Helena Frye
A dunk shot, also known as a slam dunk, is a basketball shot where a player jumps in the air, controls the ball above the horizontal plane of the rim, and scores by shoving the ball directly through the basket with one or both hands. The phrase slam dunk was coined by Los Angeles Lakers announcer Chick Hearn, and the shot is often a crowd-pleaser due to its high probability of success. Dunking was banned in NCAA and high school sports from 1967 to 1976, with some attributing the ban to the dominance of players like Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) and others suggesting racial motivations. Today, the slam dunk remains a popular and effective move in basketball, showcased in contests like the NBA Slam Dunk Contest.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the shot | Dunk shot, slam dunk |
| Description | A shot in which a player jumps high in the air and throws the ball down through the basket |
| Execution | Performed by jumping in the air, controlling the ball above the horizontal plane of the rim, and scoring by shoving the ball directly through the basket with one or both hands |
| Points | 2 points |
| Difficulty level | Complex, requires athletic abilities like running and jumping |
| Popularity | One of the most crowd-pleasing plays in basketball |
| History | The phrase "slam dunk" was coined by former Los Angeles Lakers announcer Chick Hearn; the shot was banned in NCAA and high school sports from 1967 to 1976 |
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What You'll Learn
Dunk shot mechanics
A dunk shot, also known as a slam dunk, is a type of basketball shot where a player jumps high enough to "dunk" the ball into the basket. The ball does not leave the player's hand and is shoved or thrust directly through the basket with one or both hands. The top of the rim is 10 feet (3.05 meters) above the court, so a successful dunk requires jumping power and is worth two points.
To perform a dunk shot, a player must jump high into the air and throw the ball down through the basket. The player controls the ball above the horizontal plane of the rim, and the ball is never let go of. The dunk is a high-percentage shot and a crowd-pleaser, and it is often showcaseed in slam dunk contests.
Dunking requires a lot of practice and not every player can do it. To improve one's dunking ability, it is recommended to strengthen hip and leg muscles to increase jumping power. Shorter players can also learn to dunk, as lower body weight can help with jumping higher. It is also recommended to start practising with a smaller ball, as it is easier to handle and control, and then gradually work towards a normal basketball.
There are several variations of the dunk, such as the reverse dunk, where the player turns their back to the basket in mid-air and moves the ball over their head to dunk it. Another variation is the windmill dunk, where the ball is brought to the abdomen and then moved in a circular motion, typically from the front to the back, before being slammed through the rim. A third variation is the between-the-legs slam, where the player jumps with one foot and raises the other leg, transferring the ball from one hand to the other beneath the raised leg before completing the dunk.
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Dunk shot in popular culture
The dunk shot, or slam dunk, has become a staple of basketball and is often a crowd-pleaser. The term "slam dunk" was coined by Los Angeles Lakers announcer Chick Hearn in the 1960s. The phrase has since entered the popular vernacular as an idiom to refer to something that has a certain outcome or guaranteed success. The phrase "to be dunked on" or "to get posterized" is also used to indicate that someone has been easily embarrassed by another.
The first recorded dunk in an organised format was by USA Olympian Joe Fortenberry in 1938, although there are reports of players dunking in the early 1900s. In the 1940s, 7-foot centre and Olympic gold medallist Bob Kurland was dunking regularly during games, but the move was seen as a personal affront by defenders, who often intimidated offensive players and thwarted the move.
In 1967, the NCAA banned dunking, citing that it was not a skilful shot. However, the popular belief is that the ban was due to UCLA's Kareem Abdul Jabbar (then known as Lew Alcindor), who dominated his opponents with his dunking ability. During the ban, players had to find ways to smoothly put the ball in the basket even when it was above the rim. After the ban was lifted, the NBA made dunking a household name in the early 1980s, with players like Michael Jordan, Dominic Wilkins, and Kobe Bryant revolutionising the move.
Today, dunking has become one of the most anticipated moments in a basketball game, with players like Ja Morant and Mac McClung keeping the art of the dunk alive. The NBA Slam Dunk Contest, held annually during the NBA All-Star Weekend, showcases the best dunkers in the league and continues to captivate fans with its high-flying, innovative dunks.
