Best Rookie Dunks: ‘The Jump’ recounts the top jams by NBA rookies

Over the years, several rookie players in the NBA have come through and wreaked havoc on the league in various areas of the game on the hardwood in one way or another.

Immediate success in the NBA is relatively rare, only 45 players have been named an All-Star as a rookie, but that doesn’t mean they can’t have outstanding individual performances or highlights. Just ask Zion Williamson or Ja Morant from last season.

Just recently, Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards threw down perhaps the dunk of the season when he posterized Cedi Osman of the Cleveland Cavaliers. The jam immediately went viral with Edwards quickly making all of the highlight reels.

Following the recent dunk by Edwards, the crew on ESPN’s “The Jump” went through the archives and came up with the five best rookie dunks of all time.

Kobe Bryant, 1997

https://youtu.be/awHCDkLwx8o?t=118 The first dunk highlighted on "The Jump" came from Kobe Bryant, which occurred during the 1996-97 season. On the play, Bryant found himself in a fastbreak situation and then threw down a 360 jam, one of many that would come throughout his legendary career.

Michael Jordan, 1984

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sot3HPZ9GtY Jordan had several incredible dunks throughout his Hall of Fame career, with a bunch of them coming as a rookie. Of course, his dunks would help spawn the most successful signature line of sneakers of all time in the Air Jordans.

Vince Carter, 1999

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVik0xm5q20 While Bryant and Jordan were great in-game dunkers, perhaps no player was better than Vince Carter. Vinsanity kicked off the action early as a rookie, doing something to Chris Mullin no one ever expected to see on the hardwood.

Blake Griffin, 2010

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwx9HiM4Aw0 The former No. 1 overall pick has embarrassed quite a few players over the years and Timofey Mozgov was among them. The dunk will go down as one of the best posterizations of all-time and it happened in Griffin's first year in the league.

Shaquille O'Neal, 1993

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ts9zejnTOKk The Diesel broke several backboards during his time in the league and it even forced the NBA to change the way hoops were configured in arenas. He tore down his first hoop way back in the early 90s with the Orlando Magic versus the New Jersey Nets.

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