40 Years Ago, Larry Nance Won The First NBA Dunk Contest In History

Last year’s All-Star Saturday’s dunk contest was one of the best in recent years, with Mac McClung taking home the crown, after showing dunks we haven’t seen before that night in Salt Lake City.

Granted, Dunk contests filled with NBA superstars, like Kobe Bryant, Dominique Wilkins, Vince Carter or Michael Jordan are long gone, but even without superstars, a great dunk contest is more than possible – just ask McClung, Aaron Gordon, Derrick Jones Jr. and Zach LaVine.

Before this year’s contest takes place in Indianapolis later this month, we’re taking a look back to 40 years ago today. This is when the NBA’s first All-Star Saturday took place in Denver at McNichols Arena.

The inaugural Slam-Dunk contest was won by Larry Nance, who used a two-ball windmill dunk to beat favorites Julius Erving and Dominique Wilkins.