The NBA’s 9 greatest dunks this season, ranked

Final season gave us what felt like a two-horse race for the NBA’s dunk of the yr.

In a single nook, there was Anthony Edwards baptizing Yuta Watanabe with a baseline dunk that noticed the then rookie utterly overpower the 6’9 ahead within the air. Within the different nook was Miles Bridges cocking the ball again so far as doable for a tomahawk dunk on Clint Capela moments after Capela had blocked his teammate on the rim. We requested readers which dunk they thought was higher, and Bridges gained 54 p.c of the vote.

This yr’s dunk of the yr race doesn’t really feel prefer it has any overwhelming favorites. As a substitute, we predict there’s at the very least 9 dunks that would take the crown. With the common season over, let’s look again at the very best dunks of the 2021-2022 marketing campaign. You’ll be able to vote in your favourite dunk of this season beneath.

9. Aaron Gordon reverse alley-oop

We all know Aaron Gordon is without doubt one of the greatest dunkers within the recreation, and this one is especially spectacular. The coordination it takes to catch the ball within the air whereas working at full velocity and nonetheless have the wherewithal to show and dunk it’s fairly ridiculous. This isn’t a poster, nevertheless it’s a fairly superb play.

8. The Eastbay boys: Jaxson Hayes, Obi Toppin, Greg Brown

I keep in mind pondering I’d by no means see an under-the-legs dunk in an actual recreation when LeBron did it again in highschool. Now we’ve got 7-footers like Jaxson Hayes doing it in transition, and Obi Toppin doing it twice in a single season. Sheesh.

My favourite of those is the one from Jaxson Hayes, however all of them are great.

7. Anthony Edwards on Gabe Vincent

Right here’s a scorching take for you: with apologies to Giannis, Anthony Edwards is the very best pure athlete within the NBA. The No. 1 choose within the 2020 NBA Draft is a freight practice going to the rim, and he proved it once more with this dunk on Gabe Vincent.

6. Jaylen Brown on Maxi Kleber

Jaylen Brown had a number of nice dunks this yr, however this was our favourite. You already know you probably did one thing incredible when Kevin Garnett will get out of his entrance row seat to dap you up.

5. LeBron on Kevin Love

LeBron clearly had one other nice particular person yr within the face of a dumpster fireplace Lakers season, however increase your hand in case you didn’t know he may nonetheless stand up like that. Along with turning again the clock to slam on his former Cleveland teammate, LeBron roasted Love after the sport. Sadly for Bronald Sr., that is nearly as good because it acquired for the Lakers this season.

4. Kyle Kuzma on Joel Embiid

Kuzma quietly had a superb yr in his first season away from the Lakers. Joel Embiid could be the largest, baddest shot blocker alive, and Kuzma went up and dropped one on his head. This dunk was so good that Embiid determined to not leap with him later within the recreation.

3. Russell Westbrook on Rudy Gobert

The Lakers’ massive Russell Westbrook experiment was an explosive failure, however Russ nonetheless had a number of classic moments over the course of a misplaced yr. None of them had been higher than this dunk on the three-time DPOY. Russ in all probability needs to ‘Males in Black’ this whole season, however this dunk was a keeper.

2. Isaac Okoro on three Rockets

My favourite half about this dunk is Okoro making an attempt to determine who to stare down as soon as he landed. Whenever you dunk on three guys, there’s no straightforward reply!

1. Ja Morant on Jakob Poeltl

Poeltl had a case as the very best rim protector within the NBA this season, however don’t inform that to Ja Morant. Perhaps probably the most superb factor about this dunk is that it wasn’t even Morant’s greatest play of the quarter. We nonetheless don’t know how he acquired off this buzzer-beater minutes later.

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