Glenn Robinson III joins storied list of NBA slam dunk champions after impressive showing
Indiana Pacers forward Glenn Robinson III took home the gold in the 2017 NBA Slam Dunk Contest, defeating Derrick Jones Jr. of the Phoenix Suns in the final round.
Robinson claimed the big win after leaping over teammate Paul George, the Pacers mascot and a Pacers dance team member and hitting a reverse slam worth a perfect 50, according to the judges.
The slam dunk is undoubtedly one of the most recognized and exciting moves in all of sports. It's a feat of pure athleticism that sends crowds (and players) into a frenzy any time one is thrown down.
In 1976, professional basketball chose to celebrate the dunk and all its glory during the sport's All-Star Game weekend. The first Slam Dunk Contest was held by the American Basketball Association and was won by Julius Irving -- but the league's merger with the National Basketball Association (NBA) caused the contest to take a hiatus until 1984.
A total of 24 different players from 16 different NBA teams have won the Slam Dunk Contest since the event returned in 1984. The Atlanta Hawks and New York Knicks have produced the most dunking champions in that period, with four each.
Nate Robinson has won the contest three times, all while with the Knicks, and is the only player to be crowned that many times.
Five players have won the competition twice: Dominique Wilkins, Michael Jordan, Harold Miner, Jason Richardson and 2016 champion Zach LaVine. LaVine, however, did not return to the court to defend his title in 2017.
This year's four participants were Aaron Gordon of the Orlando Magic, DeAndre Jordan of the Los Angeles Clippers, Derrick Jones Jr. of the Phoenix Suns and Glenn Robinson III of the Indiana Pacers.
Many feel Jones Jr. had the best dunk of the night when he caught the ball after bouncing it off the backboard for a through-the-legs dunk.
Gordon may have had the most creative dunk, using a drone to drop the ball through the hoop, though it did take multiple attempts for him to slam it down.
Related: Take a look back at the history of the NBA All-Star Game:
