NBA Slam Dunk Contest winners and full history

2020 NBA All-Star - AT&T Slam Dunk
2020 NBA All-Star - AT&T Slam Dunk | Jonathan Daniel/GettyImages

The first-ever Slam Dunk Contest took place in 1976 during the ABA All-Star Game in Denver. Later that same year, the ABA and NBA merged, but it wasn’t until 1984 that the Slam Dunk Contest became a staple at the NBA All-Star Game. 

Four participants now compete in two rounds with five judges handing out scores between six and ten points for every dunk. Each round features two dunks per player which have to be completed in three attempts. The two players with the highest score move past the first round to decide a winner. 

During the late 2000s and early 2010s, the NBA experimented with fan voting and even introduced a team format in 2014. In 2015, much to the relief of most fans, the contest was changed back to the old format with four individual participants and judges. 

For years, the NBA Slam Dunk Contest featured established as well as rising stars; some of the best athletes in the league. Recently, it has been a source of frustration among fans, however, as more and more stars are choosing not to compete. 

In 2023, the winner was even a G League player who never quite managed to make a name for himself in the NBA.

Notable Milestones

-Julius Irving won the 1976 ABA Slam Dunk Contest, but Larry Nance won the first official NBA Dunk Contest in 1984. 

-Nate Robinson holds the record for most wins with three.

-Spud Webb is the shortest player to win the contest at 5 feet 6 inches and the first rookie.

-Kobe Bryant is the youngest player to win the contest so far at 18.

-Zach LaVine recorded the best overall score to date with 299 points in 2016. 

Which Kings have participated in the Slam Dunk Contest?

So far, the Kings have sent four different players to the Slam Dunk contest: Terry Tyler, Kenny Smith, Gerald Wallace, and Ben McLemore. None of them won.

Since 2014, no Kings player has participated in the contest, and it is still unclear if that will change anytime soon. Malik Monk would surely be a fun candidate, however. 

List of Winners

Year

Winner

Team

1984

Larry Nance

Phoenix Suns

1985

Dominique Wilkins

Atlanta Hawks

1986

Spud Webb

Atlanta Hawks

1987

Michael Jordan

Chicago Bulls

1988

Michael Jordan

Chicago Bulls

1989

Kenny Walker

New York Knicks

1990

Dominique Wilkins

Atlanta Hawks

1991

Dee Brown

Boston Celtics

1992

Cedric Ceballos

Phoenix Suns

1993

Harold Miner

Miami Heat

1994

Isaiah Rider

Minnesota Timberwolves

1995

Harold Miner

Miami Heat

1996

Brent Barry

Los Angeles Clippers

1997

Kobe Bryant

Los Angeles Lakers

1998

WNBA-NBA 2Ball Comepetion replaced the Slam Dunk Contest

1999

Lockout season, no contest

2000

Vince Carter

Toronto Raptors

2001

Desmond Mason

Seattle SuperSonics

2002

Jason Richardson

Golden State Warriors

2003

Jason Richardson

Golden State Warriors

2004

Fred Jones

Indiana Pacers

2005

Josh Smith

Atlanta Hawks

2006

Nate Robinson

New York Knicks

2007

Gerald Green

Boston Celtics

2008

Dwight Howard

Orlando Magic

2009

Nate Robinson

New York Knicks

2010

Nate Robinson

New York Knicks

2011

Blake Griffin

Los Angeles Clippers

2012

Jeremy Evans

Utah Jazz

2013

Terrence Ross

Toronto Raptors

2014

John Wall

Washington Wizards

2015

Zach LaVine

Minnesota Timberwolves

2016

Zach LaVine

Minnesota Timberwolves

2017

Glenn Robison III

Indiana Pacers

2018

Donovan Mitchell

Utah Jazz

2019

Hamidou Diallo

Oklahoma City Thunder

2020

Derrick Jones Jr.

Miami Heat

2021

Anfernee Simons

Portland Trail Blazers

2022

Obi Toppin

New York Knicks

2023

Mac McClung

Philadelphia 76ers/ Delaware Blue Coats

Schedule