television. Superstars lined up to put their reputations on the line, and a single dunk could cement a player’s place in basketball history. From Dominique Wilkins to Vince Carter, the contest was where athleticism met artistry, and the entire basketball world stopped to watch.

Fast forward to today, and the perception couldn’t be more different. The league’s best in-game dunkers want no part of it. The risk outweighs the reward, social media scrutiny is unforgiving, and the contest itself often feels disconnected from what fans actually want to see. So, what changed?

The golden era of the dunk contest thrived off of star power and originality. Superstars weren’t worried about their brand. Dunks weren’t instantly replicated on Instagram. And seeing something truly new felt possible. Over time, however, creativity becomes harder. But has everything truly been done before? Let’s look back and rank the last 20 NBA Slam Dunk Contest winners—examining whether their dunks truly deserved the crown, and what became of those players afterward.

Fred Jones (IND) — 2004

Final Score: 86

Opponents: Jason Richardson · Chris Andersen · Ricky Davis

Career Stats: 7.5 PPG · 2.2 RPG · 2.3 APG

This wasn’t a difficult decision. Jason Richardson was robbed of a three-peat, and the judging that night still feels off in hindsight. Richardson had set the bar sky-high the previous year, but somehow Jones secured a perfect score for a one-handed self-pass dunk that lacked explosion, hang time, or any real innovation, so much so that the commentators openly questioned it on the broadcast.

Jones didn’t elevate above the rim, didn’t bring insane power, and didn’t introduce anything that pushed the contest forward. For a player who averaged just 4.0 points per game that season, the win stood out as a personal career highlight and a rare All-Star Weekend moment for Indiana. But stacked against the rest of the last 20 champions, this victory simply doesn’t hold up. No disrespect intended—it mattered for Jones—but as far as dunk contest winners go, this remains the least impressive championship of the modern era.

Jeremy Evans (UTA) — 2012

Final Score: N/A (Fan Voting)

Opponents: Paul George · Derrick Williams · Chase Budinger

Career Stats: 3.5 PPG · 2.6 RPG · 0.4 APG

At 6’9” forward with elite bounce, Jeremy Evans brought serious hops to the 2012 Dunk Contest, showcasing the leaping ability that made him a standout at the collegiate level. Evans could jump—no debate there. But vertical alone doesn’t carry a dunk contest, and much of his performance leaned on completion rather than creativity.

Dunking over a 5'3" Kevin Hart didn’t register as particularly impressive, and Evans clinched his spot in the final round by recycling a dunk JaVale McGee had already pulled off the year prior. The execution was fine, but the creativity simply wasn’t there. Nothing felt new, and nothing pushed the contest forward. For a player who averaged just 3.0 points per game across his NBA career, this night ultimately stands as the peak of his resume. An athletic showcase, yes but as a dunk contest win, it lacked lasting impact.

Obi Toppin (NYK) — 2022

Final Score: 92

Opponents: Cole Anthony · Jalen Green · Juan Toscano Anderson

Career Stats: 8.5 PPG · 3.4 RPG · 1.2 APG

Obi Toppin’s athleticism has always been somewhat slept on, but his dunk contest performance never truly matched his physical tools. While his dunks were clean, none felt truly memorable. Not a single attempt earned a 50, and though the off-the-backboard tap dunk was technically difficult, it didn’t deliver the kind of reaction that All-Star Weekend needs.

The larger issue was competition. Toppin was effectively a shoo-in to win once the final round arrived, as Juan Toscano-Anderson struggled to convert anything at all, missing multiple attempts and posting a final score in the 30s. With little resistance, the contest found momentum. The Dayton standout did what he had to do, but in a weak field and an uncompetitive year, his victory felt more like a formality than a statement, making it one of the more forgettable wins of the modern era.

