The Highlight Factory, of course, is the nickname given to the home of the Atlanta Hawks, Philips Arena. And while the nickname may be a new one, it would have easily sufficed in the days of Dominique Wilkins.
Over his 15-year career, Wilkins, the “Human Highlight Film,” rocked rims across the league with his thunderous highlight-reel dunks. Wilkins, one of the best power dunkers the NBA has ever seen, also had some flare to his throwdowns.
Wilkins wasn’t the only one showing up on posters in the 1980s and ’90s. There was that Michael Jordan guy, as well. Two of the best dunkers ever came together in the 1985 Slam Dunk Contest, with Wilkins taking home the honors. The two met again in the 1988 contest, with Jordan taking the title in what many consider the greatest slam dunk contest ever, highlighted by Jordan’s free-throw line dunk for the win.
Wilkins, Jordan and before them, Julius Erving, paved the way for some of the current generation’s best dunkers. While Kobe Bryant and Vince Carter no longer take to the air with the reckless abandon they once did, they are still considered some of the best dunkers to ever play the game.
Who could forget Kobe posterizing Yao Ming a few years back, or Carter’s electrifying performance at the 2000 NBA Slam Dunk Contest?
With dunks like these, though, Blake Griffin may be well on his way to staking his claim as the best dunker ever.
