Every NBA team’s greatest dunker of all time
By John Likanje
Charlotte Hornets: Larry Johnson
Larry Johnson is another mostly forgotten figure in the historic NBA landscape. He and Alonzo Mourning provided one of the few bright spots in Charlotte Hornets franchise history with two playoff appearances in three seasons together. However, they peaked in that first year (1992-93) with 44 wins and a semifinals berth.
Unfortunately, Johnson’s career only lasted 10 years because he was constantly plagued by back injuries. But the 1991 first overall pick made the most of his five seasons in Charlotte. That included some nasty dunks while averaging 19.6 points per game.
Johnson epitomized everything that made dunking fun and popular. He was athletic, charismatic and energetic. If there was a list of 90s NBA players that fans loved to root for and hated to play against, Johnson would be near the top. He would blow the top off during home games and quiet down opposing crowds on the road.
The key to Johnson’s leaping ability was his sneaky athleticism. He was 6-foot-6 and 250 pounds so most people assumed he could dunk. That’s what made him to difficult to defend: the fact that he would dunk when players least expected it. Johnson was the type of player who would be trotting up the court, slip into the paint and immediately rise above the rim.