Pioneers+of+the+Dunk

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In the early days of the NBA, the slam dunk was considered a huge no-no. It was seen as unsportsmanlike and you could find your feet knocked out from under you if you elevated too high. These were also the days when smaller men such as Bob Cousy ruled on the hardwood. By the Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell era, big men had decided to make their presence felt in the league. However, when they performed their dunks, they were more forceful and didn't add personal flair to increase difficulty and awe.

In 1971 the Virginia Squires of the ABA (considered a tier lower than the NBA) signed a big man out of UMass. His name was Julius Erving. He came to completely revolutionize the dunk. He could do things in mid-air with the basketball that no one though was possible. It didn't go unnoticed. Several teams from the NBA tried to recruit him to their teams, but he refused every time. Even players who saws these dunks began to try to replicate them. Julius Erving totally reinvented the dunk by adding a personal touch to each one.

In '76 the ABA was holding the annual all-star game in Denver, Colorado. They introduced a new festivity to go along with the game- The Slam Dunk Contest. Julius Erving not only competed, but destroyed the competition in his final jam; a high- flying slam from the free throw line. This inaugural dunk contest was also the last as the ABA and the NBA merged and Erving was sold to the Philadelphia 76ers.

By Erving's first season in the NBA, dunking was becoming a common ritual in games. It was seen as tough and merciless instead of arrogant and standoffish. Names like George Gervin, Larry Nance, and Dominique Wilkins became household names.

"History of the Dunk." Michelle Trachtenberg. //NBAhoopsonline.com.// 24 Nov. 2013 Web.