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The NBA Slam Dunk Contest has long been the league’s marquee All-Star Saturday Night event. In recent years, the contest has lost some of its reverence due to a lack of big-name competitors and original dunks. However, there have still been some memorable winners over the past decade.
That includes an underdog who proved himself on the big stage as well as the victor of one of the top dunk battles of all time.
On that note, below is a ranking of every Slam Dunk Contest winner since 2014.
Ranking the last decade of NBA Slam Dunk Contest winners
#10 Anfernee Simons (2021)
The 2021 Slam Dunk Contest in Atlanta was easily one of the most forgettable ones. Portland Trail Blazers shooting guard Anfernee Simons defeated then-New York Knicks power forward Obi Toppin in an anti-climactic final round.
For his first dunk, Simons grabbed the ball from two feet above the rim and threw down a light two-handed finish. For his second, he did a two-handed 360-degree dunk off a lob bounce pass.
He capped off the night by converting a one-handed jam off another lob bounce pass where he unsuccessfully attempted to kiss the rim. While the dunk looked better in slow motion, it left many underwhelmed.
Overall, Simons lacked flare and showmanship, making his victory rather unmemorable.
#9 John Wall (2014)
The 2014 Slam Dunk Contest in New Orleans controversially featured an altered format involving freestyle and battle rounds.
In the freestyle round, contestants from each conference had 90 seconds to complete as many dunks as possible, resulting in a jumbled mess.
However, then-Washington Wizards star point John Wall somewhat saved the night in the battle round. Wall jumped over Wizards mascot G-Man and converted a reverse two-handed jam on the first try to win “Dunker of the Night.”
The electric finish ended up being a memorable dunk from an otherwise forgettable contest.
#8 Obi Toppin (2022)
After losing to Anfernee Simons in 2021, Obi Toppin redeemed himself in the 2022 Slam Dunk Contest in Cleveland. Toppin outlasted then-Golden State Warriors forward Juan Toscano-Anderson in the finals. However, the competition was mostly a letdown, as it featured numerous missed dunks.
As for Toppin, he still had some impressive finishes, including one behind-the-back slam after jumping over someone. He also converted on a reverse two-handed windmill slam off the glass. Although, he didn’t get up high enough to finish with force, resulting in a softer finish.
Toppin’s evening culminated with two between-the-legs throwdowns. One featured him throwing an alley-oop pass off the backboard, while the other involved him tapping the ball off the glass before dunking.
Overall, Toppin’s size appeared to hinder some of the wow factor on his finishes and his dunks looked better in slow motion. So, some were left underwhelmed by his performance.
#7 Glenn Robinson III (2017)
The 2017 Slam Dunk Contest in New Orleans saw then-Indiana Pacers wing Glenn Robinson III defeat then-Phoenix Suns forward Derrick Jones Jr. in the finals.
Robinson recorded two perfect dunks, including jumping over someone sitting on another person’s shoulders to complete a reverse jam. He then leaped over star teammate Paul George, Pacers mascot Boomer and a cheerleader to convert a reverse two-handed dunk to win the contest.
While the crowd appeared underwhelmed throughout most of the night, Robinson’s final dunk brought some much-needed excitement back into the building.
#6 Hamidou Diallo (2019)
The 2019 Slam Dunk Contest in Charlotte featured a crop of young players. Then-OKC Thunder rookie wing Hamidou Diallo prevailed against then-New York Knicks point guard Dennis Smith Jr. in the finals.
Diallo’s most impressive dunk featured him leaping over 7-foot-1 NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal and dunking with his elbow. However, he played it safe for most of the night. That included in the finals when he threw down a fairly basic two-handed jam after ascending over rapper Quavo.
#5 Donovan Mitchell (2018)
In the 2018 Slam Dunk Contest in Los Angeles, then-Utah Jazz rookie shooting guard Donovan Mitchell edged out then-Cleveland Cavaliers forward Larry Nance Jr.
Mitchell’s first dunks included a couple of lob finishes off the backboard. He caught the first off a second backboard that was brought in and dunked a windmill.
