Feb 16
1986 NBA Slam Dunk Contest. A 5’7” rookie with nothing to lose. Spud Webb shocked the world, leaving even his Hawks teammate and defending champ Dominique Wilkins in disbelief.
Two perfect 50-point dunks later, Webb dethroned Wilkins and became the Dunk Contest champion. To this day, he remains the shortest player ever to participate and to win the contest. Atlanta head coach Mike Fratello said it best:
“Spud kind of duped him. He told Wilkins he never had anything prepared, didn’t practice for it. So, Wilkins maybe thought his normal assortment would be good enough to get through.”
Duped or not, Webb shattered the “bigger is better” myth and inspired smaller players everywhere. 🏆
