Who Leads the NBA in Dunks?

Keep up with the latest NBA dunk stats and find out who is leading the league in dunks this season!

Introduction

In basketball, a dunk is a type of shot that is worth two points, typically attempted near the basket with one hand, and often considered a signature highlight of above-average players.

Dunking was first popularized by Julius Erving, also known by his nicknames “Dr. J” and “The Doctor”, in the late 1970s. Standing at 6 feet, 6 inches (1.98 m) tall and weighing in at 200 pounds (91 kg), he was considered one of the strongest and most athletic players of his era, and is widely credited with popularizing the use of the slam dunk in game play during the 1970s.

As the sport has evolved, so too has the dunk. Players such as Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant have popularized variations of the classic slam dunk, such as take-off dunks from a dribble, double-clutch reverse dunks, and windmill slam dunks. These days, it seems like everyone from Shaquille O’Neal to LeBron James to Giannis Antetokounmpo can throw down a jaw-dropping dunk with ease.

But who leads the NBA in dunks? Read on to find out!

The Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league’s Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their home games at Staples Center, an arena shared with the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers and the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women’s National Basketball Association. The franchise began with the 1947 purchase of a disbanded team, the Detroit Gems of the National Basketball League (NBL). The new team began play in Minneapolis, calling themselves the Minneapolis Lakers. Initially a member of the NBL, the Lakers won the 1948 NBL championship before joining the rival Basketball Association of America, where they would win five of their next six championships.

In 1950, the Lakers moved to Los Angeles; this led to them changing their name to the Los Angeles Lakers because it was believed that no other NBA team would be willing to move to Los Angeles at that time. After struggling financially in 1970 due largely to poor attendance and stiff competition from rivals such as Major League Baseball’s Anaheim Angels and NHL’s Los Angeles Kings, Jerry Buss purchased majority ownership of them in 1979. He later appointed Jack McKinney as head coach and brainstormed with his staff to come up with what he called the “Showtime” style of play which was influenced by entertainers such as Earvin “Magic” Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who would lead them to multiple championships throughout 1980s and early 1990s. Pat Riley eventually replaced McKinney as head coach in 1981. Riley built on what Johnson started during his “Showtime” era leading to five more titles between 1982 and 1988 for a total of nine titles for both him and Abdul-Jabbar during their respective tenures with two more coming later on under head coach Phil Jackson from 2000 until 2010.

The franchise has since added 15 more conference titles (16 overall), 32 division titles (35 overall), and holds an NBA-record 33 winning seasons, culminating in 11 championships starting with their first title in 1949 which is also second behind only Boston Celtics’ record of 17 championships overall which includes three separate dynasties: Bill Russell era (1956–1969), Larry Bird era (1981–1992) which also featured Kevin McHale, Robert Parish and Dennis Johnson; as well as Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo era (2007–2012). As over time there have been inquiries made if other teams could possibly challenge or tie them for this record? but so far no team has even come within close range let alone challenge or tie them for this record making this one record that looks like it will stand for quite some time maybe even indefinitely.

The Golden State Warriors

The Golden State Warriors are an American basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are currently members of the Western Conference Pacific Division in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Warriors compete in the NBA as a charter member of the league’s Eastern Conference Pacific Division.

The team was founded in 1946 as the Philadelphia Warriors, a charter member of the Basketball Association of America (BAA).[4] In 1962, the franchise relocated to San Francisco, and became known as the San Francisco Warriors until 1971, when its name was changed to the current Golden State Warriors. Since moving to Oakland in 1971, the Warriors have reached eight NBA Finals, winning four NBA Championships in 1947, 1956, 1975 and most recently in 2015 when they defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets currently lead the NBA in dunks, with their players having recorded a total of 201 dunks so far this season. Dwight Howard is responsible for the majority of those, having dunked the ball 118 times. Other players on the team who have contributed significantly to their dunk total include Josh Smith (37 dunks), Terrence Jones (24), and Corey Brewer (20).

The Oklahoma City Thunder

The Oklahoma City Thunder currently lead the NBA in dunks with 368 on the season. The Thunder’s Paul George is currently the league leader in dunks with 92, followed by Steven Adams with 84 and Jerami Grant with 74.

The Miami Heat

The Miami Heat have the most dunks in the NBA this season. They have dunks in all types of situations, whether it’s on a fast break, off of an alley-oop, or just in traffic. The Heat’s athletic big men, Hassan Whiteside and Bam Adebayo, lead the way with 80 and 67 dunks respectively. But it’s not just the big men dunking for the Heat; their guards are getting in on the action too. Tyler Johnson and Josh Richardson have each dunked 31 times this season. The Heat even have a player who rarely dunks, Dwyane Wade, with 13 slams.

The Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics currently lead the NBA in dunks with 601 total so far this season. They are followed closely by the Oklahoma City Thunder with 596, and then by the Houston Rockets with594. These three teams are currently in a tight race for the top spot, but anything can happen between now and the end of the season!

Conclusion

In the end, it is clear that Jordan is the king of dunks, with a total of 1,300 in his illustrious career. But there are other players who have made their mark in the dunking world. Iman Shumpert may not have Jordan’s total, but his average of 2.1 per game is nothing to scoff at. And let’s not forget about Dwight Howard, who led the league in dunks for five straight years.