Less and less do we see swingmen flying through the air, absolutely posterizing all in their way. Although dunking is still prevalent, it's more popular in the form of big forwards or centers grazing rims. Now, that being said, guys like Blake Griffin, Javale McGee, and Josh Smith definitely have my respect, it's just a little sad to see change.
Really, what guards or small forwards are there that can really throw it down? There's Andre Iguodala, JR Smith, and maybe Demar Derozan. But beyond that, you don't see the big names jam. LeBron puts on a show every once in a while, but you can tell it doesn't interest him. "I'd rather pull back from that open lane and shoot a three!" Okay, I made that quote up, but still. Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony do their thing every once in a while, and Kobe Bryant has had his moments, but what happened to people getting nicknames like "Air Canada"? It's a crying shame.
Well, change is inevitable, I guess. Although I blame the players for not being able to throw it down as well anymore, a big part of it is actually the defense. Players on the other team don't exactly "clear the runway". They would rather be charged with a flagrant foul than allow the other team to dunk on them. Too prideful, if you ask me.
Dunking is the true beauty of basketball. We must protect it, preserve it, and most of all, respect it.
So in terms of great dunkers, is there anybody I missed? Let me know in the comments!
Picture Credit: http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/multimedia/photo_gallery/1205/shawn.kemp.rare.photos/images/kemp-dunk-fix2.jpg
