Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's Sky Hook Dunk

While the NBA's modern slam dunk contest format didn't debut until 1984, the league's first foray into organized slam dunkery actually occurred in 1976, just after the ABA debuted their own contest months prior. Contrary to the modern, single-event format, the NBA's inaugural dunk contest took place over the course of the 1976-77 season with players from various regions battling head-to-head for the right to advance. Rounds were generally televised during halftime of NBA on CBS broadcasts.
Here, reigning NBA MVP Kareem Abdul-Jabbar can be seen executing one of the first signature slams in NBA dunk contest history. Abdul-Jabbar's Sky Hook dunk was the last of five attempts in round one, each of which were required to originate from different spots on the floor.
The final round of the 1977 dunk contest was broadcast at halftime of the NBA Finals. There, Darnell Hillman defeated Larry McNeil with an array of dunks that featured significantly more flair than what Dawkins and Hayes offered in their own rounds. In 2017, Hillman was finally gifted an official NBA Slam Dunk contest trophy in a surprise presentation in Indiana: • Darnell 'Dr. Dunk' Hil...
Abdul-Jabbar's full contest performance: • Kareem Abdul-Jabbar -...
Hillman's winning round: • Darnell Hillman - The ...

[@kumamonkumamoto3844]

He actually was a student of Bruce Lee at the time 😳

[@apmanila9704]

Mr. Bean @ 0:08

[@NextGenAvatar]

Gil mentioned this on a podcast. Didn't think it actually existed!

[@brandonprice5408]

I wish someone had these in their entirety and the one-on-one contests that they aired back before the merger

[@MrPiraka123]

Thanks!

[@drgta6]

Too bad players don't master the sky hook shot these days. It's nearly unstoppable.

[@Jonekkk933]

if Wemby master this nba is in trouble

[@drgta6]

@@Jonekkk933 Tim Duncan had a sky hook too and he was unstoppable.

[@bubufubu]

👍 for the information in the description. 👎 for the dunk. One of the laziest and most uncreative I've seen in a dunk contest. I realize this occurred in the late '70s and I don't expect him to toss it off the backboard, do a 180, and pass the ball between his legs, but come on. The guy's 7'2" with a 7'5" wingspan. No one's guarding him. This is lazy as hell. This is a _"I'd rather not be in this contest but I'm doing it as a favor to someone."_ dunk.

[@1D4ever]

Well in those contests they gave a description of the dunk you were asked to do and they didn't give way for creativity.

[@bubufubu]

@@1D4ever The contenders were required to perform predetermined dunks that were described to them and there was absolutely no leeway for creativity? Are you certain of this? Do you have any sources that can back you up?

[@1D4ever]

@@bubufubu Goodness am I on the witness stand ?😂 I wouldn't say no leeway but they told him from where he could dunk how one or two hands. He could have done a little more than that maybe a cradle or slight windmill you're right this was lazy. There were medleys with one or two contestants but 1979 was kinda like that too. There are other contests probably on this man's great channel or on YT.

[@bubufubu]

@@1D4ever How do you know all of this? That's what I'm driving at. It's interesting to me.

[@1D4ever]

@@bubufubu Oh I'm old 😂 I've followed this stuff since I was 8 watched and recorded every contest since beta max and VCRs.

[@stevelussier775]

Kareem & Lebron are comparable from an efficiency stand point, but so boring to watch...that's one of the numerous reasons Michael Jordan is the undisputed GOAT, so fun and exciting to watch, an artist at work that we got a chance to witness!

[@kumamonkumamoto3844]

Thats a clear 10!!!! omg these judges :(

[@almightyphil4298]

No it's not 😭😭

[@Skynet2425]

That was a WNBA dunk 🤣

[@ChrisDalton0099]

Name a wnba player that's 7'2 with a 37 inch vertical?

[@vika0194]

@@ChrisDalton0099he is talking about the quality of the dunk

[@georgewashington3012]

That dunk would get a 4 by today’s standards - bland and weak.

[@MrPangahas]

why would you even rate something from decades ago using todays standards?

[@georgewashington3012]

@@MrPangahasWhat’s wrong with that? Was the rim higher? Was the ball heavier, larger, or more slippery? Was creativity forbidden?

[@ChrisDalton0099]

​@georgewashington3012 No, but technology, training is much better now and film on past players and legends and dunks are readily available

[@heirling25]

Yeah, but "today's standards" wouldn't exist but for these types of dunks- this is the beginning of the development of the dunk- it's called evolution.

[@heirling25]

​@@georgewashington3012Wow, smh- so do you believe that people should have just awakened one day and said let me be creative and do a 360 through my legs dunk when there were zero examples. The dunks they make today didn't just come out of thin air- the dunk has evolved to this point because players like Kareem here, set a new standard of creativity and others followed and continually set new standards. So all that "creativity" you see today exists because of the "creativity" during an period of time, i.e., evolution.

[@grant1739]

Jordan and Lebron are 10 times better than Kareem

[@NextGenAvatar]

Except in the MVP and ring category

[@republicanred4863]

@grant You never saw Kareem play in his prime, I assume

[@axshman6914]

How would they block his hook shot?

[@ChrisDalton0099]

Yeah let's base talent off ability to dunk now.

[@heirling25]

I'm going to assume you never saw Kareem or anyone else play during that era otherwise you wouldn't have made such ludicrous statement.