Today marks the third anniversary of Zach LaVine’s second NBA Slam Dunk Contest title. Let’s go through the best moments from one of the best dunk contests ever.
The NBA Slam Dunk Contest has a special way of creating memories in the hearts of NBA fans. For example, Vince Carter is a future Hall-of-Famer, but he wouldn’t be nearly as memorable without his jaw-dropping performance in the 2000 Slam Dunk Contest.
In the last decade, though, the Slam Dunk Contest has seen some low moments. In 2014, the NBA experimented with the formatting by splitting the dunkers into two teams for a “freestyle” round where each team had 1:30 to do as many dunks as they wanted. While this seemed like a decent idea at the time, the freestyle round lacked the shock and awe that fans desperately want from the Slam Dunk Contest. In other words, it was lame.
Expectations for the Slam Dunk Contest were lowered until Zach LaVine made his way onto the scene in 2015.
Take a look at how Zach won his first NBA Slam Dunk Contest.
On this date in 2015: Zach LaVine shocked the NBA in his first dunk contest. pic.twitter.com/6fP2UIEtvt
— ESPN (@espn) February 14, 2018
After that performance in 2015, expectations sky-rocketed. The Dunk Contest was back, and fans were hyped.
Luckily for the fans, the 2016 Slam Dunk Contest wouldn’t disappoint. It was arguably the best dunk contest of all time. Zach LaVine and Aaron Gordon put on a show in a back and forth duel for the ages. Both dudes were consistently throwing down dunks that earned a perfect score (50). If there was ever a competition that should’ve ended in a tie, it was that one.
Aaron Gordon set NBA Twitter on fire when he had one of the most memorable dunks in the history of the NBA. He basically leaped over the Orlando Magic mascot and put the ball under both of his legs while in a sitting position. It was absurd.
Zach LaVine had some tricks up his sleeve, though. He followed Gordon’s legendary dunk with a legendary dunk of his own. Remember when Michael Jordan dunked from the free throw line? Well, LaVine did that.
Except he windmilled it.
LaVine and Gordon would end up going to a sudden death dunk-off – twice. Despite having to dig deep into their bags, the quality of dunks wouldn’t go down. It was pretty clear that both guys could go back and forth for hours if needed.
Both players would receive perfect 50s in the first overtime round, paving the way for an intense second sudden death dunk-off.
Gordon came out with this:
That dunk earned Gordon a 47. His fans still argue to this day that he should’ve gotten a 50 for that dunk, and they’re absolutely right. The degree of difficulty on the double-pump is incredibly high.
Regardless of how fans felt, though, Gordon’s score was a 47. All LaVine needed to win back-to-back NBA Dunk Contests was a 48. He did this:
Effortless. 50. Game over.
Many hoops fans still think Gordon got robbed of a title. I get it – his dunk over the mascot was absurd. There’s no arguing against that. But anytime you do a windmill dunk from the free throw line (like LaVine did), you shouldn’t lose a dunk contest. No way.
Let me clarify.
I’m not saying Gordon should’ve lost. There shouldn’t have been a “loser” in this contest. Both players gave the fans one of, if not the, best dunk contests in the history of the game of basketball. Both Gordon and LaVine should’ve been rewarded equally.
Zach Harper of the Athletic put it perfectly when responding to a fan on Twitter who claims Gordon’s dunk over the mascot should’ve been an automatic win.
"Harper said, “8 of those dunks from both guys were automatic wins.”"
LaVine hasn’t participated in a dunk contest since his back-to-back titles, but this season, his leaping ability has been on full display. He’s been a one-man highlight reel in transition with his cheat-code bounce.
When LaVine won his two dunk contests, he was still a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Now that he’s in a Chicago Bulls uniform, Bulls fans are desperate for him to represent the team during NBA All-Star Weekend. It won’t happen this year, but the future is unknown.