Ranking every Knicks champion in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest
The Slam Dunk Contest has become as synonymous with All-Star weekend as the game itself. Whether it was Julius “Dr. J” Erving pushing what basketball players can do athletically or the battles between Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins, the Slam Dunk Contest is an annual must-see event for NBA fans.
Since the inaugural event in 1976 -- before becoming an annual contest in 1984 -- Knicks players have won the event five times. Here’s a ranking of every champion that donned the Knicks' orange and blue.
5. Nate Robinson (2010)
In his final contest, Robinson had his weakest performance but still came out on top when he bounced the ball off the backboard before hitting a reverse two-handed slam to defeat DeMar DeRozan thanks to a fan vote.
4. Obi Toppin (2022)
While not as superb as his 2021 showing, Toppin got the job done with a between-the-legs, off-the-backboard dunk to defeat Golden State’s Juan Toscano-Anderson in the final round of 2022’s event.
Toppin's consistency helped him make it out of the opening round as the other participants had difficulty getting their dunks off.
3. Nate Robinson (2009)
Two years after failing to repeat as Slam Dunk champion, Robinson returned to the event and put on a show.
In the final round, Robinson donned a green Knicks jersey with green sneakers as he attempted to leap over fellow finalist, "Superman" Dwight Howard. The guard cleared the 6-foot-11 Howard to win the contest and “KryptoNATE” was born.
2. Nate Robinson (2006)
The first of his three titles, Nate “the Great” Robinson bested Andre Iguodala by bringing out Spud Webb, another diminutive dunk champion, from the crowd. The 5-foot-9 guard leapt over the 5-foot-7 Webb to slam a dunk that gave Robinson a perfect 50 score and the title.
1. Kenny Walker (1989)
The first Knick to be dubbed the Slam Dunk champion. Kenny “Sky” Walker took center stage after Jordan and Wilkins pulled out of participating due to injury, and he didn’t disappoint.
Walker also put on an inspiring performance considering his father had died earlier in the week. Walker used a pair of 360-degree dunks to beat Clyde Drexler in the final round of the contest.
