Every NBA Slam Dunk Contest Winner (1984-2022)

Throughout NBA All-Star Slam Dunk history, there have been great dunkers like Vince Carter, Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins, Zach LaVine, and many others. Here is a look at every Slam Dunk Contest winner from 1984 until today.

Officially known as the AT&T Slam Dunk Contest is an annual competition among NBA players during All-Star Weekend. The competition features some of the game’s best high flyers who show off their acrobatics by throwing down the ball into the hoop. The dunk contest is a high-energy event that features stage presence and athleticism. In the end, the goal is to leave the judges, and the world, with their jaws, left open by completing dunks that we never thought we would ever see.

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The first-ever Slam Dunk Contest was held on January 27, 1976, as part of the ABA Slank Dunk Contest. The ABA was struggling to keep viewers in their rivalry against the NBA. To get more buzz around their league, the idea was floated and completed. Julius Erving won the contest after completing a dunk from the free-throw line. The event remains a critical part of NBA history because it helped shape the future event when the ABA and NBA merged. In 1984, the event was introduced to the NBA in Denver during All-Star Game Weekend.

The New York Knicks lead the NBA with five winners from their franchise. Behind the Knicks, the Hawks are second with four, the Timberwolves and Heat are tied for third with three winners, while several members of the Heat own at least two victories. From Larry Nance to at the beginning to reigning champ Obi Toppin, the Slam Dunk Contest has featured some great dunks from some great players. We take a look at all of the Slam Dunk Contest winners right now.

Here is every single winner of the Slam Dunk Contest.

1984 - Larry Nance

Nance ousted the likes of Julius Erving, Dominique Wilkins, and Darrell Griffith in the contest. Even though Wilkins has the best first-round score, Nance made the Finals with a tied score of 140 with Erving. However, in the Finals, Erving produced a dunk that netted him a score of 50, but his second dunk was just a 25, which brought his overall score down to 122. Nance’s score of 134 propelled him to the first-ever award.

1985 - Dominique Wilkins

A young rookie named Michael Jordan pushed Wilkins to the Finals. However, this was all Wilkins from the start. Wilkins owned the best score in the first round with two dunks worth 49. Jordan posted a perfect 50 dunk in the second round but Wilkins saved his best dunks for last. Two perfect dunks worth 50 helped Wilkins win 147-136 in the final round.

1986 - Spud Webb

Spud Webb showed the world that size doesn’t matter. The 5-foot-7 Webb amazed the world by leaping up to throw down some amazing dunks to outduel Wilkins. Webb had the best overall score in all three rounds. The Finals was a thrilling showdown but Webb owned two perfect scores of 50 to win the final round 100-98 over Wilkins.

1987 - Michael Jordan

The start of “Air Jordan” might have started when Jordan won his first Slam Dunk Contest. He made everything look so easy as he was able to outlast Clyde Drexler, Jerome Kersey, and Terence Stansbury. Jordan’s takeoff from the free throw line looked like he belonged on the logo with Jerry West. Jordan beat out Kersey in the final round thanks to his final dunk being worth 50 in the 146-140 scorecards.

1988 - Michael Jordan

The 1988 contest was a rematch of Wilkins and Jordan from 1985. That time, Jordan was defeated by the tide turned in this rematch. Jordan’s full-court run-up jump from the free throw line with the pump back of his right hand remains an iconic image used all around the league, especially during the Bulls pre-game hype video. Going into the final dunk in the finals, Wilkins held the 100-97 lead but Jordan’s last dunk netted him a perfect 50 while Wilkins finished with a 45.

1989 - Kenny “Sky” Walker

For those who don’t recognize the name, Walker was the No. 5 overall pick in 1986 and he played with the Knicks from 1986 to 1991. Walker dominated the contest by defeating Clyde Drexler and Spud Webb. Walker didn’t have a 50 dunk once but had card results of 49.6 three times in the contest. Some of those dunks looked like the 50s though.