Anfernee Simons (POR) — 2021

Final Score: N/A (Majority Vote)

Opponents: Cole Anthony · Jalen Green · Juan Toscano Anderson

Career Stats: 14.9 PPG · 2.5 RPG · 3.2 APG

If you told someone in 1984 that the dunk contest would shrink from nine participants to three, they’d laugh. But that was the reality in 2021—a strange, COVID-era Slam Dunk Contest that never quite found its footing. Still, credit where it’s due: Anfernee Simons showed up and completely flipped the narrative around his player profile. Known at the time as a streaky shooting guard, Simons shocked everyone by getting way above the rim on every attempt, instantly rebranding himself as a legitimate power dunker. We didn't expect that kind of bounce when his name was announced, let alone a clean win over Cassius Stanley and Obi Toppin, both of whom entered with far louder dunking reputations.

That said, the event itself struggled. Despite the talent involved, the contest lacked energy, creativity, and urgency. Not a single dunk earned a 50, and the night never reached the emotional or competitive highs fans associate with memorable, classic contests. Simons didn’t dominate a great dunk contest—he salvaged a weak one. And while that keeps this win out of the upper tiers, the surprise factor and sheer vertical pop make it far from forgettable.

Gerald Green (BOS) — 2007

Final Score: 91

Opponents: Nate Robinson · Dwight Howard · Tyrus Thomas

Career Stats: 9.7 PPG · 2.5 RPG · 0.9 APG

Gerald Green was one of many ultra bouncy guard-wings to enter the league in the early 2000s, part of a wave that included names like J.R. Smith and DeShawn Stevenson. Athleticism was never the question. What made Green’s 2007 win notable was the level of competition, not necessarily the dunks themselves. Going up against two champions in Dwight Howard and Nate Robinson, Green faced a legitimately tough field. However, the actual dunks fell a bit short of epic territory.

His first-round dunk was arguably his best, while the final, a windmill over a three-foot-high prop, didn't really seem the hardest to do for a guy like Green. Still, context matters. Beating out two eventual dunk contest champions isn’t nothing, and it elevates this win above some of the weaker years. While the performance itself wasn’t iconic, the competition he overcame makes this ranking feel fair—even if the win didn’t leave a lasting imprint on the contest’s history.

Hamidou Diallo (OKC) — 2019

Final Score: 88

Opponents: Dennis Smith Jr. · Miles Bridges · John Collins

Career Stats: 8.6 PPG · 3.8 RPG · 1.1 APG

An underrated athlete with sneaky, explosive bounce, Hamidou Diallo quietly put on one of the more entertaining shows of the modern era. In his first-round dunk he cleared Shaquille O’Neal, hammering it home with a Vince Carter–esque arm-through-the-rim finish which deserved every bit of its perfect score. The issue came in the finals. After setting the bar sky-high, Diallo closed with a 45-point dunk over Quavo that simply didn’t match the aggression or energy of his earlier attempts. It wasn’t bad but that energy dropped off as the competition went on which keeps his performance from going from good to great territory.

Still, Diallo deserves credit for clean execution throughout the night, pulling off difficult dunks with little margin for error. At just 27 years old, the guy is already out of the NBA entirely, yet this win remains one of the brighter recent reminders that elite talent exists throughout the league even if you don't see it at first glance. Someone should probably give this guy another shot.

John Wall (WAS) — 2014

Final Score: N/A (Teams)

Opponents: Damian Lillard · Harrison Barnes · Ben McLemore

Career Stats: 18.7 PPG · 4.2 RPG · 8.9 APG

Before the outrage starts—yes, we know. John Wall is legendary, and this ranking isn’t a shot at his dunking ability. If anything, it’s an indictment of the format. The team-based structure of the 2014 Dunk Contest removed much of the competitive tension, and Wall ultimately needed just one good dunk to secure the title. That dunk, to be fair, wasn't good but electric: a double-clutch finish over the Wizards mascot that brought the building to life. It was explosive, creative, and worthy of a infinite instant replays.

The problem is that it was essentially the only dunk he had to complete in the final round to be crowned “Dunker of the Night.” In a vacuum, the moment was unforgettable. But when evaluating overall performance, it’s hard to place Wall much higher among the last 20 champions. The win felt more like a byproduct of the format than a fully earned, multi-round showcase even if the dunk itself made him an undeniable champ.

