The Orlando Magic have had some great dunkers throughout their history. A mix of power and grace, the dunk has come to define some great moments for them.
Aaron Gordon holds a lot of promise for the Orlando Magic.
He was a bundle of potential even before the Slam Dunk Contest that pushed him to the forefront of the national conversation. The dunk contest got him in a national commercial for Nike (that aired during the Olympics’ Opening Ceremonies on NBC) and added confidence to his game after the All-Star Break.
The Magic expect big things from Gordon outside of dunking.
But dunking is what he will always be known for. The dunk, for all its simplicity, still holds a lot of power emotionally. The artistry, power and athleticism it takes to finish above the rim eludes most normal basketball players. It is the simplest, yet most satisfying act in basketball.
As kids, fans lower the basket and go up with two hands to stuff one home. Even in video games, pulling off a great dunk is oddly satisfying. They may mimic Gordon’s artistry and athleticism or Shaquille O’Neal’s power or Anfernee Hardaway’s grace or Tracy McGrady’s wizardry, they all have that one thing in common. The emotion of a game can change through this simple play.
The fascination with throwing the ball through the hoop rather than shooting it in.
NBA Jam was built on the power of the dunk and made it a strategy over everything else. Super athletes just amazed with their ability to finish around the rim. There is still nothing like a clear lane and someone willing to jump.
At FanSided earlier this week, Ian Levy brought together a panel that included former Slam Dunk champion Brent Barry, Phoenix Suns forward Marquese Chriss and several NBA writers including Jared Dubin of Hardwood Paroxysm and Ben Golliver of Sports Illustrated to name the top 30 in-game dunks in NBA history. This list did not include Slam Dunk Contest dunks.
One Magic dunk did make the list. But it is not the one Magic fans likely would think. It is a dunk that probably would have been forgotten except for what this panel brought up.
With that in mind, I felt it was time to name the top-20 dunks in Magic history. It was time to create a list for the Magic by a Magic expert.
I am sure I will miss a few. If you have a dunk you would like to submit, please send a YouTube link to me on Twitter @omagicdaily or via e-mail at omagicdaily@gmail.com or in the comments below. This list can certainly expand and get reordered as submissions are made.
Hopefully this list gets the conversation started on the best in-game dunks in Magic history (at least through the 2016 season).