1990 - Dominique Wilkins

The Slam Dunk Contest regular won his second title in a narrow win over Kenny “The Jet” Smith. Smith finished with a higher score than Wilkins in the semis but Wilkins closed out the finals in a close 146.8-145.1 scorecard. Wilkins made “the windmill” look like anyone could do it. However, the 1990 Heat crowd was upset and let their displeasure know when he won. Wilkins initially didn’t want to compete but he received a $100,000 appearance bonus.

1991 - Dee Brown

The 1991 showcase lacked the star power but featured plenty of great dunks. Brown’s no-look left-handed throwdown got the attention of Magic Johnson. Brown battled Shawn Kemp in the final and easily took the final score of 97.7-93.7. Brown didn’t finish with a 50 but had two dunks worth 49.6.

1992 - Cedric Ceballos

The dunk of the evening was the dunk that Ceballos didn’t even see himself. The “blindfolded” dunk was a true dunk worth of showmanship but it is the dunk that many fans remember. This contest looked like it was going to be all Larry Johnson though, who beat Ceballos badly in the first two rounds. However, the final round featured two very poor dunks from Johnson that combined for a score of 66.0. Johnson didn’t even attempt his final dunk as Ceballos’ perfect 50 from his second dunk put the score out of reach.

1993 - Harold Miner

This year, the rules changed. There were no longer three rounds. The two highest score dunks of three in each round constituted the final score. Three members from the first round moved to the finals. Miner, a rookie with the Heat, used a reverse finish in the finals to help him hold off fellow rookie Clarence Weatherspoon in a battle of young men. Miner easily won the finals with a score of 97.4 over Weatherspoon’s 92.2 and Ceballos’ 79.8.

1994 - Isaiah Rider

In this contest, each competitor was allowed 90 seconds to do as many dunks as he chose with one overall dunk giving a final score. The final round featured two dunks with the highest score being used. Three members from the first round made the finals. The Timberwolves rookie promised he would win the dunk contest on draft night. He followed through with that promise. His between-the-legs East Bay Funk Dunk during his first attempt of the first round remains the most memorable dunk. Rider easily won the finals over Robert Pack and Shawn Kemp.

1995 - Harold Miner

The contest featured another change in the rules. Each competitor was given 90 seconds to do at least three dunks and then an overall score was given. In the final round, each competitor was given 60 seconds to do at least two dunks and then given an overall score. Miner ran away with the contest by finishing with the top score in both rounds.

1996 - Brent Barry

Starting this year, the competitors were given 90 seconds to do as many dunks as possible with one overall score. In the final round, it was the best score between two dunks. Multiple free-throw line dunks helped Barry sail to the top in the literal and championship aspects. Barry barely took the first round with a best dunk of 45.5 over Michael Finley’s 45.0. In the finals, Barry’s 49.0 beats out both Finley and Greg Minor.

1997 - Kobe Bryant

The future star Laker was already coming off a record performance in the Rookie Challenge with 31 points. Then, he used a between-the-legs jam to help him soar to the top. With that said, it wasn’t until the finals that Bryant took home the trophy. Bryant’s score of 37 barely got him into the finals with the third-best score. However, his first dunk in the final round netted him a 49.

1998 - No Winner

No competition was held during this season.

1999 - No Winner

No competition was held due to the NBA’s lockout, which resulted in the lack of All-Star Weekend.

2000 - Vince Carter

The new millennium featured new rules once again. The two highest dunks in each round constituted the total score. This dunk contest is considered one of the most legendary performances ever. Carter had three dunks that finished with a perfect score of 50. Carter’s score of 100 in the first round propelled him into the finals where he netted another 50 to push him past Steve Francis and Tracy McGrady.

2001 - Desmond Mason

DeShawn Stevenson posted the best score in the first round with a 95 while Baron Davis had a 94. Mason’s score of 91 barely pushed him into the finals. Luckily, both Stevenson and Davis couldn't get a score higher than 44 and Mason’s two dunks of 45 and 44 were just enough to claim the 2001 prize.

