Vince Carter is widely regarded as the best dunker in NBA history. His 22-year career gifted spectators with an array of unbelievable dunks. Though, five are in their own echelon.
Carters masterpieces came in regular season games, postseason play, international competition and most famously, the 2000 NBA Dunk Contest.
His five best slams all showcased his unreal 43 inch vertical jump. Along with it came impeccable hang time, creativity and ferocity that put fear in the hearts of former Defensive Players of the Year.
The five best dunks of Vince Carter’s career
Carter had all the tools that made him a perfect dunker. What he was able to do with the groundwork that his predecessors created has been unmatched to this day. The evidence of the best dunks he’s ever thrown down are all on tape to behold.
The 2000 Dunk Contest
The 2000 Dunk Contest (via ESPN) was where he put forth his magnum opus. Carter’s reverse 360 windmill is perhaps the most memorable jam in the competition’s history. It birthed the viral Shaq camcorder reaction. Respect goes out to his elbow-in-the-rim dunk dropped jaws while he added flair to the between-the-legs slam.
Carter also proved himself to be the best away from the Contest. His dunk package in games is unparalleled.
Carter’s dunk over Alonzo Mourning (2005)
Take his poster over Alonzo Mourning in the 2005 NBA Playoffs, as Jeremy Stevens shared on YouTube. Carter absorbed contact and cocked back for a thunderous blow to the rim and the two-time Defensive Player of the Year’s ego. Carter ranked it as his favorite dunk ever in an interview with the NBA.
Carter reaches back into the past for flawless one-handed jam
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The eight-time All-Star punished the rim with a masterful one-handed lob finish against the Los Angeles Clippers in 2000 (per Basketball Action).
The way in which he gained control of the ball with one hand while looking behind him, only to finish with authority is something only the best to ever do it could convey with all gravity. This dunk still boggles minds to this day.
Vinsanity clears seven feet in Olympic play
And what would a reflection of his best dunks be without his utter annihilation of Germany’s Frederic Weiss in the 2000 Summer Olympics. Carter jumped over the 7-2 center in the throes of game action as TheNintendoSavant shared on X. His and Kevin Garnett’s fiery reaction added to the dunk’s allure.
Best Dunk of All Time! 🏀🏀 Vince Carter's Dunk over Frederic Weiss at the 2000 Summer Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. 👍🔥🔥🙈😆🥰 "Le Dunk De La Morte" (The Dunk Of Death) ⚡️⚡️ pic.twitter.com/ySe1GD7fwh
— TheNintendoSavant (@NintendoSavant) April 12, 2021
A Carter dunk as smooth as butter
Nimble. Graceful. Smooth. Carter got the ball in transition and knew exactly what he wanted to do with the rock.
His one-handed reverse 360 jam against the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1999 is memorable in every sense of the word. Even the sound that reverberated the rim can induce chills. He floated in air, making the high degree of difficulty look amateurish and topped it off with an iconic dance.
Carter’s full package was like nothing the league had ever seen before. Despite the wealth of great dunkers the NBA has boasted, Carter’s body of work stands alone, and for good reason.
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