The five best NBA Dunk Contests ever

1. 1988

Participants: Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins, Spud Webb, Clyde Drexler, Otis Smith, Jerome Kersey, Greg Anderson

After battling it out in the dunk contest finals in 1985, Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins were supposed to have their rematch the following year but Jordan was out with an injury. In 1987, the rematch was yet again put on hold as this time around, it was Dominique who was a scratch. So finally, in 1988 at Chicago Stadium, the rematch was on. Dominique Wilkins vs. Michael Jordan. And given the star power, the history between these two and a little bit of controversy, it’s still the greatest dunk contest in NBA history.

With all due respect to the other participants, there was absolutely no way that it wasn’t going to be Jordan vs. Dominique in the finals. Spud Webb couldn’t recreate his magic and had a dreadful showing. Jerome Kersey, who had lost to Jordan the year before, didn’t make it out of the first round and Greg Anderson just couldn’t compete. Otis Smith and Clyde Drexler had decent showings but fizzled out in the semifinals. Jordan and Wilkins, however, dazzled throughout with power and finesse that wowed the Chicago crowd all night.

Wilkins opened the finals with a pass to himself high off the backboard and took off with authority, slamming the ball down with one hand to earn a perfect score. But Jordan was able to match it with a two-handed reverse. ‘Nique then got himself another 50 with a windmill so powerful that he almost knocked himself to the ground. Jordan came back with a beautiful, two-handed slam that earned a 47, giving Wilkins the edge going into their final attempts. And Wilkins seemingly slammed the door with his patented, two-hand windmill, a dunk that he’d scored very high with in previous years, but was only given a 45 this time around, shocking even Jordan but leaving the door open for him as well.

Jordan then attempted a dunk from the free throw line. Now, what a lot of people don’t remember is that he missed the first one. But this was Michael Jordan. And this was Michael Jordan in Chicago. He lined up again for one more try and what we got was one of the most iconic images in the history of sports. Yes, he stepped over the line a little bit but he was so high off of the ground and this was different. He had pulled this off in 1985 and Dr. J, who was sitting in the stands, had pulled it off as well but their arms were a bit extended when they took off. This time around, Jordan actually cocked the ball back before jamming it home and it was absolutely beautiful. There was no question that he was getting a 50 and that’s exactly what happened. He finished two points ahead of Dominique, 145-143, and the question of who was better was over. Or was it?

This dunk contest has been surrounded with controversy for years. Was the fix in because it was in Chicago? Did Dominique really win? ‘Nique himself certainly thinks so and has claimed that even Jordan himself says that he was robbed. Nevertheless, the 1988 NBA Slam Dunk Contest featured the game’s two greatest showmen and nearly three decades later is still the greatest in history.

Next: The five best NBA All-Star Game performances ever

And there you have it. What’s your favorite NBA Slam Dunk Contest of all time? And who do you think will take home the title this weekend? Be sure to check back in with FanSided for all of your NBA needs as this weekend’s festivities in New Orleans inch closer and closer.