Terrence Ross (TOR) — 2013

Final Score: N/A (Fan Voting)

Opponents: Eric Bledsoe · Gerald Green · James White · Jeremy Evans · Kenneth Faried

Career Stats: 11.0 PPG · 2.8 RPG · 1.3 APG

Ross's career is filled with bright spots, this is the same player who erupted for 51 points in a game despite averaging 10. In this dunk contest, Ross paid homage to Vince Carter, but the issue I have wasn’t his execution—it was difficulty. While Ross’s dunks were thunderous, they weren’t especially hard to replicate, particularly his final dunk: a between-the-legs windmill over a fortunate eight-year-old Raptors fan. Clean? Absolutely. Groundbreaking? Not quite.

The competition didn’t help matters. The final came down to Ross and reigning champion Jeremy Evans, who was coming off a 43-point dunk, and the gap between Ross and the rest of the field was obvious. Simply put, Ross was clearly better than everyone else that night, making it his contest to lose from the start. You've got to respect Ross—but the lack of innovation keeps this win in the lower half of the rankings. A deserving champion, just not a super memorable contest.

Glenn Robinson III (IND) — 2017

Final Score: 94

Opponents: Aaron Gordon · DeAndre Jordan · Derrick Jones Jr.

Career Stats: 5.9 PPG · 2.6 RPG · 0.8 APG

Glenn Robinson III was handed an almost impossible assignment: follow up what many consider the greatest dunk contest of all time in 2016. Expectations for him as a winner were low and the field was stacked with the likes of DeAndre Jordan, Derrick Jones Jr., and Aaron Gordon chasing redemption. Robinson shocked the world delivering a series of powerful double-clutch dunks, capping off the night with a first-try, perfect 50 leap over Pacers mascot Boomer, teammate Paul George, and a Pacers cheerleader. No retries. No theatrics. Just clean execution.

For a player who averaged around 5 points per game, the performance instantly flipped his league-wide perception. Robinson may have gone on to have a fairly average NBA career, but for one night, he dominated the spotlight. In an era where the dunk contest is struggling to regain momentum, this was a dunk contest we look back on as reminder that execution and confidence can still make the event feel special.

Josh Smith (ATL) — 2005

Final Score: 100

Opponents: J.R. Smith · Amar'e Stoudemire · Chris Andersen

Career Stats: 14.5 PPG · 7.4 RPG · 3.1 APG

One of the most naturally gifted athletes on this list, Josh Smith burst onto the scene as one of the youngest dunk contest winners in NBA history, and he didn’t win quietly. Smith went toe-to-toe with Amar’e Stoudemire and finished him off with back-to-back perfect 50s, paying homage to Dominique Wilkins in the process. Smith's reverse-spin 360 remains one of the most difficult dunks ever completed in competition—not just because of the rotation, but because of the velocity. It was explosive, clean, and made it easy to crown him the champ.

Context matters here too. The Hawks won just 13 games that season, one of the worst records in league history, and Smith’s win provided a some much needed relevance and excitement to a struggling franchise. This wasn’t just a dunk contest victory—it was a statement from a young player announcing he's here to stay on a national stage.

Derrick Jones Jr. (MIA) — 2020

Final Score: 100

Opponents: Aaron Gordon · Pat Connaughton · Dwight Howard

Career Stats: 7.3 PPG · 3.3 RPG · 0.7 APG

Derrick Jones Jr. was a fan favorite the moment he entered the league, and following ridiculous throwdowns at UNLV, expectations were sky-high. Still, his 2020 victory remains one of the most polarizing in the event’s history. For many fans, it marked what they consider Aaron Gordon’s third robbery, capped by Gordon’s dunk over 7’5” Tacko Fall. But here’s the thing: looking back at the tape, Jones didn’t steal anything. He won by the rulebook. Jones accumulated the highest total score, delivering four consecutive 50-point dunks that pushed him over the edge by a hair.

