Tuesday, December 15th, 2009 at 8:00 am  |  64 responses

Decade’s Best: Dunker

Forget it, Kadour Ziani is the best of all-time.

by Zach Smart

Greatest Dunker Ever. It’s a subject open to endless interpretation and analysis. Jordan, Dominique, Clyde The Glyde, Vince, David Thompson, Spud Webb, Shawn Kemp, Robert Pack — he of the proclivity for making posters out of Shawn Bradley — and so on.

When we think of Godzilla-slaying dunkers, the first image that comes to mind is… You guessed it. Vince Carter forever making Fred Weis a facebook cover photo, soaring over him and throwing down an emphatic, violent, eye-exploding dunk.

You remember it was like yesterday. Air Canada launching himself into the air from wherever, floating somewhere between the ceiling and the hardwood, cocking back and crushing home a banger. See Vince run. See Vince defy gravity. See Vince leave jaws littered all over the floor following a dazzling, one-handed sledgehammer.

Despite what you’re thinking, I’m going quickly change the tune. I’m going to get a beating for this one, a verbal bludgeoning. But the human pupil doesn’t lie. Unlike Sonny Vaccaro, the pupil doesn’t gas cats.

Despite Vince’s air prosperity and endless reel of nuts-in-your-face bangers, Kadour Ziani is the best dunker ever. The man featured in SLAM’s first-ever STREETBALL issue has staked his claim as the best dunker of all time. From having to hurdle an automobile on his way above the rim, to altering the trajectory of his dunk in mid-air, this 5-10 frenchman with a 56-inch vertical hop has more big ups than Sean Paul, man. I-and-I knows this Algerian cat can jump out of the junkyard, vaulting himself into a different area code.

The freakish, human pogo-stick has made dunking an art that engages the masses. Yeah, his hoop pedigree doesn’t wow us, but the guy has allowed folks all around the word to embrace his high-flying prowess. Respect due.

***

For more Decade Awards, check out the archive.

  • Add a Comment
  • Share
  • RSS

Tags: , ,

← Older Comments
  • http://www.youtube.com/user/afrojones42 AfroJones42

    Kadour Ziani is a good dunker, but I wouldn’t say he’s the best dunker of all time, because he only does 4 or 5 dunks (360s, tomahawks,rock-the-cradle and double windmill). Kadour is (no doubt) one of the best leapers of all time.

    To me the best dunker of all time is Air Up There aka Mr 720. He does complex dunks in-games. C’mon man AUT did a 720 in the last period of the game. Check the dunks he was doing before he did the 720:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b72Q9DyNH5A

  • http://www.krackdiesel.blogspot.com KR

    This is a travesty. I’m sorry if I don’t really get impressed by people just dunking in contests. It’s more impressive when someone does it in game. I’m sure it’s some guy out there who shoots better than Ray Allen, but couldn’t play the game. I’ve never even heard of this guy, fam. Plus he doesn’t have any style in my opinion. He’s short and he can dunk, great. I’d rather watch N8 do the stanky legg and act like a douchebag after a dunk. Just being honest. This guy rocks the cradle or does a variation of it in almost every dunk…smh. Can this guy actually PLAY basketball?

  • a_whiteman

    justin jus fly darlington pulls off WAY HARDER dunks than this guy and is waaaay more creative. 56 inch vert is impressive but not a lot of difficult and creative dunks, saw the cradle rock and the statue of liberty about 30 times in the reel and NONE of those top jus flys 360 under BOTH legs. so in game i take vc, kb or amare, but non nba player goes to jus fly

  • a_whiteman
  • J

    mr Zach. its not that he ditch the dunks, his game has to evolve, plus injuries, age cope up with him. yes he lost the bounce, but i guess we don’t talk about longevity here, were discussing on why and how he was hailed as the decade’s best. vince had his best at 00-04, but it’s more than enough to conVINCE everyone. and i guess Ziani focused more on dunking than overall game wherein vince can’t he’s a pro after all. he’s not paid for show.

  • Zach Smart

    J-I agree. VC definitely was the top of his gravity-defying game during 00-04. Still, KZ handled his spate of injuries, bounced back and was still kissing the clouds before throwing down sledgehammers. Slim jumps so high he can tell the angels to holler at him before he comes down.

    I know Ziani was a streetballer as opposed to Vince, who was giving 7-foot cats posters at the top of the hour.

    Still, I think it’s really close. I would love to go with Vince being a longtime L fan and seeing him electrify arenas. Gotta go with the FRENCHie though, just based on aspects of his dunking like hangtime, creativity, wow-factor, and the fact that he’s around 40 now and has been choking rims consistently it’s got nothing to do with him being 5-10 and having rise for a little guy but the reel doesnt lie

    GOAT

  • J

    ^ they both have fair share of setbacks, and bounced back, but i think we both have to agree that Ziani bounced and focused more on dunking than the game right? and by saying that he’s 40 now means he’s more athletic than Vince right?(that’s not an advantage or disadvantage to either one). and my point of judging is not just on who has higher vertical and who can do this while on air, its more on who has that greater “ooomph” when they dunk. they are both extremely great dunkers nonetheless but the french guy looks more like a dunking machine while vince looks more like a ballerina. (side note: i like the french guy’s dunk on the 0:41 mark.)

  • Zach Smart

    fa sho. I agree to agree on that one

  • http://www.streetballin.net LetGuyDupuyDunk

    Guy Dupuy is the best dunker ever

  • http://www.ballislife.com Arek

    Slam… you guys are sooooooo off on this

  • http://Www.facebook.com Joe_king

    Um…dude can do a one handed double windmill.whens vince ever done that?

  • http://none 8113

    vince cant dunk off one foot…he attempted what looked like to be a foul line dunk with two hands in the dunk contest- barely made the dunk and stepped waaaay over the line.

    kadour had zero dunks off of two feet…

    james white- one of my favorites doesnt really dunk off of two feet but can go between the legs windmill from the foul line- windmills from foul line with authority.

    jordan- beautiful dunks off one and two feet- has to be up there for versatilty and grace… watch video “come fly with me”

    and1 “air up there” mr 720- off 2 feet mainly also has amazing dunks…

    really the conclusion is crowning someone the “greatest of all time” will always be an opinion and never be fact.

  • Kid Dynamite

    This cat would probably go a whole game without a single dunk….G.O.A.T? definitely not, great dunker? an emphatic YES. His cradle dunk is off the meat rack!!!

  • Ready

    How can he get a look over The Air Up There? 720? 360 Eastbay? Almost making a 360 Double Eastbay??? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NfgBTRKn_w This MISS is better than any dunk Kadour can do…Taurian Fontenetee is the BEST DUNKER EVER.

← Older Comments
Advertisement