There are few things in this life that can get a person off their futons and onto their feet. One such moment is the impassioned than an NBA Playoff dunk. Now, we're not talking about that sleepy “could be a lay-up, but let me make sure I get my two points” dunk. No. We’re talking about those slams that changed the game.
These are the dunks that define careers not just for the players throwing the ball down, but for the victims too. Do people remember the career stats of Alton Lister or Shawn Bradley? No chance. They've instead become YouTube legends who we have the pleasure of watching get posterized over and over again.
No matter how a playoff jam came to be or who was doing the dunking, we love them all. From Sam Mitchell getting eulogized by Penny Hardaway, to Iman Shumpert parting "The Red Sea," to Michael Jordan scaling Mt. Mutombo, to LeBron James showing he has “no regard for human life,” each one is singularly spectacular.
We remember these dunks. We remember who suffered, and we remember who triumphed. Yet, most of all, we remember how they made us feel. These are the Greatest Dunks in NBA Playoff History.
There are few things in this life that can get a person off their futons and onto their feet. One such moment is the impassioned than an NBA Playoff dunk. Now, we're not talking about that sleepy “could be a lay-up, but let me make sure I get my two points” dunk. No. We’re talking about those slams that changed the game.
These are the dunks that define careers not just for the players throwing the ball down, but for the victims too. Do people remember the career stats of Alton Lister or Shawn Bradley? No chance. They've instead become YouTube legends who we have the pleasure of watching get posterized over and over again.
No matter how a playoff jam came to be or who was doing the dunking, we love them all. From Sam Mitchell getting eulogized by Penny Hardaway, to Iman Shumpert parting "The Red Sea," to Michael Jordan scaling Mt. Mutombo, to LeBron James showing he has “no regard for human life,” each one is singularly spectacular.
We remember these dunks. We remember who suffered, and we remember who triumphed. Yet, most of all, we remember how they made us feel. These are the Greatest Dunks in NBA Playoff History.
25. Iman Shumpert "Parts the Red Sea"
Game/series: Game 2, Eastern Conference Semifinals
Date: 5/7/2013
Iman Shumpert's one-handed putback had everyone grabbing Pepto Bismol at the commercial break. Sickening. That high-top came flying through the lane before those four yellow jerseys knew what happened. No one went up for the rebound, and Shump made 'em pay. Explosive is an understatement.
24. LeBron James Makes "Boobie" Look Like a Star
Game/series: Game 1, Eastern Conference Quarterfinals
Date: 4/19/2008
Daniel "Boobie" Gibson was but one of the many Cavaliers players who were propped up by the brilliance of LeBron James. This dunk is basically a perfect example; the lob pass is both a little high and a little behind LeBron, but it didn't matter. When you're tossing the ball to the best dunker in the league, he can make pretty much any terrible pass look spectacular.
Boobie may not have had much of a pro career (six seasons, 7.8 PPG, 2.0 APG), but he'll be able to tell his grandkids that he used to serve up dimes to one of the all-time greats. So that's pretty sweet.
23. Bernard Shows the Pistons Who is the True King
Game/series: Game 5, Eastern Conference Quarterfinals
Date: 4/27/1984
Bernard King had the kind of career that, had he played now, would've been completely different. His once-in-a-generation brilliance as a scorer was quickly cut down by a knee injury that robbed King of not just two seasons in his prime, but also of the athleticism that made him so dangerous. This dunk is a perfect illustration of just how gifted he was; with four Pistons camped under the basket, he simply jumps over all of them and stuffs it before the can even leave their feet.
This play also happened to come in overtime of one of the best one-on-one battles in playoff history, as King (44 points) and Isiah Thomas (35 points) went back and forth in this deciding Game 5, which the Knicks ended up winning.
22. Ginobili Stamps Howard's One-Way Ticket To Houston
Game/series: Game 4, Western Conference Quarterfinals
Date: 4/28/2013
Did L.A edition Dwight have even an iota of pride? Did the pressure of being in a Lakers uniform literally weigh him down to the floor? Because let me tell you something, 36-year-old Manu Ginobili comes through and makes Dwight Howard look like he already bought his ticket to Houston. Ginobili turning back the clock on Dwight epitomizes No. 12's short stay in Hollywood.
