Friday Fire 2: The Most Meaningful In-Game Dunk of All-Time…
Is it “The Dunk” delivered by John Starks over Horace Grant, Michael Jordan, and Scottie Pippen in the 1993 playoffs? Or some other dunk?
The Starting Five
Bangin’ and Scorin’ Every Trip Down the Floor
December 28, 2007 at 11:53 am
As long as it was Shawn Bradley that was gettin it…I really don’t care lol
December 28, 2007 at 12:12 pm
Yes, I remember jumping up and down in euphoria like it was yesterday. That dunk closed the game. No one expected it. And in Knicks fans eyes it even secured the series as the Knicks went up 2-0 WITH homecourt advantage. Of course they dropped the next 2 in Chi and returned to NY to kick the Bull’s ass everywhere but the scoreboard. I distinctly remeber that they missed 15 free throws as I writhed in pain 15 times. But no one remembers that. Everyone remebers game 5 as “The Charles Smith Game” where he couldn’t convert the dunk despite 67 attempts. Sure Pippen fouled him, but fans weren’t even mad about that. It was just confirmation of the worst possible crime for a NY Knicks player: being “soft”.
PS: no one should bring up the Baron davis dunk as a competitor. While davis’s dunk was spectacular as they come, the game was already in hand even if he missed it…
December 28, 2007 at 12:50 pm
Of course there is THE DUNK in the Olympics when Vince jumped over the 7-foot frenchman, and then there is THAT DUNK from KJ on Hakeem “Dream Shake”, both were vicious.
Recently, it has to go to the guy from AND 1 or Ball 4 Real, I can’t keep up, but Mr. 720, did a 720 in the air and then dunked it. WOW!
December 28, 2007 at 3:52 pm
Dr. J rocking the cradle over Michael Cooper in 1983.
December 28, 2007 at 6:34 pm
@Anthony Gilbert
I with you. Vince attacking that 7ft tall dude and demolishing him was the best dunk I’ve ever seen.
December 28, 2007 at 6:45 pm
MJ dunking on Ewing en route to the Bulls 1st title:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=1HDdT1oBcXA
December 28, 2007 at 6:56 pm
it cant be the Starks dunk..cause they didnt WIN anything.
Did they even win that game?
Im voting for the Rock the cradle dunk too.
It put the exclamation point on Doc’s whole career.
Fo-Fo-Fo
December 28, 2007 at 7:00 pm
TBR:
I’d co-sign the Dr. J too, but that series was over before it began. The Lakers played without Worthy and McAdoo and lost Nixon, as well. The Lakers competed through 3 quarters in every game and wilted because they had no bench.
The dunk was nice and historic – but not decisive.
December 28, 2007 at 7:10 pm
I agree grandnubian. That dunk was the truth.
December 28, 2007 at 7:20 pm
I’m inclined to agree with GN and Origin. I don’t want to agree – but that dunk typified the Knicks inability to hurdle Mt. Mike. Moreover, many of Jordan’s best highlights against the Pistons were below the rim. In addition, the Bulls never had an elite, recurring Finals rival. In many respects, the greatest series of Mike’s career were against the Knicks – and that’s the dunk.
Good job GN.
* I happen to really like Robert Pack’s dunk on Shawn Kemp – but I can’t remember the context.
** I wouldn’t disregard Baron Davis’ dunk over AK47. Just because the game was over doesn’t make it meaningless. Dunks are always symbolic when we remember them. 8th seed over a #1 – is always big when it happens.
December 28, 2007 at 7:24 pm
Temple 3 – That dunk over Cooper was in the regular season. Now if Cheeks had passed the ball to Doc who was running alongside him in Game 4, that would be a storybook end to the good Doctor getting his ring.
December 28, 2007 at 7:32 pm
Jordan over Mt. Mutombo then waving his finger.
Allen Iverson following up a free throw over Marcus Camby’s back.
Vince reaching back over Zo in Miami.
December 28, 2007 at 8:12 pm
i gotta go w/doc’s dunk over cooper. one of my favorite of all time.
my favorite is kemp’s “lister blister.” but, that wasn’t very meaningful.
December 28, 2007 at 8:15 pm
I agree that the dunk by Dr. J was a great dunk but keep in mind, that was a regular season game; it wasn’t done in the NBA finals.
December 28, 2007 at 8:23 pm
Webber behind the back on Barkley.
That may be Mizzo’s instant classic LOL!
December 28, 2007 at 8:53 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWg5_So6XBs
Lebron over Duncan.
