IMO McGrady was the best dunker <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/FfCSHuOs26s&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/FfCSHuOs26s&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/0c3_mPo8y1I&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/0c3_mPo8y1I&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
Drexler(Portland Days)>Francis>Tmac>Sampson>Lou Loyd>OT>Dream>Horry...Im sure E.Hayes would be up there too.
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/mYorote5Hrg&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/mYorote5Hrg&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> One of the best dunks in Rockets history
that wasn't a layup attempt. a layup is an easy shot where you lay the ball in the ball in the basket, not attempt a reverse. don't forget dream was a dunking machine back in the day <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/zMrcBdXU9Nw&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/zMrcBdXU9Nw&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
A young Horry had some pretty nice dunks. IIRC they wanted him to be in the dunk contest but he pulled out with ankle injury...Francis' dunk contest with VC was incredible. In game too, he attacked the goal pretty hard...But seeing Clyde's best dunks (though not with Houston), it's hard to choose anyone else.
Dream is my favorite obviously. TMAC has some crazy dunks because of his length. SF3 had serious athletic ability and just flew. But personally I prefer Carl Landry's style of dunking. He does double pumps most of the time, dunks into people instead of over and throws it down VERY hard. I am sad no one has mentioned him.
I am a sucker for the double pump power dunk <object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/sG_fNjpzt9M&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/sG_fNjpzt9M&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object> But he also has speed.
Those were freakish at that time and if anyone can come up with any player on any level in '81 that was even close, please enlighten me. But regarding dunks I''m not really into the carnival stuff. I have some tapes of Dream's first two NBA seasons and some of those had to be some of the best "huh?" moments in NBA history. He'd be somewhere away from the play and you'd just see the dunk and think where, how, what - and sometimes who? I've got to give some love to a darkhorse here: Mitch Wiggins. He and Lou were the best guard tandem in the history of the NBA but they weren't about flash, they were all about speed (ok maybe speedballs too, sigh). I single Mitch out because if someone was meticulous about compiling a "1000 Dumbest Plays In NBA History" he'd be responsible for many of them. There were so many times he'd get subbed into the game in '86 and dunk before nine of the players on the court even looked at him. It became a joke with my crowd: "Mitch's in the game. Dunk. Yawn." And some games it happened multiple times. I understood not leaving Ralph or Dream or Luke, but that stuff was "sick" and "stupid" long before those were cool terms. Clyde's best dunks were in different unis.
Hard to decide between Tracy and Drexler. They both dominated when it came to throwing down. Give them the ball, clear the lane, and watch them throw down... I really wish we had a healthy Tracy. He was so fun to watch.
Francis, Drexler, then everyone else. Does anyone remember the vertical putback dunk Barkley had against Utah in '98? Everyone was shocked when he pulled that off.
