The three-point shot has never been as prevalent in the NBA as it has been over the past few seasons. It’s the en vogue shot in the sport. One shot that will never ever go out of style, however, is the dunk – especially those that are made through traffic and served right in the face of some poor defenders.
And according to Spectrum Sports, the top three leaders this season in the NBA when it comes to contested dunks are Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Ben Simmons of the Philadelphia 76ers.
That dunk — over the Nets' Joe Harris and Dante Cunningham — was James' 23rd dunk this season on a contested drive, according to Second Spectrum. Coming into Sunday, James ranked second in the league in that category, behind the Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo (25 contested dunks on drives). James, of course, is 10 years older than the 23-year-old Bucks star. The Philadelphia 76ers' 21-year-old rookie Ben Simmons is third with 21.
The LeBron James dunk McMenamin was initially referring to was the brutal throwdown the four-time league MVP did against the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday.
Apart from being superior athletes, one common denominator for James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Simmons is that they all have great speed and versatility for their sizes. All of them stand 6-foot-8 or taller with James the smallest of the trio at 6-foot-8.
Antetokounmpo is arguably the most-gifted athletes among the three, though, he has a lot of ways to go before being on the same level in overall play with the 33-year-old LeBron James. As for Simmons, the fact that he is on the top three of this list is just an evidence that he is way more than just an elite passer.
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