21. LeBron to Boston: "It ain't easy being green."
Game/series: Game 7, Eastern Conference Finals
Date: 6/9/2012
The Pierce-Garnett-Allen Celtics seemed to run into LeBron James in the playoffs every year, and this led to them being on the wrong end of a lot of highlight reel moments. While things always seemed to go Boston's way when LeBron was with Cleveland, this dunk with Dwyane Wade showed that the script had flipped once James took his talents to South Beach.
The aging Celtics had simply no answer for LeBron, and Rajon Rondo ducking his head out of the way as James dangled from the rim was the perfect metaphor for how this series was destined to end.
20. Kobe Bryant Punishes Steve Nash
Game/series: Game 2, Western Conference Finals
Date: 4/26/2006
A round of applause for '06 Lamar Odom right here. The big man dives onto the floor, comes away with the ball, and dishes to Kobe for Nash's impending embarrassment. My goodness, Bryant with the earth shaker AND the foul. The epitome of everything a playoff dunk should be.
19. LeBron James Gashes the Pistons
Game/series: Game 3, 2007 Eastern Conference Finals
Date: 5/27/2007
LeBron gets bonus points here for shredding the majority of the Pistons' defense, which simply had nobody capable of slowing him down. With one step he blows past Tayshaun Prince (an All-Defensive Second Team member that season) and similarly rushes past Chris Webber before Rasheed Wallace elevates to meet him. The result is exactly what we've come to expect: LeBron emphatically slamming the ball right in Sheed's mug.
The dunk was especially important because at the time Cleveland was trailing in the series 2-0, making this game a must-win (which they did, en route to a 4-2 series win.)
18. Nique Dunks Right on Bird's Head
Game/series: Game 7, Eastern Conference Semifinals
Date: 5/22/1988
While Dominique Wilkins is largely remembered for his exploits in the dunk contest, he was a fantastic in-game dunker as well. The Celtics learned that the hard way during Game 7 of the 1988 Eastern Conference Semifinals in a game best remembered for Wilkins' and Larry Bird's fourth quarter duel that remains one of the best one-on-one encounters in playoff history. To throw this one down, Wilkins skies over not just one but two Hall of Famers (Bird and Dennis Johnson) and absolutely hammers the ball down.
While his play helped Atlanta build an early lead in the Boston Garden, ultimately Bird would be too much and the Celtics would go on to win.
17. Kobe Bryant's Up-and-Under
Game/series: Game 5, Western Conference Quarterfinals
Date: 4/29/2003
During the early 2000s, Kobe Bryant's role with the Lakers was very different than it is now. Yes, he was still a volume shooter, but his athleticism and explosiveness were his meal tickets on offense rather than his shot creating ability. Just how good was he? Ask Kevin Garnett and Rasho Nesterovic, who helplessly watched as Kobe blew past KG on the baseline and threw down an up-and-under jam more often seen in the dunk contest than during an actual game.
At least Garnett had the good sense to just get out of the way; poor Nesterovic is still recovering.
16. Bill Cartwright Gets a Facial from the Glide
Game/series: Game 2, NBA Finals
Date: 6/5/1992
Playing against Michael Jordan in an NBA Finals will tend to make anyone a forgotten person on a basketball court, and it's easier to forget that entering the 1992 NBA Finals people were openly wondering whether MJ and Clyde Drexler were functionally equals. While Jordan ultimately got the last laugh, plays like this by Drexler show why he was one of his generation's finest players. He could have easily passed this ball off for an easy layup, but "the Glide" instead got downright nasty as he degraded Bill Cartwright with this slam right on top of his head.
The Blazers would go on to win this game in overtime, evening up the Finals at 1-1 as they headed back to Portland.
