Who would win?
During an interview on Run It Back with Michelle Beadle, Aaron Gordon made a confident statement about his 2016 NBA Slam Dunk Contest performance:
“If you put my four dunks up against Vince Carter’s four dunks, objectively I think my four dunks were better.”
This bold claim sparked debate among basketball fans, as Vince Carter’s 2000 dunk contest performance is widely regarded as one of the greatest of all time. However, a dunk-for-dunk breakdown suggests that Gordon may have had a point. His creativity, athleticism, and innovation pushed the contest to new heights, showcasing the evolution of dunking artistry.
Both contests were legendary, but who truly had the better showcase? Let’s break it down.
Round 1: Setting the Tone
- Vince Carter (2000): Carter opened with a reverse 360 windmill, displaying his signature grace, control, and explosiveness.
- Aaron Gordon (2016): Gordon answered with a double-pump reverse dunk off a bounce pass, showing off his coordination and vertical leap.
Winner: Carter’s reverse 360 windmill set a new standard in 2000, but by 2016, dunks had evolved. Gordon’s execution, bounce pass setup, and body control give him a slight edge here.
Round 2: Pushing the Limits
- Vince Carter: Carter introduced the between-the-legs dunk off a bounce pass from Tracy McGrady—unheard of at the time.
- Aaron Gordon: Gordon countered with a one-handed 360 windmill off the side of the backboard, a high-degree-of-difficulty move.
Winner: Carter’s dunk was innovative for its time, but Gordon’s off-the-backboard 360 was more complex and demanded greater athleticism. Another point for Gordon.
Round 3: The Show-Stopper
- Vince Carter: Carter executed a one-handed windmill from behind the backboard, showing impressive body control.
- Aaron Gordon: Gordon delivered what many consider the greatest dunk in contest history—leaping over the Magic’s mascot, grabbing the ball, passing it under both legs, and throwing it down.
Winner: No debate—Gordon’s under-the-legs-over-the-mascot dunk was revolutionary. Carter’s dunk was tough, but Gordon’s was next-level.
Round 4: Raising the Bar
- Vince Carter: Carter introduced the elbow hang dunk, where he threw it down and left his forearm hanging inside the rim. It was an iconic flex of strength and creativity.
- Aaron Gordon: Gordon executed a behind-the-back dunk while grabbing the ball from a spinning mascot on a hoverboard.
Winner: Carter’s dunk was legendary, but Gordon’s creativity and precision with a moving target gave him the edge in modern dunking evolution.
Round 5: The Final Statement
- Vince Carter: Carter ended his run with a two-handed reverse windmill from the baseline, displaying smooth execution and control.
- Aaron Gordon: Gordon capped off his performance with a tomahawk dunk off a bounce pass, highlighting his power and explosiveness.
Winner: Carter’s dunk had elegance, but Gordon’s dunk had more difficulty and impact. The modern contest demands more complexity, and Gordon delivered.
Final Verdict: Aaron Gordon Wins—An Evolutionary Leap
Vince Carter’s 2000 dunk contest was groundbreaking, setting a new precedent for dunking creativity. However, Aaron Gordon’s 2016 performance was the next evolution of what Carter helped establish.
Gordon’s dunks incorporated props, acrobatics, and unprecedented levels of difficulty, making his overall showcase the most advanced in contest history.
Carter laid the foundation, but Gordon built the skyscraper. And in this matchup of dunk contest icons, the edge goes to Aaron Gordon—because the dunk contest, like the game itself, evolves