There was also a narrative edge. Jones entered the contest with nearly just as much to prove as Gordon after losing to Glenn Robinson III in 2017. The windmill from the free-throw line remains one of the most visually striking dunks of the modern era, dubbing Jones "Airplane Mode". That said, this will always be debated. Gordon’s creativity pushed the ceiling, while Jones pushed force, elevation, and consistency to their limits. It’s a split decision in the court of public opinion and that’s exactly why this contest still gets talked about to this day. What do you think? Does Gordon deserve justice?

Desmond Mason (SEA) — 2001

Final Score: 89

Opponents: DeShawn Stevenson · Stromile Swift · Baron Davis · Jonathan Bender · Corey Maggette

Career Stats: 12.1 PPG · 4.5 RPG · 1.6 APG

Desmond Mason entered the 2001 Dunk Contest with one of the highest recorded verticals in contest history, and the photos from that night still circulate for a reason. His elevation was unreal and the creativity felt way ahead of its time. Purely in terms of how high a guard has gotten in a dunk contest, there may not be a better example over the last 25 years.

The knock, unfortunately, is efficiency. Mason missed multiple attempts, and while his completed dunks were impressive, none earned a perfect 50. To be fair, that likely says as much about the harsh judging that year as it does about Mason himself: no contestant managed a 50 all night. Even so, when ranking complete performances, the misses matter. Mason delivered jaw-dropping lift and memorable visuals, but the lack of a true knockout dunk keeps him just outside the elite tier. He had plenty of nasty in-game throwdowns throughout his career, but for many fans, this contest remains his defining moment.

Donovan Mitchell (UTA) — 2018

Final Score: 98

Opponents: Victor Oladipo · Larry Nance Jr. · Dennis Smith Jr.

Career Stats: 25.0 PPG · 4.3 RPG · 4.8 APG

Add rookie dunk contest champion to the budding list of Donovan Mitchell accolades. The 2018 contest delivered one of the most entertaining showdowns in recent memory, with Mitchell and Larry Nance Jr. trading momentum and pushing each other round after round. Mitchell’s dunks checked every box: an off-two-backboards finish, a violent reverse windmill executed nearly flawlessly, and the audacity to do it all while wearing a Vince Carter jersey.

At just 6’1”, Mitchell confidence and bravado made him easy to root for. These were powerhouse dunks, thrown down with confidence and intent. What separates this performance is Mitchell's balance. Creativity, execution, difficulty, and stage presence were all perfectly aligned, making this feel like a star announcing himself beyond just scoring. The dunk contest is far from the Cavs guard's biggest moment, but it's a sure reminder that Spida thrives under the brightest lights.

Dwight Howard (ORL) — 2008

Final Score: 100

Opponents: Gerald Green · Jamario Moon · Rudy Gay

Career Stats: 15.7 PPG · 11.8 RPG · 1.3 APG

A near-flawless performance, Dwight Howard delivered one of the most physically improbable dunk contests the event has ever seen. When you hear Dwight’s name, you think dunks: it’s his identity. And at 6’11”, it’s easy to assume throwing it down comes naturally. But what Howard showcased in 2008 went far beyond size alone.

Dubbed “Superman”, cape and all, Howard exploded nearly 40 inches off the ground, hammering home dunks that simply don’t look possible for a seven-footer. His mixture of mass and mobility made him a true generational athlete, and the dunk contest became the perfect stage to display it.

There was creativity, there was power, and there was history. Even with reigning champion Gerald Green’s cupcake dunk getting flair, the competition never truly threatened Howard’s claim to the crown. There was really no stopping Dwight this year. He didn't just win the dunk contest, he redefined what a big man could do in the air, and that alone secures his place among the best champions of the modern era.

Blake Griffin (LAC) — 2011

Final Score: N/A (Fan Voting)

Opponents: DeMar DeRozan · Serge Ibaka · JaVale McGee

Career Stats: 19.0 PPG · 8.0 RPG · 4.0 APG

The 2011 Dunk Contest will forever live rent-free in NBA memory. This was Blake Griffin, the former No. 1 overall pick and supposed generational athlete, finally taking center stage after missing his rookie season, and the moment delivered. To be clear, JaVale McGee arguably had the better first-round performance, but Griffin’s win became inevitable the second he cleared the hood of a Kia Optima, finishing a lob from Baron Davis in a highlight reel moment. This was everywhere. School hallways. ESPN frontpage. SportsCenter loops. Group chats before group chats were a thing.

