5 NBA players with the most dunks made since 1996

The slam dunk is the most intriguing, and at the same time, insulting move in the NBA. It is unclear why players attempt to stop a force of nature flying to the rim, but they do try and end up getting posterized.

The NBA allows players to show their athleticism without any obstruction in the Slam Dunk contest. Understandably, some players might be unwilling to attack the rim, as it can be disastrous when two players meet in the air. However, there are a few who are not scared of contact on their way to the rim.

While some players get flashy with it, others do their business with the two-handed emphatic throw-down. Zach LaVine is a perfect example of an NBA player who dunks as if it were an art rather than just to get two points.

Completing a slam dunk in an NBA game is a lot more difficult, which is why it is an achievement worthy of note, especially when it is executed consistently. On that note, here are the five NBA players with the most dunks made since 1996.

#5 Tyson Chandler - 1,735

Tyson Chandler (#19) of the Houston Rockets

Tyson Chandler enjoyed a 19-year NBA career after he was selected with the second-overall pick in the 2001 draft. He was one of the players who was drafted straight out of high school before the rule change was implemented in 2006.

Chandler was an exceptional two-way player who took no chances at the rim at the offensive end. He was not the most prolific scorer, as he had an NBA career average of 8.2 points. But whenever he went up to score, he made sure he threw it down with authority.

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Throughout his career, Tyson Chandler successfully made 1,735 dunks. In his final season, 61.1% of the field goals he attempted were dunks. The seven-footer retired after the 2019-20 NBA season, at the age of 37.

#4 LeBron James - 1,949

LeBron James does a bit of everything, which is why seeing him on this list shouldn't come as a surprise. As much as James drops dimes and takes the occasional three-point shot, he never turns away a chance for the spectacular at the rim.

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Of all the players on this list, LBJ is the only one who is not a center. He is bound to cross the 2,000-dunk tally in the 2021-22 NBA season, but may not have much success closing the gap on the top three.

#3 DeAndre Jordan - 2,237

Deandre Jordan (#6) of the Brooklyn Nets attempts a dunk against the Indiana Pacers

DeAndre Jordan was selected in the 2008 NBA draft second round with the fifth pick. But he has performed at a level worthy of a first-round pick. In his 13-year career, Jordan has dominated the paint on both ends of the floor, and stayed effective in offense.

For five consecutive seasons, he led the NBA in field goal percentage, while missing only six games in that stretch. Coincidentally, that period saw him produce most of his highest-dunking games. In the 2016-17 season, he posted a career-high 253 dunks, which accounted for 47.7% of his total field goal attempts that campaign.

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Jordan is only 33, and has recently joined a team that has King James and Russell Westbrook on the roster. While the Lakers duo are point-getters, they also have impressive court vision. So Jordan could especially benefit from the pick-and-roll, as he can convert on the alley-oop.

#2 Shaquille O'Neal - 2,626

In NBA history, no other player has played bully ball down low as well as Shaquille O'Neal has. In the post, he was unstoppable, as his size gave him a huge advantage over most big men in the league. Zion Williamson looks like a spitting image of Shaq when working in the paint, and is gradually operating at the level O'Neal did.

The 7' 1" big man recorded 2,626 dunks in his NBA career. Surprisingly, only 19.9% of his field goal attempts were dunk attempts. O'Neal was the definition of a rim-rocker, bringing down the backboard on several occasions.

Shaq's highest dunk tally in a season (255) came during his first campaign with Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat. But the days he earned his Superman moniker came during his time with the Orlando Magic and the LA Lakers.

#1 Dwight Howard - 2,910

Dwight Howard took over the Superman nickname after Shaq because he was the next-best high flyer at the time. He owned the moniker while wearing a cape in the 2008 NBA Slam Dunk contest and completing what was arguably the best dunk of the night.

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Howard has completed 2,910 dunks so far in his career, and has some time to add to his tally. He once held the record for the most dunks in a season with 269, but Rudy Gobert set a new record with 306 in the 2018-19 NBA campaign.

For the first time in his NBA career, Dwight Howard had fewer than 100 dunks while playing over 40 games. His return to the Staples Center might just change that, as he might get the nod to start over DeAndre Jordan.