The Best Dunks of the 2018-2019 NBA Regular Season
The postseason has its own thrills, but right now we celebrate one of the best parts of the NBA: the nasty, face-melting dunks.
Mar 17, 2019; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) dunks during the first quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
11.
Another NBA regular season has come and gone, and while the last six months have produced a slew of highlights, there’s still nothing quite as exciting for fans as a good old-fashioned slam dunk. Because who doesn’t like watching the world’s best basketball players take flight and throw down?
Dunks, like many things in life, come in all shapes and sizes. There’s one-handed, two-handed, double-clutch, windmill, tomahawk, reverse and 360 degree jams, but whether they’re the result of a putback, alley-oop, fast break, or half-court set, each one has the power to immediately bring a crowd to its feet and shift the momentum of a game in only a matter of seconds. That’s, of course, what makes them fun to watch over and over again. So while we’ve turned our attention to the playoffs, it’s time for us to look back at the best dunks from the 2018-19 regular season.
10.Karl-Anthony Towns Annihilates Paul Milsap
Minnesota has not lived up to expectations since landing Towns with the No. 1 pick in 2015, although that’s not to say the man hasn’t produced himself. The former NBA Rookie of the Year led his team in both points (24.4) and rebounds (12.4) this season while shooting over 50 percent from the field, and yet not one of Towns’ teammates rocked the rim quite as hard as he did. Faking a three to lose Mason Plumlee in a tightly contested game at home against the Nuggets, the two-time All-Star drove the lane and hammered one over Paul Millsap, who was called for a blocking foul much to his dismay. We can’t think of a more appropriate response than “Boomshakalaka!”
9.Terrence Ross With the Baseline Blow-By
With averages of 15.1 points and 3.5 rebounds per game, Ross had his best season to date after being taken No. 8 overall in the 2012 NBA Draft. And though he doesn’t have the same scoring prowess that Kobe Bryant once had, he sure looked like him when he went bassline in a blowout victory against the Hornets. With no screen needed, the 6’7” shooting guard out of Washington absolutely blew by Malik Monk in less than three dribbles before floating under the hoop for a Kobe-esque one-handed reverse. It’s worth noting that Ross did win the Slam Dunk Contest in 2013, so you know he’s still got some serious ups.
8.Don't Get in A.D.'s Way
While Davis’s season was largely a lost one after his trade request went public in January, it wasn’t without some memorable moments. The six-time All-Star showed that early on in the season when he took a pass from Jrue Holiday at the top of the key, let his defender fly past with a shot fake, strolled down Bourbon Street, and took off from just inside the free-throw line for a towering one-handed jam over Nets center Jarrett Allen. It likely could be one of the last memories that we ever get from Davis in a Pelicans jersey, and one he’ll probably never forget.
7.Zach LaVine Casually Pulls Off a 360
Not many at the highest level can jump like LaVine, who suffered a torn ACL during his third season with the Timberwolves after being drafted No. 13 overall in 2014. But injuries also haven’t stopped him from flying the friendly skies. His most noteworthy flush in 2018-19 came against the Cavaliers when a loose ball landed right in his lap and gave the two-time Slam Dunk Contest champion a clear path to the basket. LaVine took care of the rest from there, setting off some fireworks for the Chicago faithful with a double-pump 360 degree finish that somehow looked effortless.
6.Donovan Mitchell Demoralizes
One of last season’s biggest rookie surprises was none other than Mitchell, and we found out pretty quickly this season that there would be no sophomore slump from the 2018 Slam Dunk Contest champion. Mitchell, in fact, has become one of the league’s most entertaining young players over the past two seasons, leading the Jazz in scoring over both affairs. But what’s just as impressive are the explosive dunks that the 6’3” shooting guard regularly exhibits. Just ask Luka Dončić, who found himself in the unfortunate position of being isolated against Mitchell with Utah already up by more than 20 points before halftime. Though much to his chagrin, he didn’t get a whole lot of help from teammate Maxi Kleber either as Mitchell took on both of them for a demoralizing one-handed slam.
5.LeBron Makes it Look so Easy
LeBron James’ first season in Los Angeles didn’t go exactly as planned, considering the Lakers missed the playoffs for a sixth straight year. But he still threw down some impressive dunks when he wasn’t sidelined due to rest or injury, like this reverse jam off the bounce from Kyle Kuzma. It was one of the few bright spots during a bitterly disappointing season for the Lake Show. James even dropped another reverse a little later in that game on Josh Hart’s pass off the backboard, but it was his first slam versus the Bulls that reigns among the most supreme from the 2018-19 season.
4.Just try Stopping Giannis Antetokounmpo
It’s no surprise that Milwaukee’s ascent to the top of the Eastern Conference has coincided with an MVP-worthy season from the “Greek Freak.” Giannis has taken his game to another level, and Kings center Kosta Koufos got a taste of it early on while becoming one of Antetokounmpo’s victims during the 2018-19 campaign. With his team already blowing out Sacramento, the three-time All-Star used a simple ball screen from Brook Lopez to absolutely obliterate his opponent with a one-handed stuff and the foul. Hindsight is often 20-20 as they say, but Koufos taught plenty of other defenders a valuable lesson: stay out of this man’s way.
3.Miles Bridges Soars From the Baseilne
There’s a reason why Bridges participated in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest this season, and it’s because the former Michigan State star isn’t afraid to unleash a ferocious throw-down (or two). Unfortunately for the Hawks, they found out the hard way one night in Charlotte. Despite missing a corner three, the Hornets’ first-round selection never gave up on the play, accepting a Willy Hernangómez pass bassline and skying high above Dewayne Dedmon. Bridges got so high that he took a seat when he finally landed back on Planet Earth. Had he not been too busy complaining to the refs about an alleged push by Hernangómez on the rebound, maybe Vince Carter could have finally understood what it feels like to get posterized.
2.Marvin Bagley III With the iIll 360 Alley-Oop
It’s rare enough to see a 360 degree dunk in a game, but a 360 alley-oop? That almost never happens—unless you’re Bagley III. The No. 2 overall pick in last year’s NBA Draft proved just how much athleticism he has when he took a mid-air pass behind him from Yogi Ferrell and put down an absolute rim rocker. You can tell it was a good one based on the crowd’s reaction and how many fans actually got out of their seats. While we’re not sure about the cheesy “Holy moly, Jim Bob moly” remark from one of the team’s TV commentators on the call, that shouldn’t take anything away from the rookie’s epic flush.
1.Derrick Jones Jr. With the Dunk of the Year?
At the age of 22, Jones has already become one of the Association’s highest flyers following his third season. The small forward who went undrafted back in 2016, boasted a 48-inch vertical in high school, which appeared to be on full display when he reached behind on a tough lob from Bam Adebayo then spiked the ball through the net. While the game was more than out of reach by that point, Jones gave all of those Miami fans who stuck around something to remember. We still can’t figure out how the UNLV product pulled it off, but there’s no doubt the dude deserves some major props.