Was it gimmicky? Sure. But dunk contests are built on memorabilia, and this one hit perfectly. For a Clippers team coming off a 20-something-win season derailed by Griffin’s injury, it felt like redemption—a signal that something new was coming in L.A., and that it was. Griffin’s performance blended athleticism, creativity, and domination, and while this particular dunk will always dominate the conversation, the full body of work that night earns its place among the best. This was more than just a dunk contest for Blake and he became fan favorite virtually overnight.

Mac McClung (ORL) — 2023-25

Final Score: 100 (2023) 98.8 (2024) 100 (2025)

Opponents: Jaylen Brown · Stephon Castle · Trey Murphy · Jericho Sims · Jaime Jaquez · KJ Martin · Andre Jackson Jr. · Matas Buzelis · Jacob Toppin

Career Stats: 5.6 PPG · 1.9 RPG · 1.5 APG

With three consecutive wins under his belt, Mac McClung has to land in the top five, and honestly, there’s an argument for even higher. At a time when the dunk contest faced increasing skepticism every year, few could have predicted that a 6’1” guard from Gate City would single-handedly revive it. McClung became the first player in NBA history to win three straight dunk contests, doing so even while not officially signed to an NBA team in 2024. Calling up a G Leaguer to defend a title would usually feel underwhelming, but McClung flipped that narrative completely. For three straight years, he was must-see TV.

The dunks backed it up. Clearing a Kia without using it to land (sorry Blake), reverse 360 tomahawks, and relentless precision—50 after 50 after 50, with virtually no wasted attempts. No bailouts. No mercy from the rim. Just execution from the kid. In an era where mistakes will make it to social media in seconds, McClung was flawless.

While he’s opted out of this year’s contest—and a potential four-peat—the damage is already done. Mac McClung has been saving the event, restoring belief, and forcing fans to care again. And it’s only fitting that he now finally holds a full NBA contract to go with the legacy he built in midair.

Jason Richardson (GSW) — 2002-03

Final Score: 85 (2002) 95 (2003)

Opponents: Amar'e Stoudemire · Richard Jefferson · Desmond Mason · Gerald Wallace · Steve Francis

Career Stats: 17.1 PPG · 5.0 RPG · 2.7 APG

The 2002 Slam Dunk Contest may have been the toughest to win in the event’s history. Instead of free-form creativity, contestants were forced to spin a wheel and recreate dunks made famous by legends of the past, which was a format designed to expose. Jason Richardson didn’t just survive it—he thrived. To this day, he remains the closest thing the dunk contest has ever seen to Vince Carter. Richardson’s two-handed reverse self-pass dunk to win that night still hasn’t been replicated twenty-four years later. And he wasn’t done.

J-Rich returned in 2003 and defended his crown, edging out Desmond Mason in a tightly contested battle. His winning dunk—a between-the-legs finish off his non-dominant hand—sent the building into chaos and cemented his reputation as an all-time great. Few players have ever made dunking look as fluid, explosive, and repeatable as Richardson. He remains one of the most exciting athletes to ever lace up an NBA sneaker, and his back-to-back wins still hold up under any era’s standards.

Fittingly, the legacy continues. Jase Richardson, Jason’s son, is set to compete next week—and if he’s even half the athlete his father was, the dunk contest may once again be in very good hands.

Nate Robinson (NYK) — 2006, 2009, 2010

Final Score: N/A (2009-10) (Fan Voting) 94 (2006)

Opponents: Andre Iguodala · Dwight Howard · Josh Smith · Hakim Warrick · J.R. Smith · Rudy Fernandez · DeMar DeRozan · Gerald Wallace · Shannon Brown · Gerald Green

Career Stats: 20.7 PPG · 4.0 RPG · 3.9 APG

At 5’8”, three-time-champion Nate Robinson defied every preconceived limit of what should be possible at his height, and did it repeatedly. For 15 years, he held the record for most dunk contest wins, taking down elite competition that included Josh Smith, Dwight Howard, Gerald Green, and more along the way. Picking a favorite among his three titles isn’t easy, but rookie Nate in 2006 stands out. Going head-to-head with Andre Iguodala, Robinson recorded his only 50-point dunk across all three wins—a vicious one-handed slam over fellow short-king champion Spud Webb.

