Steve's dunks are awesome 'cause he is the shortest guy of the bunch. Clyde had always had spectacular dunks. Back in the UH's days, the whole crowd would get up on their feet the moment Clyde crossed midcourt with the ball on the break. He lost little as a Rox, still one of the best. Horry with 2 dribbles down the middle of the lane and slam was awesome because you did not think he could get there. OT's dunk was powerful, a little too ordinary for my taste. Hakeem's dunk as he jumped over the back of 3 players was memorable. Willoughby, I can't recall but maybe 1 or 2 of his dunks. He was the best jumper. They said he could pick up a quarter from the top of the backboard!
Steve Francis when it's a dunk competition. Unfortunately in game, his size doesn't allow him to throw it down very often. Therefore, I'd have to go with Robert Horry who before he forgot how to dunk in 1995, was a nightly performer on the highlights. Drexler was too old when he got to Houston, but if we're counting career performance, no one in the history of the Rockets could match the Glide. Olajuwon gets an honorable mention. And finally Matt Bullard. Man that white boy had ups.
Do you remember when Kenny was with the Kings, and he had a Nike Air Force commercial with Super Dave. Kenny would do some dunks, and then they put Super Dave on a catapult and it slammed him right into the back board. Classic
I doubt you will be able to find any footage of it online. It was during one of the dunk contests in the early 90s.
I would go with Hakeem as the best dunker just because of his pure explosiveness. The follow up dunks out of nowhere. Jumping straight up and dunking on the likes of Mark Eaton. No doubt, Hakeem was a much better dunker earlier in his career.
Clyde has a monster break away dunk at Charlotte in his very first game with the Rockets. He jumped from the free throw line ala the ol' Phi Slamma Jamma days. Our bench was going crazy and the hornet fans let out a huge collective "oooooohhh". They all looked like this ---> It was at that moment that it finally hit me that Clyde was a ROCKET and it was going to be a fun year.
There was one monster Scottie Brooks jam that I will never forget. It was a one handed leaner on the Mailman during the playoffs. Never would have believed that the little guy had it in him.
I think it was against the Lakers...I cannot remember the opponent, but it was on Christmas day. I remember I was driving back to Houston and, once I was in range, turned on the radio and heard Gene keep yelling "another dunk by Horry!"
My most memorable Clyde dunk: over Sean Elliot in the 95 conference finals My most memorable Francis dunk: over Jahadi White his first season (I believe) in Washington My most memorable Olajuwon dunk: a one had off a rebound over Ewing in the 94 Finals, Game 4 during the infamous O.J. Simpson chase My most memorable Sleepy Floyd dunk: Yes I wrote Sleepy Floyd, one day Sleepy dunked over Manute Bol Otis Thorpe had so many dunks I can't even remember. He was so strong that everytime he had the ball under the rim it was automatic. But I will always remember Thorpe for grabbing the one handed rebound. I haven't seen a player consistenly do that since him.
The Suns man, Christmas day 93, the Rockets lost, they were getting blown out, but Horry led a frinzied comeback with those dunks in the second half. Then later on that day, same station, the Oilers complete a 12 game winning streak by beating the 49ers in San Francisco. Blaine Bishop came up with the sack on Steve Young. What a day in Houston Sports. Funny how things turned out.
