Watch: Throwback to when Michael Jordan dominated the dunk contest, including his iconic slam from the free-throw line, 35 years ago today

Michael Jordan had one of the best seasons of his career in only his third year in the league.

After breaking his foot in his sophomore season, His Airness tore through the league during the 1986-87 NBA campaign. He posted his career-high of 37.1 points to go along with 5.2 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 2.9 steals and 1.5 blocks per game.

Jordan’s relentless quest to be the best continued even in the 1987 All-Star Game where he also joined the Slam Dunk contest. MJ came into the competition as one of the three favorites to win the title along with Clyde Drexler and local favorite Terence Stansbury.

And 35 years ago today, Michael Jordan unleashed this iconic dunk that is still imitated by many in playground and dunk contests:

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Strictly speaking, the legendary slam was not a clean take-off from the charity stripe. His left foot was slightly inside the line as he launched into the air, double-clutched before dunking it with grace and power. The throwdown only received a 49, but it had a bigger and longer impact on millions of basketball fans.

In just his third year, the NBA was starting to go gaga over a stud from North Carolina, who terrorized defenses with his unbelievable scoring ability. Jordan wasn’t all substance, though. The five-time MVP back then was already starting to fill stadiums to the rafters to witness his nightly air assault.

Basketball fans across the country could not get enough of Michael Jordan’s highlight reels. They clamored for more every time the Chicago Bulls did their warm-ups. When Jordan finally gave in to requests and decided to join the dunk contest again, the anticipation was so high that it almost rivaled the All-Star Game itself.

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The 1987 slam dunk crown really started the ball rolling for Jordan as the man who can “fly." The win also set the stage for the much-awaited rematch between Jordan and the “Human Highlight Film,” Dominique Wilkins in 1988. Wilkins, who thoroughly dominated MJ in the 1985 finals, was unable to participate in the 1987 dunk fest due to a sore back.

Did Michael Jordan deserve to win the 1988 Slam Dunk title over Dominique Wilkins?

The 1988 Slam Dunk Final between Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins caused a debate that is still talked about to this day. [Photo: teahub.io]

The rematch between Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins in the 1988 Slam Dunk contest was three years in the making. Wilkins defeated MJ in 1985 while His Airness captured his first crown in 1987 as the Atlanta Hawks star watched from the sidelines due to a bad back.

As expected, the battle royale was between Wilkins’ power and precision against Jordan’s grace and creativity at the old Chicago Stadium. The Hawks star performed his signature rim-rattling windmill jams while Jordan displayed his aerial artistry. The contest rightfully came to the last dunk.

Wilkins needed to score a 48 to make it 2-0 against Michael Jordan in a dunk competition. The 45 that the judges gave him stunned almost everyone, including the Bulls superstar. Jordan settled the contest with his now trademark free-throw dunk to score 50 points and bag the controversial title.

Michael Jordan attempted the same dunk in all three competitions in 85, 87 and 88. Ironically enough, it was during his rookie season that he made the cleanest take-off but just lacked the creativity to make an impact. The 88 version saw Jordan a step inside the free-throw line but took advantage of his “air” time to double pump before slamming it home.

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Many NBA fans and players were convinced that Dominique Wilkins was robbed. Michael Jordan himself, in an interview years later, agreed with the verdict. If not for some home cooking, “Nique” could have been undefeated against His Airness in two of the most iconic dunk clashes of all time.