For the other, he caught a pass off the side of the backboard. He proceeded to convert a one-handed finish over comedian Kevin Hart and two other people who were hunched over underneath the net.
When it came to his final dunk, Mitchell sported a Vince Carter Toronto Raptors throwback jersey and converted a one-handed 360 tomahawk slam to secure the victory.
While it wasn’t an all-time great performance, it was a strong all-around night for the then-rising star.
#4 Derrick Jones Jr. (2020)
One of the more epic dunk battles of the past decade came in the 2020 Slam Dunk Contest in Chicago. Then-Miami Heat forward Derrick Jones Jr. took down then-Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon in the finals.
Jones’ best dunks included a 360 between-the-legs finish. He followed that up by jumping over two people and converting a between-the-legs windmill.
Jones then took things to another level in the finals. He caught a lob off the glass and once again went between the legs as he jumped over someone for a one-handed slam.
After he and Gordon tied with perfect scores in the final round, the competition ended in a dunk-off.
Jones capped off his memorable night with two more difficult windmills. The first featured him catching a lob off the side of the backboard, while the second came after he jumped from one foot inside the free-throw line.
While some of his dunks were similar, Jones displayed extraordinary athleticism on all of them and narrowly secured the victory.
#3 Zach LaVine (2015)
Former Minnesota Timberwolves shooting guard Zach LaVine re-ignited the Slam Dunk Contest in the mid-2010s with back-to-back elite performances. The first came in New York City in 2015 when he defeated then-Orlando Magic shooting guard Victor Oladipo in the finals.
LaVine brought creativity from the start of the competition, beginning with a between-the-legs reverse one-handed jam off a lob bounce pass. He then went around his back for another one-handed finish off the bounce.
His night was highlighted by him catching a pass off the basketball stanchion and going between the legs for a windmill jam.
LaVine’s remarkable athleticism stole the show throughout the night, resulting in his first of two Slam Dunk Contest victories.
#2 Mac McClung (2023)
During last year’s Slam Dunk Contest in Utah, G League star Mac McClung injected some much-needed excitement back into the event. He also made a name for himself after being called up by the Philadelphia 76ers shortly before the contest.
McClung kicked things off with a reverse two-handed slam where he tapped the ball off the backboard after jumping over two people. In past years, that may have been one of the better dunks of the night. However, for McClung, it was just a warmup.
For his second dunk, he did a pump fake midair before doing a 360 and throwing down a two-handed jam. He followed that up with a double pump-fake reverse two-handed dunk after jumping over someone, with his head nearly touching the rim.
McClung’s night culminated with him donning his high school jersey for a 540-degree reverse two-handed jam which caused the arena to erupt.
Overall, it was essentially a perfect night for McClung. He converted all his dunk attempts with relative ease and coasted to a victory over New Orleans Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III in the finals. His underdog status also enhanced the memorability of his performance.
#1 Zach LaVine (2016)
Zach LaVine followed up his 2015 win with one of the greatest Slam Dunk Contest performances of all time in Toronto in 2016. LaVine famously defeated then-Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon in an all-time duel that could have gone either way.
LaVine started the night with a behind-the-back one-handed reverse finish off a lob bounce pass. He followed that up with a one-handed alley-oop slam from just inside the free-throw line.
His third dunk was similar to his first, leaving the commentators slightly underwhelmed despite its high degree of difficulty. However, LaVine won everyone over again with his windmill dunk from just inside the free-throw line.
He then threw down a reverse two-handed between-the-legs dunk off a lob bounce pass from behind the backboard.
The high-flying shooting guard capped off the night with his third finish from just inside the free-throw line, this time going between the legs.
In the end, LaVine recorded four straight perfect scores as he and Gordon needed two extra dunks to break their tie after the final round. Some argued that Gordon should have been the winner, as he had an equally impressive night.
Nonetheless, with his back-to-back Slam Dunk Contest wins, LaVine cemented himself as one of the greatest dunkers of all time.
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