Because of the internet and being prisoners of the moment, last night’s Detroit Pistons-Orlando Magic playoff game had fans losing their minds, pretending they had never seen anyone get dunked on.
While Jamal Cain’s posterization of Jalen Duren earned a spot in this list’s best playoff dunks, more importantly, it put the Pistons, the top seed in the Eastern Conference, on the brink of an embarrassing elimination.
There are many criteria for the best playoff dunks, including style, degree of difficulty and the hint of embarrassment it must conjure for those who end up on an endless loop of highlights, and for some, their own claim to fame.
Duran’s dunk makes this list, and here is the rest of ordinary players and Hall of Famers alike (in no particular order) getting yammed on during playoff time.
Kevin Garnett now has nightmares about this spectacular throwdown in the 2003 Western Conference quarterfinals by Bryant, who went baseline, not caring who was in his way. Any lesser player would have separated his shoulder on the dunk. However, Bryant’s flush over Steve Nash in the 2006 playoffs deserves some run and is criminally underrated.
Tracy McGrady dunks on Shawn Bradley
McGrady, not generally known for his emotion, was understanding hyped after climbing the ladder on the 7-6 Bradley in the Mavericks-Rockets 2005 playoffs first round. McGrady’s Rockets ended up losing the series, which included a 40-point rout in Game 7.
John Starks lefty over MJ
The 1990s playoff battles between the New York Knicks and Chicago Bulls were must-see TV, and when Starks went baseline on their entire defense late in the fourth quarter of the 1993 Eastern Conference Finals, he sealed the victory and gave the Knicks a 2-0 series lead, which they would eventually lose.
While Jordan has received his fair share of scorn, Horace Grant and his googles no doubt need some shame in this scenario.
These days, Ja Morant’s tenure with the Memphis Grizzlies could be considered a disappointment, thanks to his gun-toting celebration antics and multiple suspensions.
Timberwolves guard Malik Beasley was the unfortunate recipient of this nasty jam in the 2022 playoffs, sending Morant into playoff dunk lore.
Michael Jordan baseline treat
Knicks fans would swear up and down that Jordan carried the ball on his way to the baseline and into the face of Patrick Ewing. But the Knicks tried to press, and MJ easily slipped a double team and went way above the rim to put Ewing on growing list of posters he received throughout his Hall of Fame career.
‘The Lister Blister’
Shawn Kemp was as talented a forward as there was in the Western Conference during his heyday, and his wild tomahawk slam over Alton Lister of the Golden State Warriors backed up that claim, as he cradled the ball on his way to rising way above the rim.
Kemp pointing at Lister while he is still on the ground fueling Liston’s embarrassment probably would have gotten him tossed in today’s referee-sensitive NBA.
We believe in Baron Davis
The No. 8 seed “We Believe” 2007 Warriors, fresh off their dispatching of top-seed Dallas in the first round, rode that momentum in the next round against the Utah Jazz. Baron Davis, who later showed fancy footwork on “Dancing with the Stars,” got the frenzied Oracle Arena crowd with a ferocious slam against Andrei Kirilenko in Golden State’s only win in the series.
Scottie Pippen dunks on Patrick Ewing
Unfortunately, Ewing makes his second appearance on this list courtesy of Pippen, who proceeded to serve up a facial on Ewing and push him down to the ground and step over him for good measure. Equally as pleasant is Pippen telling noted Knicks superfan and general pest Spike Lee to shut up and sit back down in his expensive United Center courtside seats.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Top NBA playoff dunks in history: Here are the best of all time
Read the full article here