Two dunkers at the prime of their careers. Many consider MJ’s 1988 duel with Dominique to be the greatest dunk contest of all time. The game was played in Chicago Stadium in Chicago, and Wilkins fans have always said that there was a little hometown bias present. But considering that Jackson was from Illinois and Wilkins was from Colorado, this is not surprising. The 1987 Dunk Contest had only two dunker finalists: David Robinson and Michael Jordan. Robinson went on to become one of the best center men in NBA history, while Jordan became one of the greatest players ever.
The 2008 Dunk Contest had five finalists, but only one could remain undefeated. The other four would have to go home empty-handed.
Dominique Wilkins by far. He dominated the first half of the contest with his alley-oop dunks and his hook shot, then he ended up winning every round except for one. In the final round, which was won by Michael Jordan, Dominique nailed a one-handed slam and it appeared as if he had been defeated, but then he leaped into the air and kicked out his leg, which was hanging over the edge of the stage, and landed on its tip with both feet completely off the ground, which is how you beat Michael Jordan.
The Chicago Stadium Dominique and Michael’s Fight Jordan moved to the opposite end of the court for his final dunk, knowing that he needed at least a 49 on his final try to win his second consecutive Gatorade Slam-Dunk Contest. He understood exactly what he needed to do to get a flawless score. “I’m going to go with my left this time,” he said before taking off from just inside the free throw line and throwing down a one-handed jam as time expired.
His perfect score of 50 brought down the house crowd at Chicago’s Chicago Stadium. It was also the first time in NBA history that a player has scored 50 points in an end-of-season game. And it sure didn’t hurt that Jordan did it while wearing a new pair of shoes designed by Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman. The Black Cement Shoes were made of high-tech material called Proteintex that allowed Jordan to feel the floor while playing defense.
After the game, Michael asked his coach if he could run some drills before practice the next day. So after the game, Dominique watched as his star pupil ran full speed up and down the court twice before heading back into the locker room for more clothes. When they came out again, it was clear that something was wrong with Jordan — he was limping badly. A concerned Dominique asked what was wrong, but Michael only replied by saying that he’d be all right.
Jordan always rose to the occasion, whether it was in a game or a dunk contest. In the 1988 dunk contest, MJ took off from just inside the free throw line to achieve a perfect score inside a loud Chicago Stadium. He also put up some incredible performances in NBA games, like his 56 point game or his fifth consecutive scoring title. However, one of his greatest achievements came in 1992 when he helped lead the Chicago Bulls to their first championship in the franchise’s history.
That same year, he was also given the honor of having his number retired by the University of Chicago.
Michael Jordan has been called many things: “The King,” “Mr. Basketball,” “Air Jordan,” and more. But one thing that hasn’t been said is that he’s not only one of the best basketball players of all time, but he’s also ranked as the best dunker of all time. His trademark move, where he’d explode into the air with both feet off the floor, was so popular that it became known as the ‘Flu Game,’ because everyone wanted to see it happen live.
In fact, several of his dunks are considered among the top 10 worst calls ever made by referees.
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