A retrospective of NBA Dunk Contest winners

The first official NBA Dunk Contest was a star-studded affair that included the likes of Clyde Drexler, Dominique Wilkins and Julius Erving, but it was Phoenix's Larry Nance who took home the inaugural trophy, besting Dr. J in the final round, despite Erving recording the first 50 score in contest history. 

In Indianapolis, hometown hero Terence Stansbury nearly stole the show, but it was Dominique Wilkins vs. a young rookie named Michael Jordan going head to head in the finals with the Human Highlight Film coming out on top after posting two perfect dunks in the finals to capture his first Slam Dunk Contest victory. 

The diminutive Webb scored a win for the little guys everywhere after he beat teammate and defending champion Dominique Wilkins in the finals. In the process, he recorded the first perfect last round in contest history. 

Against a relatively lackluster field, Jordan put on a show, defeating Portland's Jerome Kersey in the finals to win his first Slam Dunk Contest. But it wouldn't be his last...

Injuries to each competitor in 1986 and 1987 kept Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins from having a rematch of their epic 1985 showdown. But with both healthy in 1988, the stage was set. Dominique was a formidable foe (and many say he should have won), but it was Jordan, in front of a hometown Chicago crowd, who took home back-to-back wins by recording two 50s in the final round, including his iconic free throw line dunk pictured above. 

With no Jordan and no Dominique, 1989 saw the first contest that lacked real star power, but it was New York Knicks forward Kenny "Sky" Walker who took home the crown, just three days after his father passed away from a stroke. 

The Hawks superstar became the second player ever to win a second Dunk Contest, knocking off current TNT analyst Kenny "The Jet" Smith in the finals. 

A relative unknown prior to the Dunk Contest, Celtics guard Dee Brown put on his Reebok Pumps and became a star after he won it by putting the no-look dunk on the map. 

Ceballos took Dee Brown's no-look dunk one step farther with a blindfolded dunk that helped him best Larry Johnson and take home the win. 

Believe it or not, there was a time when Miner was referred to as "Baby Jordan." Those hopes and dreams never panned out, but Miner did have his biggest moments in the Dunk Contest, taking home his first title in his second year in the league. 

Nowadays, the between-the-legs dunk in standard fare for dunk contests, but when Rider pulled off his "East Bay Funk Dunk" it was truly a sight to behold. Bonus points go to Rider for predicting on the day he was drafted that he would win the contest in his rookie season. 

With the talent pool really thinning out (other 1995 participants included Antonio Harvey, Jamie Watson and Tim Perry), the winners from the two previous contests squared off in the finals, where Miner took home his second dunk crown. 

Brent Barry didn't even need to take off his warm-up to win the Dunk Contest, scoring a 49 in a final round, the highlight of which saw the Clippers forward take off from the free throw a la Michael Jordan and Dr. J. 

Before he became the Black Mamba, Kobe Bryant became the youngest Dunk Contest winner in history in 1997, taking home the trophy in his rookie season at the tender age of 18. 

After a two-year hiatus, the Dunk Contest returned in 2000, and it returned with a bang. Toronto's Vince Carter took the event to new heights (literally) in what is arguably the single greatest individual performance in the history of the event. 

Vince Carter was a tough act to follow, but Desmond Mason did an admirable job given the circumstances, winning the 2001 contest over DeShawn Stevenson and Baron Davis. 

This is perhaps the most underrated contestant of all time. If MJ, Dominique and Vinsanity are locks for the Mt. Rushmore of the Dunk Contest, a real argument could be made that Richardson should be the fourth person on that monument. 

Richardson became just the second player after Michael Jordan to repeat as champion. Of the four dunks that Richardson unleashed in 2003, three were perfect 50s. 

Certainly the most obscure winner on this list, Jones' career peaked with his win at the 2004 contest, where he knocked off the two-time defending champ Jason Richardson in the finals. 

Smith became the third Atlanta Hawk to win the competition by putting on a show in 2005. Of the four dunks he threw down, three were perfect 50s, and he became just the second player (after Spud Webb) to have a perfect final round. 

Robinson is the most divisive dunk champion of all time, and it began in 2006. His dunk over Spud Webb helped propel him to victory, but there are many who felt that Andre Iguodala put on a better overall show and should have been crowned the winner. 

Green took home the title in 2007 with an impressive array of dunks, but he is better known for the dunk he did the following year in 2008, when he blew out the candle on top of a cupcake that he placed on the rim. 

It's a bird...it's a plane...it's Dwight Howard in a Superman cape throwing a ball through the hoop instead of actually dunking it, but still, Howard's final dunk was a sight to behold and has since become one of the more iconic shots in contest history. 

Robinson won his second contest but, again, not without some controversy. His opponent (and the man he dunked over this year) Dwight Howard seemed to have a better overall performance, but fans decided the final vote in 2009, and they went with Robinson. 

Despite not dunking over anyone in 2010, Robinson became the first three-time winner in contest history and the third ever to win back-to-back titles. 

Griffin's inclusion in the contest created the most buzz since the Vince Carter days, and while Griffin showed off some impressive dunks (including jumping over a car), fans were left a little underwhelmed at the overall show. 

Another forgettable contest, the highlight here was the little-known Evans dunking over a painting of himself dunking over a painting. Seriously. 

The little-known Raptors rookie put on a show in 2013, defeating reigning champ Jeremy Evans in the finals and giving fans hope for a Dunk Contest resurgence that lasted until...

Hooooo boy. The 2014 Dunk Contest was a mess from the start. The NBA tinkered with the formula a bit too much here, experimenting with a team format that left fans confused. The dunks themselves weren't all that bad, and John Wall led the East to victory and was voted "Dunker of the Night" by the fans. 

The T'Wolves rookie tore the house down in 2015, with an impressive array of between-the-legs dunks that had some putting LaVine's name up there with the all-time great dunkers.