December 28, 2007 at 9:37 pm
It’s hard to top Stark’s dunk, the brother dunked with his LEFT hand over two players that are taller and known for their defense. How many players actually finish with their off hand?
Julius had some sweet, open court dunks over Walton in that portland series.
December 28, 2007 at 9:44 pm
Remember Pippen dunking over Ewing in the 1994 playoffs?
December 28, 2007 at 10:05 pm
as long as noone says any of LeBron’s game 5 ECF dunks, we can all remain friends
December 28, 2007 at 10:22 pm
That Pippen dunk was just ’sick’. One of the best ever.
Here is a longer version of it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETzpRdC6WS8&feature=related
Read Pippen’s lips when he goes over to Spike Lee. It looks like he’s telling Spike to sit his ‘punk-ass’ down.
December 29, 2007 at 12:15 am
I don’t know about being the most decisive but I do know this was on of the sickest dunks I ever saw. When I was a kid it took my 30 seconds to shut my mouth when I saw it.
[html]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDyBSTQDwH8&feature=related[/html]
December 29, 2007 at 12:26 am
Damn, what was Dr. J’s wingspan? He looked as long as Yao on those dunks.
December 29, 2007 at 3:01 am
OK, this one wasn’t particularly meaningful, but I still remember it 8 years later: B Diddy as a rookie on a breakaway hammering it down on KG on a breakaway. I have a hard time arguing with that Starks dunk…left-handed against a couple guys. It was hecka impressive. But the Dr. J one….I mean, if there was only one dunk ever…if you were trying to explain the idea of a dunk to someone who didn’t know what basketball was….you couldn’t do much better than that against legendary defensive stopper Coooooooooooop (also my last name).
December 29, 2007 at 3:07 am
How about C-Webb going around his back and dunking on Barkley as a rookie
December 29, 2007 at 3:09 am
TBR,
OOPS! Didn’t read the other post. You already said that one. Anyway, that’s my favorite.
December 29, 2007 at 3:12 am
No problem lol!
December 29, 2007 at 8:25 am
Inkognegro…
Yes, they did win the game!
December 29, 2007 at 8:28 am
Here’s one that you’d have to have seen live to understand. Derek Fisher, after a steal, over Allen Iverson in Game 2 of the Finals on June 8, 2001.
December 29, 2007 at 4:35 pm
Starks was just nasty and the spin when he came down made it poetic, but I gotta go with Julius. He was the standard for me for pretty much anything growing up. I should have asked Mo when they honored Doc why he didn’t give up the rock on that final breakaway. It was good to see Mo throw one down though. I’ll definitely ask Mo the next time I get in there. It’s a question that’s always been on my mind.
Jordan and Pippen over Ewing…both were the definition of sit yo ass down mu…!
December 30, 2007 at 12:31 am
Don’t know if any of these have been talked about but…
Baron over Kirilenko:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=3Gpi1WGesqQ
Kobe on the baseline against Spree:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=rpOFDoL0IDQ&feature=related
He had a better version of this dunk against Garnett in the playoffs in 2003:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ao33P3M2Kuk&feature=related
And an encore against Kirilenko in 2004-05:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAGoCmnY778&feature=related
He honestly might be the illest baseline dunker of all time.
T-Mac retiring Shawn Bradley:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=V7SO2KMIhTw&feature=related
VC on Zo:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=pcyd9PvXeLA&feature=related
Kobe giving Dwight Howard his welcome to the NBA gift:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=3SXSRlyR8bU&feature=related
Kobe over Yao during Kobe’s 9 straight forty point game streak in 2002-2003:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Trkzcuhp4xA&feature=related
I like how he had to duck his head from hitting the side of the basket on that one.
Best Little man in game dunker ever:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqfRC9GEyYE&feature=related
I guess that LeBron Kid is a pretty good in game dunker:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tX5IoIFAM3I&feature=related
This play is what made me start loving Monta Ellis:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGZOK4tl8iI
I could go on all day with this. How could you not love the NBA, baby?
December 30, 2007 at 12:42 am
Obviously not all of those were meaningful. But pretty damn good in game dunks none the less.
January 4, 2008 at 1:30 am
That Starks dunk over Jordan, etc. was one of the greatest plays I’ve ever seen.
Another in game dunk that I was impressed with was Kevin Johnson’s throwdown over Hakeem Olajuwon during the 1994 playoffs. That was vicious.
May 10, 2008 at 1:26 am
First of all the starks dunk should not even be listed. He dunked on Grant and thats it. Pippen isnt even in the picture and Jordan is a good 5 feet away . I would consider that the most hyped up, over exaggerated dunk of all time. But best dunk doest to Dr. J and rocking the cradle