Top 10 Dunks Of 2012-13 NBA Season To Date
By Chris Walder
Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
I love slam dunks. You love slam dunks.
We all love slam dunks.
Through the first half of the 2012-13 regular season, we’ve seen some highlight reel jams that had us collectively rushing to our favorite social media accounts to share with the world these spectacular moments in basketball.
From Jeff Green and James Harden, to Blake Griffin and Harrison Barnes, here is a look at the ten best dunks we’ve witnessed over the last three months.
10) GERALD HENDERSON vs DWIGHT HOWARD (December 18, 2012)
Yes, Henderson didn’t “technically” touch the rim on this play, but you can’t tell me that this wasn’t a slam dunk. Dwight Howard, the man Gerald dunked over, is infamous for his “Superman dunk“, which falls under the same category of spectacular slams in which the dunker never grabbed a hold of the rim. Who cares. Enjoy it for what it is.
9) KEVIN DURANT vs MARCIN GORTAT (January 14, 2013)
“Listen, it happens. I am not going to deny that was probably the top three dunks of the year, right? I mean, at least, I am going to be out there. I mean, I am just going to try to be silly about it. I am not going to cry. It is just part of the game.” – Marcin Gortat
8) TERRENCE ROSS vs ORLANDO MAGIC…TWICE (December 21, 2012)
What’s better than one great dunk? How about two in the same game, both of which are worthy enough to make this list. Is Terrence Ross the second-coming of “Air Canada”? Raptors fans certainly hope that he one day can be.
7) J.J HICKSON vs ALONZO GEE (January 16, 2003)
You know a dunk is great when not only the man who just got slammed on is blown away, but the opposing bench (Daniel Gibson, I see you) visibly marvels at it as well. Alonzo Gee, welcome to your new poster, courtesy of your former teammate.
6) JAMES HARDEN vs UTAH JAZZ (January 28, 2013)
With four Utah Jazz defenders in his path, Houston Rockets guard James Harden dribble penetrates through the defense with such ease and takes the ball behind his head in a LeBron James-esque fashion to deliver the greatest dunk of his career.
5) J.R SMITH vs SAN ANTONIO SPURS (January 3, 2013)
What makes this dunk so impressive is the way Smith catches the Prigioni pass by his knees in mid-air and takes the ball back up with a reverse slam alley-oop. Very few players in the NBA could have pulled something like this off.
4) DWAYNE WADE to LEBRON JAMES (January 12, 2013)
“You knew it was coming, but you didn’t know it was backwards. Wow! Throw it down, baby! Woooo!!”. That about sums it up right there.
3) JEFF GREEN vs AL JEFFERSON (November 14, 2012)
I never really figured Jeff Green to be much of a dunk artist, but he’s had a couple this season that have really brought the TD Bank Garden in Boston to their feet. Al Jefferson, you never stood a chance my friend.
2) BLAKE GRIFFIN vs THE PISTONS BACKBOARD (December 17, 2012)
A great in-game slam dunk doesn’t necessarily need a defender in the way to make it worth watching. With the Clippers on route to a blowout victory against Detroit, Blake Griffin — out of the niceness of his heart — decides to send the Pistons fans home with smiles on their faces.
1) HARRISON BARNES vs NIKOLA PEKOVIC (November 24, 20012)
From the play-by-play call, the roar of the crowd and Barnes immediate reaction, this right here can be considered as close to a perfect dunk as you are going to see. Case closed. Here is your winner. I would dare say that this slam could stay the course over the rest of the season as the best dunk we will see all year.