Slamma Jamma

The Basketball world was abuzz with the Orlando Magic’s Dwight Howard's thunderous dunks capped by donning the cape of Superman that brought the house down at the 2008 NBA All Star Slam Dunk Contest held Saturday Night in the City of New Orleans, Louisiana.

Although his dunks were really good and deserve a place to be in the list of the best dunks that were ever seen in the NBA's annual slam dunk competition, for me it was not the best in the history of the NBA All Stars weekend side event.

Yes, Dwight Howard’s creativity was evident in his dunks but they’re not as spectacular as the dunks made by Vince Carter in the 2000 edition of the contest.

In my book, Vinsanity’s insane repertoire of dunks was the greatest and the best of all time. Carter showed us not only his creative side but also his enormous jumping prowess as he did one thunderous dunk after another to rule the one- sided contest against his cousin and teammates with the Toronto Raptors, Tracy McGrady and Steve Francis of the Houston Rockets, among others.

You can also include in the list 5’ 7” Spud Webb’s amazing feat in the 1986 edition wherein he bested his more illustrious teammate, Dominique Wilkins to become the shortest player in history to win the coveted Slam Dunk King title.

But the most intense and electrifying head-to-head match up in the history of the slam dunk contest was the 1988 battle between the Human Highlight Film, Dominique Wilkins of the Atlanta Hawks and His Airness, Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls.

They engaged in a virtual dogfight highlighted by their creativity and intense competitiveness. Where Dominique was power personified, Michael was a mirror of finesse and elegance. The slugfest literally went to the last dunk where Michael Jordan won it by flying from the free throw line as he slammed the ball home to the delight of the Chicago crowd.




2008 NBA All Star Slam Dunk Competition




2000 NBA All Star Slam Dunk Contest: Vince Carter


The Human Highlight Film versus His Airness



1986 NBA All Star Dunk Contest: Spud Webb

The Birth of a Legend.

It was twenty years ago today, when a young and skinny freshman playing for the Tarheels of the University of North Carolina made his mark in the finals of the 1982 NCAA College Basketball Tournament that heralds the birth of a legend.


Michael Jordan drained a long two with 15 seconds left in the game to lift his team by a point in a 63-62 victory over the Patrick Ewing- led Georgetown University Hoyas to clinch the college hoops title thus giving his coach Dean Smith his first March Madness title after years of frustrations..

His Airness soon rose to great heights in the National Basketball Association winning the Championshipsin a very rare Three- peat fashion not only once but twice in 1991- 93 and 1997- 1999 for the Chicago Bulls.


He also won every award possible in Hooplandia with his firm leadership, gravity- defying ability, hard-nosed defense and soft- feathery touch with the basketball that earned him legions of fans all over the world as well as millions of dollars in salaries and commercial endorsements long after his retirement.


For all his achievements, we can say that Michael Jordan's legacy was cemented even before it began with that single shot during that hotly- contested basketball game at the Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana two decades earlier.