7 Best Dunkers of All Time

by Jeremy Block - 6/2/2025

Some moments in basketball make you clap. Others make you stand. And then there are the dunks. The ones that make you yell at an empty room like someone just got slapped. Dunking is basketball’s most satisfying middle finger, and the guys on this list threw it down like they had personal beef with the rim.

We’re not talking about nice little two-hand finishes on a fast break or a simple rim-grazer. We’re talking full-throttle, soul-snatching, slam dunks. Here are the top seven dunkers of all time—players who didn’t just rise above defenders, they embarrassed them. Let’s get into it.

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Julius Erving

Julius Erving was dunking with flair before the league even knew what flair looked like. While most guys were finishing with safe, soft layups, he was already attacking the rim from impossible angles and making it look casual. At the time, no one had a playbook for what he was doing because he was the one writing it in motion.

Let’s not forget his iconic "rock the baby" dunk on the Lakers in the 1980 NBA Finals? That’s not just a clip—it’s basketball history. Erving’s size, coordination, and control in the air changed the way people understood the game. Unlike players today, Dr. J wasn’t dunking for the crowd or to show off. He did it because it worked, and because no one else could do it like him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrlBgLdGKZM

Dominique Wilkins

Few dunkers have brought the kind of pure, violent power Dominique Wilkins did. Known as the Human Highlight Film, Wilkins made every dunk feel like a personal attack on the rim and anyone standing under it. His combination of torque, speed, and brute force left defenders questioning whether they had just been hit by a freight train.

When the spotlight was on, Wilkins did not dial it back. His windmill dunk in the 1985 Slam Dunk Contest made it clear who ruled the rim. In contests and games, his two-handed tomahawks and aggressive finishes landed with ruthless precision. He was not interested in looking flashy. He wanted to dominate. If aggressive dunking had a textbook, Wilkins wrote it in capital letters.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPQozHDV3FA&t=19s

Shawn Kemp

Dunking wasn’t just about points for Shawn Kemp. It was a message loud enough to echo through the arena. ‘The Reign Man’ had a vertical that seemed endless and an ego that made sure you knew it. When Kemp took off, contesting wasn’t an option. You braced for impact and hoped you didn’t end up on the highlight reel.

One dunk that sums up Kemp’s game came in the 1992 playoffs. Catching the ball at the top of the key, Kemp drove full force to the rim and slammed it over Alton Lister with such power it left everyone speechless. His in-game dunks were explosive and aggressive. There was no softness, just raw power ready to take flight. Look, if dunking were a demolition derby, Kemp would have been the undisputed champion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2GaAWdHwsw

LeBron James

Yes, yes, we know LeBron James is the all-time leading scorer. But strip away the GOAT debates for a second and focus on one thing: dunks. When LeBron gets out in the open floor and starts to take flight, it’s already too late for defenders to jump. And if they decide to contest? They’re either getting slammed to the ground or making ESPN’s Top 10 as the latest poster victim.

Look, James isn’t a flashy dunker by any means, but it’s the raw power and athleticism that come with every slam that puts the fear of God into opposing defenses. Remember that 2013 dunk over Celtics guard Jason Terry? Yikes. Whether it’s a putback that ends a run or a transition dunk that nukes the other team’s morale, LeBron James brings the kind of force that leaves fans losing their minds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fm_t6OfBF7Y

Michael Jordan

Float. Hang. Decide mid-air how he wanted to humiliate someone. That was Michael Jordan’s dunking process, more or less. When Jordan took flight, it wasn’t just a dunk waiting to happen; it was poetry in motion. He moved through the air like it owed him rent, taking defenders and entire franchises along for the ride.

From the iconic free-throw line takeoff to his in-game switch-hands theatrics, Jordan made dunking look effortless, like he was just playing a game of pick-up. And while there were countless jaw-dropping slams in his career, you can’t forget the 1988 Dunk Contest free-throw line dunk or his 1991 baseline poster over Knicks center Patrick Ewing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5btsDbkBonA

Vince Carter

There are dunkers, and then there’s Vinsanity. Vince Carter didn’t just dunk—he committed airborne crimes. Love him or hate him, Carter was a freak of nature with springs in his legs that made him impossible to guard when he decided to rise up. Watching him take off was like watching someone discover a cheat code in real time.

That Olympic dunk over a 7-footer? How can we not mention that. No one else made dunking look as clean, as fluid, and as devastating as Vince Carter. Every time he flew, you knew you were about to see something that nobody else could do.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WihbbVEmppI

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7 Best Dunkers of All Time

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