Boston Celtics: Ranking the top dunkers in modern team history

With All-Star Weekend underway let’s look at some Boston Celtics who have some talent above the rim.

The Boston Celtics don’t have anyone participating in this year’s Slam Dunk competition. There are a ton of great Celtics players, but not a lot of great dunkers. They have a few participants in the dunk contest and even some champions.

So let’s take a look at the best dunkers in Boston Celtics history.

4. Jaylen Brown

This was really hard for me to do because I think Jaylen is a great dunker. Just last night he had an amazing dunk in the rising stars game. The recency bias in me wanted him a spot higher.

That would be pretty stupid though. I feel we need a larger body of work from Brown to move him up in the rankings. Brown is known for his ferocious dunks. He is similar to a Russell Westbrook in the fact that his dunks aren’t all that flashy at times, but it seems like every time he goes to the rim he is trying to shatter the backboard with his powerful slams. Also, like Westbrook he has some ridiculous athleticism. The NBA needs to get this man in a dunk contest.

3. Gerald Green

Gerald Green is a ferocious dunker. Green is an equally good dunker in-game as well as in the slam dunk competition. Green can put any player in the NBA on a poster and he has been doing it since 2005.  Green has won both the McDonald’s All-American Slam Dunk Contest, as well as the NBA Slam Dunk Contest.

He is best known for his performance in the 2007 dunk contest when he had an iconic moment. Green donned Dee Brown’s jersey, pumped up his Reebok Pumps, and dropped a sick no-look dunk over Nate Robinson.

Another dunk that Green is known for is his cupcake dunk in 2008 when he lit a candle on a cupcake and blew the candle out while dunking.

Green actually lost a good chunk of his right ring finger due to dunking. He was wearing a ring as he was attempting a dunk on a makeshift hoop. The ring caught on a nail and his finger was ripped to the bone.

Even with that injury, Green is one of the best dunkers in the NBA today.

2. Dee Brown

Speaking of Dee Brown he is No. 2 in Celtics history. Brown was one of the first guys Celtics fans can remember being able to make a highlight reel play above the rim. Brown loved ally-oops and it really showed his great vertical. It seems he would be floating in the air forever on some dunks.

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Brown got to show off his dunking ability in the 1991 Slam Dunk Contest. Brown faced some stiff competition with guys like Shawn Kemp and Kenny “The Jet” Smith being amongst the competitors. Brown was wearing his classic Reebok Pumps, pumping up before any dunk.

The most infamous and picturesque of the contest came in the finals against Kemp. Brown lifted off from just past the free throw line covered his eyes for the entire dunk and brought the house down. Even though this is what Brown is most known for there were some other amazing dunks as well. His second dunk of the second round was a thundering reverse slam. Brown’s head nearly hit the rim.  Also, the dunk before the amazing no-look dunk was styling, Brown gave himself a looping self alley-oop and had a beautiful reverse slam.

You see how much of an icon Brown is when you have Gerald Green wearing Brown’s jersey and copying the legendary dunk more than 15 years later.

1. Nate Robinson

The guy that was getting dunked on by Gerald Green is the one who ends up on top. Nate Robinson is truly an insane dunker. Robinson is 5’9″ and some of the stuff he pulls off seems impossible from a guy of his stature. He was a modern-day Spud Webb even though Robinson was two inches taller. He even dunked over Webb when Robinson won the 2006 Slam Dunk Competition.

Robinson loved ally-oops. Whether it was coming from a teammate or coming off a missed shot. In the situations where a teammate misses a shot, Robinson seems to just go under the radar and all of a sudden launch himself to the rim.

What made Robinson’s talent so unique is that teammates would be looking to throw up alley-oops to a 5’9″ player. You never see teams looking to throw one up for their point guards. Another thing is that Robinson would drive through defenders with no fear. Then Robinson, like he has springs in his feet, would launch towards the rim.

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Robinson won the dunk contest three times. He is the only player to accomplish that feat. In my humble opinion, his best performance came in 2009 when Robinson dunked over Dwight Howard.

Make sure to tune into the dunk contest tonight as the league’s high flyers take to the skies in Los Angeles.