2002 - Jason Richardson

This year, a tournament format was adopted. Four members participated with Jason Richardson winning as Cinderella. Richardson was the No. 4 seed but beat out No. 1 seed Desmond Mason and then No. 2 seed Gerald Wallace. Richardson’s final dunk in the first round netted a 50 while his final dunk in the finals netted a 49. Richardson’s 50 was performed after spinning a wheel that told him to perform a 1990s dunk.

2003 - Jason Richardson

The dunk contest returned to the original format adopted in 2000. Richardson completed the defense of his crown. It was just the second time in league history that a player repeated as champion. Richardson’s between-the-leg reverse dunk remains one of the greatest dunks ever performed. That was one of three dunks that netted him a 50 score.

2004 - Fred Jones

Jones put his name on the map when he was able to best Richardson. Richardson looked like he was going to pull off the three-peat when he finished with a score of 95 in the first round, which featured a dunk score of 50. However, Jones came back with a 50 in the finals. However, questionable judging and an anti-climatic finish shadow this. Both Jones and Richardson missed their last attempt in the finals.

2005 - Josh Smith

At 19 years old, Smith gave Hawks fans chills and took them on a ride back to the days of Wilkins. Smith’s finals are one of the best finishes ever. Smith finished the final round with two perfect scores. That included a windmill dunk and a reverse left-handed flush. Smith beat out Amar’e Stoudemire in the final round 100-87.

2006 - Nate Robinson

Spud Webb fans were getting flashbacks when the 5-foot-9 Nate Robinson took the world by storm. The 2006 dunk contest remains a controversial finish but nobody can deny the excitement. Robinson scored a 50 in the first round which is best remembered when Robinson jumped over Webb and completed the fantastic finish. The finals featured a tie with Andre Iguodala but Robinson won the tie-break 47-46.

2007 - Gerald Green

Green broke into the league at 21 years old to defeat Nate Robinson in the final round. Green was high-flying all night. His final dunk featured jumping over an obstacle which helped him land a 50. While winning was an accomplishment, the feeling of Knicks versus Celtics was also all around the room too.

2008 - Dwight Howard

Howard beat out the famous “blowing out the cupcake” dunk by Green. The final round was decided by fan voting via text messaging. Howard was perfect all night. He recorded back-to-back scores of 50 in the first round. In the finals, Howard received 78% of the vote in comparison to Green. After all, this was the end of “Superman” thanks to his infamous flush.

2009 - Nate Robinson

Howard looked like he was going to repeat as champion. Howard finished with a perfect 100 with his two dunks in the first round, but Robinson made it back to the finals. In the final round, 52% of the vote went to Robinson in one of the closest finishes up to date. The second dunk of the finals is what helped him get to nod. Robinson, one of the shortest players in the league, leaped over Howard with the Superman cap on to flush the ball down.

2010 - Nate Robinson

Robinson had another close call in 2010 but came out victorious to become the first-ever three-time champion. Robinson and DeMar DeRozan went head to head in the first round to set up the finals. Robinson won the finals with a voting edge of 51% to 49% by DeRozan. The dunk in the final round was highlighted by his second dunk, where he threw it off of the backboard, caught it, and reversed flushed.

2011 - Blake Griffin

JaVale McGee’s first two dunks netted a score of 99 but Blake Griffin came up clutch in the finals. Griffin took 68% of the final vote. Griffin’s elbow dunk was impressive, but Griffin jumping over a car was the masterpiece. The showmanship was everything you would want from an entertainment perspective even though the dunk was somewhat average at best.

2012 - Jeremy Evans

The format for this contest was changed so that each participant had three dunks. The results were entirely decided by fan voting online through text messaging or Twitter. Evans narrowly won the competition with 29% of the van vote, which narrowly beat out Chase Budinger’s total vote of 28%. Evans jumped over Gordon Hayward sitting in a chair and jumped over Kevin Hart to capitalize the night.