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History of the dunk shot
The dunk shot, or slam dunk, is a type of basketball shot where a player jumps in the air, controls the ball above the horizontal plane of the rim, and scores by putting the ball directly through the basket with one or both hands. The term "slam dunk" was coined by Los Angeles Lakers announcer Chick Hearn in the 1960s, though the shot itself has been around for much longer.
The first-ever dunk in organised basketball is believed to have occurred in 1936 when Joe Fortenberry, a 6-foot-8-inch Texan, performed one in the Berlin Olympics for the US basketball team on their way to winning gold. At the time, the shot was likened to "a cafeteria customer dunking a roll in coffee" by Pulitzer Prize-winning sports writer Arthur Daley of The New York Times.
In 1944, the first dunk was recorded in college basketball when 7-foot centre Bob Kurland of Oklahoma A&M threw one down. Kurland described the dunk as "an unintentional accident" and "a spontaneous play". During the 1940s, Kurland was dunking regularly during games, though defenders viewed the move as a personal affront that deserved retribution.
In the 1970s, Julius Erving, aka Dr. J, revolutionised the art of dunking, showcasing skills like no one had ever done or seen before. He could windmill, rock the ball, go behind his back, head fake, and pull off many other impressive moves on the court. In 1976, the ABA introduced the All-Star Dunk Contest, which changed the sport.
In the early 1980s, the NBA made dunking a household name, bringing the All-Star Dunk Contest back to basketball. The era of Michael Jordan, Dominic Wilkins, Spud Web, and Kobe Bryant further popularised the dunk, with players awing the crowd every time they took a leap. Today, dunking is one of the most anticipated moments in a basketball game, with athletes like Lebron James and Dwight Howard continuing to add style and grace to the move.
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Dunk shot variations
A dunk shot, or slam dunk, is a type of basketball shot that is performed when a player jumps in the air, controls the ball above the horizontal plane of the rim, and scores by shoving the ball directly through the basket with one or both hands. It is usually the most spectacular shot and is one of the toughest feats in basketball.
- Alley-oop: This is a type of basketball shot that is typically only performed by collegiate or professional players. It requires exceptional athleticism, as the player must time their jump to catch a pass and dunk the ball simultaneously. The success of this shot depends largely on the quality of the pass from the assisting player.
- Tomahawk: This is a variation of the foul-line dunk, which was successfully performed by James White in the 2006 NCAA Slam Dunk Contest.
- Windmill: Another variation of the foul-line dunk, also successfully performed by James White in the 2006 NCAA Slam Dunk Contest.
- Between-the-legs: This variation of the foul-line dunk was attempted but not completed by James White in the 2006 NCAA Slam Dunk Contest, although he has been known to execute it on other occasions.
- Bounce-pass: In the 2008 NBA Slam Dunk Contest, Jamario Moon leaped from the foul line and, using his non-dominant hand, caught and dunked a bounce pass from his teammate Jason Kapono.
- Superman: In the 2008 Sprite Rising Stars Slam Dunk Contest, Dwight Howard, dressed as Superman, jumped from within the key side of the free-throw circle line, caught the ball, and threw it through the rim. This dunk is somewhat controversial, as his hand was not over the rim, but some argue that it should still be considered a dunk because the ball was thrust downward into the basket.
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Dunk shot in video games
In video games, as in real life, a dunk shot is a type of basketball shot that is performed when a player jumps in the air, controls the ball above the horizontal plane of the rim, and scores by shoving the ball directly through the basket with one or both hands. This type of shot is also commonly known as a "slam dunk".
Dunk Shot is also the name of a basketball arcade game released by Sega in 1986/1987 for the Sega System 16B hardware. The game can be played with up to four players, either competing or cooperating, or against the computer. It is rendered in a top-down view, where players can move in all directions using a trackball controller. The sprites enlarge to simulate bouncing balls and jumping characters, which is performed with the shoot/jump button. Rounds last a predetermined amount of time and are won by whoever has the highest score when time runs out. The game is housed in a table-like cabinet that is wide enough to allow two players per side.
In the game, the computer player team will start with a higher score than the human player team, and the game scales in difficulty by increasing this starting score by two each round. During the coffee break scenes, characters from other Sega games such as Pengo, Doki Doki Penguin Land, Ninja Princess, and Flicky can appear. The soundtrack was composed by Tohru Nakabayashi and included 5 themes for gameplay and several smaller themes.
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