Who was the first person to dunk a basketball?
Emily Ross
Published Jan 23, 2026
In 1944, college basketball saw its first-ever dunk, when Oklahoma A&M's Bob "Foothills" Kurland dunked by accident. Yes, you read that correctly.In 1944, college basketball The NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament, also known and branded as NCAA March Madness, is a single-elimination tournament played each spring in the United States, currently featuring 68 college basketball teams from the Division I level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), to determine the ... › wiki › NCAA_Division_I_Men's_Ba...
Who was the first person to do a dunk?
Joe Fortenberry, a 6'8” Texan who captained the U.S. team in the 1936 Olympics, is widely believed to be the first person to dunk in an organized game.
When was dunking first allowed in the NBA?
By the 1960s the big men had made their presance in the NBA felt. Guys like Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlin could dunk, but it was more of a force then finesse and style. It wasn't until the late 60s that the modern dunk was invented, and it wasn't invented in the NBA.
Who was the first white man to dunk a basketball?
Oklahoma State's basketball tournament legacy is rooted in one of the game's first 7-footers, forgotten luminary Bob Kurland.
Who invented slam dunk?
Within the history of the game, dunking is a recent innovation. Olympic gold medalist Robert Albert “Bob” Kurland emerged as a de facto inventor of the dunk shot– or the jam as it is also called.
26 related questions foundWho popularized the dunk?
Kurland, one of the first 7-foot centers, is credited with the first dunk in college basketball history when his Oklahoma A&M Aggies, which has since been renamed to Oklahoma State, played Temple.
When was the dunk illegal?
Lew Alcindor, who later became Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, dominated his opponents because he was a master of this move. To limit the player's dominance, the NCAA banned the slam dunk from 1967 to 1976.
Who was the shortest person to ever dunk?
Given the fact that Muggsy Bogues didn't ever dunk in-game, the title of “shortest NBA player to dunk” belongs to Spud Webb. Measuring just 5-foot-7, Spud Webb not only dunked in games, but even won the 1986 NBA Slam Dunk Contest.
Who did the first alley-oop?
Some others credit David Thompson as the first player to execute the classic alley-oop play while at North Carolina State University, with his teammates Monte Towe and Tim Stoddard performing the necessary lob passes.
Can you train to dunk?
It's really great to be able to dunk a basketball, to get yourself higher up than you thought possible. But the process of getting yourself in that kind of position is itself rewarding. Watching videos of other people who've tried this, a lot of them are attempting alley-oop dunks.
Who was the first person to break a backboard?
However, the first NBA player to shatter a backboard, Chuck Connors (who would become far more famous as an actor), did not do so with a dunk. When playing for the Boston Celtics in 1946, Connors took a set shot during pregame warmups, hitting the front of the rim.
Can 6ft person dunk?
To summarize, with a height of about 6 feet, you can dunk a basketball very quickly. But people of shorter height can still fully afford to dunk. Although that means you will have to go through more intense muscle training and vertical jumps. With effort and luck, you will likely dunk.
Who is the best dunker in the NBA history?
10 Greatest Dunkers In NBA History
- 9 – Jason Richardson. ...
- 8 – Blake Griffin.
- 6 – LeBron James. ...
- 5 – Julius Erving. ...
- 4 – Kobe Bryant. ...
- 3 – Michael Jordan. ...
- 2 – Dominique Wilkins. ...
- 1 – Vince Carter.
How many dunks does Steph Curry have?
Looking at Stephen Curry's dunk statistics
He has a total of 26 dunks in his 13-year career and the last time he did so was in the 2018-19 season.
Who has the most dunks in a game?
SALT LAKE CITY – Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert set a new career-high for most dunks in a single game when he had 10 against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday.
Who scored the first 3 pointer in NBA history?
Chris Ford of the Boston Celtics is credited with making the first three-point shot in NBA history on October 12, 1979. The season opener at Boston Garden was more remarkable for the debut of Larry Bird (and two new head coaches).
Who made the first 3 pointer in the NBA?
Late in the first quarter, Chris Ford hits the first 3-pointer in NBA history. Six players hit 3s that night. Because Ford's 3 came in the first quarter of the early slate of games, it's believed his shot was the first in history.
Who is the whitest team in the NBA?
The Minnesota Timberwolves have only five black players on their 15-man roster, which makes the team the whitest in the NBA since the 1980s Boston Celtics, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.
