What was the best dunk competition of all time? Some people will say Wilkins/Jordan, others will vote for the more recent jaw-dropper with LaVine/Gordon, but most will turn to the 2000 edition where Vince Carter absolutely destroyed the rim in a series of legendary dunks.
The memorable performance now known for the famous call “It’s Over” was full of classics, but one of the most impressive dunks was Carter’s reverse 360 that he pulled off with such smooth precision it almost looked easy.
Fast forward 18 years later and Donovan Mitchell, one of the league’s most exciting young talents, decided to pay tribute to the swagger-loaded 360. Of course the dunk itself wouldn’t quite be enough, he had to break out the throwback Raptors’ purple with the number 15 scrawled in big type across his back.
While every Raptors fan will love a good Vince Carter throwback, they would probably also argue that the dunk wasn’t quite as good as the man they called Air Canada for so long. Regardless, it was enough to secure the dunk contest crown for the young Jazz rookie.
Here are the two dunks side-by-side.
While Mitchell continues to establish himself in this league, the veteran Carter proves that he can still get up when called upon.
Mitchell is young and impressive, but he’s got some pretty big shoes to fill if he’s looking to follow in the footsteps of Carter.
