Last night, Deandre Jordan threw down one of the most ferocious jams I have ever seen. It lit up the Twitter world and quickly became one of the most talked about plays of the entire NBA season. If you didn’t see the dunk, you can check it out below.
If you’re wondering who it was that Deandre unleashed his fury on, it was Brandon Knight. A few of you may know, but many of you don’t, I went to high school with Brandon Knight. I know first hand what a fine young man Brandon truly is. Never forgetting his old classmates and teachers, Brandon remains loyal to those who supported him from day one. I have never seen a man with a better work ethic, a higher character, and more class than Brandon. Even as a high schooler, he showed a maturity far beyond his years and was a huge source of pride for my school as a student, an athlete, and a man. It was just unfortunate that Mr. Jordan’s play had to make Brandon the butt of so many jokes. Of course, most of it is in good fun, but Brandon deserves nothing but praise rather than the jokes that are flowing like rain through the Twitter-sphere.
Anyhow, back to the dunks. Dunks have captivated us throughout the history of basketball. They often are the most memorable plays and electrify the crowd unlike many other happenings on the basketball court. These dunks, however, are my favorite and most memorable. Not necessarily the best, but my favorite nonetheless.
Number 5: Deandre Jordan Baptizes Brandon Knight
I know that Deandre dunked over a guy I respect so much, but you have to recognize what an amazing jam it was. If it was over anybody else, this may be good enough for 3 on the list. Deandre Jordan has always been one of my favorite players as he is incredibly athletic in addition to being an amazingly large human being. I really think that Deandre could be the best dunker in the league, even over LeBron or Blake Griffin. If Deandre Jordan, LeBron, and Blake Griffin were in next year’s dunk contest, THAT would be well worth tuning in for.
Number 4: Kobe Over Dwight
Kobe Bryant is a big man, but he’s not as big as Dwight Howard. Dwight Howard is a bit of a behemoth. Shoulders like a tank, the muscles of an adonis, and the athletic ability of a man of much smaller stature, Dwight Howard isn’t accustomed to being on the other end of big dunks. Kobe, however, made Dwight look very, very small. Just leaping off of the floor as if he was jumping on a trampoline, Kobe leaped over Dwight and threw the hammer down with some authority. As they are now teammates, every now and then, I’m sure Kobe doesn’t allow Dwight Howard to forget that dirty, nasty moment.
Number 3: Blake Defies Gravity over Pau.
Many of you may not count this as a dunk. That’s fair, but that’s what I love about this jam. First of all, look at the air that Blake Griffin gets on this dunk. The push off of Gasol’s back does him some favors, and it just makes this dunk look so much crazier than any other. It’s almost as if Blake double clutches in mid air and is still able to throw the ball down. It also amazes me that this was the second time during this game that Blake abused Pau. On the first attempt, Griffin skied over Pau for a tantalizing put-back jam. It’s clear that Pau was sick of Griffin’s ownage, and got up after the play and got in his face. Everything about this dunk was amazing. From the lack of gravity to the attitude from Pau to the “not a dunk” reputation, this dunk is an all around great.
Number 2: LeBron over Damon Jones.
I was actually at this game in Miami. I was the annoying 12 year old in my LeBron Cavs jersey trolling all of the Heat fans (oxymoron) in the arena. I was sitting next to a midget (dwarf? I’m not sure of the proper terminology) who was probably extremely upset with me by the end of the night. When LeBron went up for this dunk, I think you can probably hear me on the camera. That’s how loud I was. My father was probably embarrassed to have contributed to my birth at that point, but oh well. An incredible dunk on an incredibly character, LeBron and his mask make their way to number two on my list.
Number 1: LeBron over Duncan.
This dunk will always be my personal favorite for more sentimental reasons. If you remember the situation, you will remember that it was only the second game of the young NBA season. LeBron and the Cavs were trying to prove that they belonged in the elite of the NBA after they were swept by the same Spurs just a year prior. The stakes were not necessarily high, but the game was on ESPN, giving it that luster that a normal game may not have.
Personally, I watched the game through a generator. You see, there was a hurricane that had hit South Florida pretty hard just a few days earlier and knocked out our power. The generator we had was gas powered and could only be used for hours at a time. I made sure my family knew that the generator would be used to watch the Cavaliers play the Spurs, in a game I put way too much importance on.
I love Tim Duncan, but LeBron went up and over him up and easy and I was thrilled. My dampened spirits from the lack of power were suddenly revitalized as LeBron threw the hammer down over Timmy D.
Let me know your Top 5 favorite dunks on the comments section of this page or on Twitter @H_Grove.
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