15. Kobe to Shaq for a Thunderous Finish
Game/series: Game 7, Western Conference Finals
Date: 6/4/2000
Arguably not just one of the greatest dunks of all time, but one of the greatest plays of all time. From The Young Mamba's crossover that put Scottie Pippen on skates, to the impeccably placed assist to Shaq for the dunk. All in the final seconds of Game 7 in the Western Conference Finals. Incredible.
14. Big Dunk Rob?
Game/series: Game 5, NBA Finals
Date: 6/19/2005
While he's most commonly referred to as "Big Shot Rob," let's not sleep on Robert Horry's dunking ability either. This particular slam came as a shock due to the fact that in 2005, he was a veteran role player off the bench for the Spurs who spotted up for threes and was really just trying to grab one last ring before calling it a career. Horry erupted for five treys in the 4th quarter and overtime, and this and-one stuff over Richard Hamilton allowed the Spurs to stay within striking distance during the extra period.
Ultimately, this play set up a game-winning three with 5.9 seconds to go by...who else? Robert Horry.
13. Sam Mitchell Learns the Hardaway
Game/series: Game 4, Eastern Conference Finals
Date: 5/29/1995
Sam Mitchell is still falling down. During the Orlando Magic's '95 Finals run, Indiana Pacer's Sam Mitchell was dunked on so hard by Penny Hardaway, that there should've been an imprint of his jersey number on the hardwood floor.
12. Paul George Clips Birdman's Wings
Game/series: Game 2, Eastern Conference Finals
Date: 5/24/2013
Y'all remember this one. You and your boys got up off the couch and stared at the TV in disbelief. You smacked your beer off the table and spilled that shit all over the IKEA rug you just bought a week ago. Your mom yelled "WHAT? WHAT'S WRONG?" from the kitchen as she made you dinner.
All because Paul George chassé'd past LeBron and clipped the Birdman's wings. Go ahead and relive this one.
11. LeBron With "No Regard For Human Life"
Game/series: Game 4, Eastern Conference Semifinals
Date: 5/12/2008
Remember a young, emphatic LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers? No? Because KG and Paul Pierce haven't forgotten. Let us refresh your memory.
10. Reggie Miller Trades The Rifle for The Hammer
Game/series: Game 5, Eastern Conference Quarterfinals
Date: 5/2/2002
With eight seconds left on the clock, the three-point assassin put down his rifle, and picked up the hammer. In that moment, Reggie Miller did what most could thought he couldn't...he dunked. Not only did he dunk, but Reggie threw it down, with two hands, in traffic. It would pretty much be the last dunk of his professional career.
9. Michael Jordan Summits Mt. Mutombo
Game/series: Game 5, Eastern Conference Quarterfinals
Date: 5/13/1997
"Mike, come on man. Be for real. You haven't got me yet." These are Dikembe Mutombo's famous last words. 7'2" Mt. Mutombo was the one peak Michael Jordan had yet to scale. MJ knew it, Dikembe knew it, we all knew it. That alone pissed His Airness off. Michael's ego was bruised, and that meant Mutombo had to pay. After the jam, MJ even goes as far as throwing Dikembe's trademark finger wag right back at him.
Not today, Mutombo. Not today.
8. The Doctor Operates on Walton's Face
Game/series: Game 6, NBA Finals
Date: 6/5/1977
Julius Erving is the godfather of dunking, but in the 1977 NBA Finals much of his ability was still a mystery to a national audience. Despite it being his first NBA season, Dr. J made it clear that he was as rare an athlete as we'd ever see on an NBA court, and Bill Walton found that out the hard way. This was back in the days, too, where Walton was considered the world's premier rim protector, but clearly here it didn't matter.
We love how much he complains after the fact, too; come on Bill, just admit when you're beaten.
7. The Dunk
Game/series: Game 2, Eastern Conference Finals
Date: 5/25/1993
Perhaps no dunk in New York Knicks history is more fondly recalled by fans than this one. The diminutive John Starks-undrafted in 1988—veteran of the CBA and WBL—showed no fear in challenging the Chicago Bulls' Horace Grant and Michael Jordan at the rim, rising above the much-ballyhooed stars and blowing the roof off MSG with a left-hand slam. The dunk pushed the Knicks' lead to five points with under a minute to go, and they'd hold on to win and take a 2-0 series lead.
