5 best dunks of the 2016-17 NBA season
By Ty Finch
1. Larry Nance Jr. vs. Brooklyn Nets
Larry Nance Jr. is more well known for his dunks than his stellar all-around play. Luckily for him, an impressive basketball IQ means absolutely nothing when it comes to making a list like this. If the expression “being posterized” hadn’t been invented yet, this dunk on Brook Lopez would have brought it into the world.
There is approximately nine feet from the end of the dotted half circle under the free throw line to the basket. Larry Nance Jr. is inches under that half circle when he takes flight for this particular dunk. Here are some things that Nance Jr. could have jumped over: half the length of an average mid-sized sedan, the world’s tallest man ever, a slightly undersized American alligator, and me, with my three-year old niece on my shoulders.
Not only is the length he jumped quite eye-opening, but he did so whilst being challenged in the air by a 7-foot tall Brook Lopez. Not only did he jump over eight feet whist being challenged in the air by a 7-foot tall Brook Lopez, but he somehow gets higher off the ground when he hits the big man. These things defy at least a few laws of gravity.
Remember earlier when I said one of the best parts of a dunk is the bench reaction? What’s even better is the opposing team’s reaction to a dunk. The Net’s sideline is doing everything in its power not to jump up, twirl towels, and howl at the absolute monster of a slam. Some players hid their face with their towels, others held on to their teammates to see if this was indeed real. When it takes a few seconds to gather yourself after the opposition posterizes your mammoth center, you know you’ve probably landed the dunk of the season. Oh yeah, Lopez probably fouled him, too.
Next: 2017 NBA Mock Draft, Week 22: College basketball is over
So there it is. The definitive list of the best dunks in the 2016-17 NBA season. I’m sure you’ve agreed with every one of my choices and have no qualms with the order nor any dunks left off. So let’s end on that high note. May the 2017-18 season be filled with more of the same.