2013 - Terrence Ross

This season went back to the method used before 2012 and added two more participants. Evans nearly defended his title but was upended by Terrence Ross. In his first dunk, Ross netted a perfect score with a behind-the-back reversal. He followed that with a 49 in his second dunk where he bounced, caught, and reversed all in one. The finals saw Ross take 58% of the vote to win.

2014 - John Wall

A team format was used for this year. The first round was a Freestyle Round with the winning team choosing the order of dunkers for the Battle Round. The battle round featured one on one “battles” with the first team to three victories being the champion. John Wall was named “Dunker of the Night.” His winning team featured Paul George and Terrance Ross, who defeated the West team of Harrison Barnes, Damian Lillard, and Ben McLemore.

2015 - Zach LaVine

The 2015 season saw the rules return to the style that was used last in 2007 which is the format that has been used to the present day. LaVine and Victor Oladipo posted back-to-back 50s but LaVine won the night with a perfect 100 in the first round. Lavine's reverse dunk was followed by a behind-the-back dunk to help net the perfect score. LaVine ran away in the finals with a combined score of 94 over Oladipo’s 75.

2016 - Zach LaVine

This is one of the greatest dunk contests ever. The legendary double overtime between LaVine and Aaron Gordon is still talked about today. LaVine scored four 40s. That included LaVine and Gordon each scoring a perfect 100, followed by a 50 in the first tie-breaker. In the second tie-breaker, LaVine threw down his last 50 of the night. Describing it doesn’t do it justice. You just have to watch the highlights.

2017 - Glenn Robinson III

Derrick Jones Jr. and Robinson each finished with a 50 in the first round but Robinson took the finals with a 94-87 advantage. Robinson jumped over two people stacked on each other and had a high-flying reverse jam that had James Harden and Russell Westbrook both excited. In a rare contest where Aaron Gordon struggled, Robinson made up for it with his first title.

2018 - Donovan Mitchell

Rookie Donovan Mitchell gave Jazz fans flashbacks to the days of Darrell Griffith competing. Mitchell’s off-the-glass dunk scored a 48 in his first attempt. He followed that with back-to-back 50s, including a high-flying dunk in the vintage purple Jazz uniform featuring Griffith’s name on it. The final round saw Mitchell edge out Larry Nance Jr. 98-96 in a battle of “new school” dunkers.

2019 - Hamidou Diallo

The 2019 classic featured new names and not a lot of star power. Fans were worried it would be boring but Hamidou Diallo kept the excitement up. That included a windmill dunk on the baseline, a Superman shirt-hanging elbow dunk, and a win over Dennis Smith Jr. in the finals.

2020 - Derrick Jones Jr.

This is the best dunk in the modern era and for some, it’s the best dunk contest ever. Many feel that Aaron Gordon was robbed. Gordon posted five consecutive dunks worth 50. How does a man with five perfect dunks lose? Conspiracy theorists will tell you to talk to Dwayne Wade, who might have been favoring Jones Jr. the entire time. With that said, Jones was spectacular. Like 2016, describing these dunks does not do it justice.

2021 - Anfernee Simons

The final round went back to being decided by the judges. Three participants highlighted this dunk contest with Anfernee Simons, Obi Toppin, and Cassius Stanley. Simons and Toppin made the finals but Simons stole the show from the beginning, which featured grabbing the ball suspended with a prop to show off his vertical. A bounce and catch reversal highlighted the second dunk with his one-handed catch and dunk in the finals scored a perfect 50.

2022 - Obi Toppin

Toppin ran away with the contest in an anti-climatic fashion. The highest dunk of the night was a 47, which was his final dunk in the finals. Toppin’s combined score of 90 was the first-round winner. His score of 92 dismantled the horrid attempts from Juan Toscano-Anderson in the finals. Somebody had to win and Toppin happened to be the winner this time around.

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