In the 1990s, no player in the NBA combined power and grace than Seattle Supersonics legend Shawn Kemp . A 6-foot-10 power forward who had hops for days, the sight of him darting toward the rim and throwing down thunderous dunks was a regular occurrence. Although he competed in four NBA Slam Dunk Contests, the man, also known as the "Reign Man," unfortunately couldn't bring home a title, with his highest finish being second in 1992.
Now retired, Kemp mused on "All The Smoke" about players he would have loved to compete against in an imaginary dunk-off.
A who's-who of high-flying dunkers
During his heyday, the native of Elkhart, Indiana, was a fierce competitor who took no prisoners. That mindset is still with him as he thought about who he'd like to take on in what would surely be a dope competition.
"I would love to have seen Vince Carter and Dwight Howard, definitely. I got a lot of respect for Dwight. Dominique Wilkins, no doubt about it, bro," the six-time All-Star told Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson.
Looking at the players Shawn mentioned, one can see how the latter preferred players who dunked like their lives depended on it. Vince, nicknamed "Half-Man, Half-Amazing," was a one-time Slam Dunk contest champion who thrilled audiences in 2000 with an unforgettable aerial display in Oakland. Dwight, on the other hand, was the 2008 winner of the contest and was known for his emphatic dunks that could shatter backboards.
Kemp also respected Dominique Wilkins, a nine-time NBA All-Star nicknamed "The Human Highlight Film" for his exceptional dunking prowess. Despite being from different eras, these players all shared a passion and talent for dunking, which earned them recognition as some of the greatest dunkers in the history of the NBA.
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Kemp says dunkers are getting cute now
Shawn added that he's not feeling the current generation of dunkers, who, according to him, are barely grazing the rim when they slam one home, as opposed to the previous generation, who wanted to rip the rim off when they dunked. To put it simply, Kemp lauded the OG dunkers because they did it with passion.
"When we watch these dunk contests now, we watching them, but we not feeling it. We not feeling that—that thunder," Shawn stressed. "We fingertip dunking now. Let's just keep it real, man, we fingertip dunking now. Y'all got to stop it. Y'all be fingertip dunking, you don't feel that power."
"I think that's what the fans want to see when it comes to dunking. It's not so much in between the legs, it's not so much all the fancy stuff. They actually want to feel that power. They want to see the explosiveness and you attacking the rim and trying to shatter the backboard or something," the three-time All-NBA team member added.
Although Kemp had other skills that allowed him to flourish in the league, he will best be remembered for his mighty, rim-rattling dunks. These were not just simple one-handed or two-handed slams but thunderous displays of athletic prowess that rocked arenas across America.
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