While it all kind of all fell apart after that (the Bulls won the next four games), this moment endures in Knicks lore as simply "The Dunk."
6. T-Mac 'Sucks The Gravity Right Out of The Building'
Game/series: Game 2, Western Conference Quarterfinals
Date: 4/25/2005
We already knew from "Space Jam" that Shawn Bradley was a great actor, but Tracy McGrady's dunk really cemented Bradley's status as a poster child. This slam came at a time where people were wondering if T-Mac was going to be able to lead a team out of the first round of the playoffs (he didn't), and the sneer on his face following this dunk tells the story of a man sick of being criticized for his postseason play. The Rockets would win this game, taking a 2-0 series lead back with them to Houston and putting themselves in a seemingly unbeatable position.
However, they'd drop the next three games by a combined 11 points, then after winning Game 6 would drop the deciding game in Dallas by 40.
5. Kevin Johnson Wakes Up Hakeem "The Dream"
Game/series: Game 4, Western Conference Finals
Date: 5/29/1994
Kevin Johnson is 6' 1". Hakeem Olajuwon is 6' 10". When Kevin Johnson went baseline for the slam against Hakeem "The Dream" Olajuwon, the Hall of Fame center had to wake up from his reverie. We all did.
4. Scottie Pippen Shows Off His Teabagging Skills
Game/series: Game 6, Eastern Conference Semifinals
Date: 5/20/1994
Forever in the memories of basketball lovers everywhere, this one is on the Mt. Rushmore of Dunks. In this moment, the wrath of Chicago was surprisingly not brought upon Patrick Ewing by No. 23; no, this time it was Scottie Pippen who ethers Ewing. That's part of what makes this dunk so special. That, and Scottie's smack talk after the crime is committed.
3. Baron Davis Destroys Andrei Kirilenko
Game/series: Game 3, Western Conference Semifinals
Date: 5/11/2007
The Golden State Warriors had already pulled off one shocker in the 2007 NBA playoffs, knocking off the defending Western Conference champion Mavericks in the first round. Baron Davis provided the second one, as the stocky point guard flushed down one of the most emphatic jams in NBA playoff history right in the face of 6'9" Andrei Kirilenko, who also happened to be one of the best shot blockers in the league that season (he finished 9th, averaging 2.1 blocks per game.)
The dunk almost blew the roof off of Oracle Arena, cementing the Warriors' status as the sentimental favorite for the rest of the playoffs and punctuating a blowout win.
2. MJ Sends Ewing to Bed Without Supper
Game/series: Game 3, Eastern Conference Quarterfinals
Date: 4/30/1991
One of the things that made Michael Jordan great (and one of the hardest teammates in history to deal with) was his love of humiliating those who tried to stop him. It didn't matter if you were the 12th man or an All-Star. You get in MJ's way, you pay the price. Just ask Patrick Ewing, who made the mistake of challenging Jordan at the rim after MJ had just toasted John Starks and Charles Oakley with one of his patented spin moves. There's a reason Jordan is known as "His Airness," after all; he could simply elevate over anyone, and here absolutely humiliates Ewing on his home floor.
What are the chances that Jordan shows this footage in Bobcats company meetings? Is it possible for it to be over 100 percent?
1. And This is How a Legacy is Made
Game/series: Game 4, Western Conference Quarterfinals
Date: 4/30/1992
If you think of Alton Lister as anyone other than "the guy who got ruined by Shawn Kemp," then you're either a member of his immediate family or a liar. But it's true that Lister actually had a really nice NBA career, never having a problem finding work and lasting 16 seasons in the league as a very competent backup center. But that doesn't mean that we can overlook the fact that his legacy centers on this dunk. There was simply no stopping Kemp at this stage of his career, and Lister found that out as he bravely tried to take a charge from "Reign Man" as he drove to the hoop.
His prime may have been brief, but Kemp was one the most spectacular dunkers the league has ever seen.