Watching a player his size get his head to rim level never stopped feeling surreal.

Then there was 2009, when Robinson literally scaled Dwight Howard, the reigning champion and a foot taller, in one of the most memorable David-versus-Goliath moments the contest has ever produced. Was it scaled in Robinson's favor? Maybe. Yes, height matters—it always has, and it should. That’s precisely why Nate Robinson’s wins are so impressive. Every time his name appeared on the ballot, the dunk contest instantly felt more exciting because he was giving hope to every "short king". If Nate could do it, we could too.

Zach LaVine (MIN) — 2015-16

Final Score: 94 (2015) 100 (2016)

Opponents: Aaron Gordon · Victor Oladipo · Mason Plumlee · Giannis Antetokounmpo · Andre Drummond · Will Barton

Career Stats: 20.7 PPG · 4.0 RPG · 3.9 APG

Before Zach LaVine became known as an offensive weapon, he was simply known as a problem above the rim. A decade ago, LaVine stamped his name into All-Star Weekend history as a back-to-back dunk contest champion, pairing an absurd vertical leap with limitless creativity. His 2015 win over Victor Oladipo was decisive—but what followed in 2016 changed everything. What many consider the greatest dunk contest ever unfolded as LaVine and Aaron Gordon went at it trading haymakers in a way the event had never seen. 50 after 50 after 50, with each dunk escalating the pressure. Gordon goes between the legs into a windmill—LaVine answers with behind-the-back. Gordon uses a mascot—LaVine clears the free-throw line with a self-lob.

It was escalation at its purest form, creativity forced out of necessity, not gimmicks.

This is the only dunk contest where crowning two winners would’ve felt justified. In almost any other year, Gordon walks away with the trophy. Gordon’s creativity is precisely what pushed LaVine into an entirely different stratosphere—one where where had to think outside of the box: most of these dunks were unscripted and done on the fly which made it more exciting. As fans we weren’t just entertained—we were spoiled. And while the debate will never die, LaVine deservedly sits just one spot shy of the top.

Vince Carter (TOR) — 2000

Final Score: 98

Opponents: Steve Francis · Tracy McGrady · Jerry Stackhouse · Larry Hughes · Ricky Davis

Career Stats: 16.7 PPG · 4.3 RPG · 3.1 APG

This one was never up for debate. Vinsanity remains the greatest dunker in basketball history, and after the 2000 Slam Dunk Contest, it truly wasn’t close. More than 25 years later, Carter’s performance still stands alone as a moment that permanently altered the sport’s imagination.Facing a stacked field that included Tracy McGrady, Steve Francis, and Jerry Stackhouse, Carter didn’t just win—he retired the trophy.

Carter blended the leap of Dr. J with the hang time of Jordan, and the dunks remain unreal. A reverse 360 windmill, the birth of the elbow dunk, and each attempt wasn’t just better than the last, it rewired expectations of the competition in real time. Through effortless power and showmanship, Carter didn't just best his peers—he set a new standard that has served as the blueprint for the last quarter-century. The dunk contest has produced legends since, but none have ever escaped his shadow. There is no sequel to 2000. There is only Vince.

The dunk contest has never lacked athleticism, it’s lacked is hope: the fans hoping to see something new and the league's best finishers hoping it's worth the risk. Looking back at the last 20 winners, there’s a clear mix of Hall-of-Famers, forgotten names, and a few champions whose careers are still being written. The next question belongs to the fans. Can the dunk contest be redeemed, or has social media raised the bar too high? Who was the biggest surprise on this list? Which winner experienced the steepest fall-off after their moment in the spotlight? And maybe most importantly, who do you want to see put it all on the line next and bring hype back to All-Star Saturday night? Because if the contest is ever going to feel special again, it’ll be because someone decides the moment is still worth chasing.