Remembering The Greatest Dunk Contest Performance Ever

It's hard to believe that it was 15 years ago that Vince Carter graced our television screens with high flying acrobatics, electrifying audiences everywhere, and ultimately performed in the dunk contest that killed the excitement of the entertaining all-star competition.

NBA All-Star weekend usually bookends their mid-season break with a skills competition on Friday, and the All-Star Game airing on Sunday, but for many people, the only time that matters during All-Star weekend is what happens on Saturday: the 3-point competition and the dunk contest.

Over the past few years, the dunk contest has lost its luster. Not many big, household names want to perform in the highly entertaining affair, thus not drawing as big of an audience as times past, and the reason for this should not be overly surprising...

Vince Carter.

Yes, one of the best dunkers of all time, if not the best dunker of all time. His performance in Oakland, California that fateful night was one for the ages. Carter brought back the wonder and enjoyment of the dunk contest since Michael Jordan and Spud Webb showed off their athletic abilities.

Vince performed three perfect dunks. Okay, out of the three scores, he had one 49 (out of a possible 50) but the dunk was tremendous and he was definitely robbed of a point.

His first dunk was a mind-blowing, jaw-dropping, physics defying reverse 360-windmill dunk that started the contest off with a bang.

That dunk was just silly.

His next dunk was just as spectacular, as it showed off his ability to leap vertically. It was appropriately named the "Honey Dip."

Some say a picture is worth a thousand words, and these pictures pretty much explain everything.

Yes, this dunk only recorded a score of 49 out of 50. And no, I have no clue what would possess one of the judges to not vote that a 50.

But I digress.

Carter had that look in his eyes. You could tell he had a dunk ready for his final performance. A dunk that would seal the contest in his favor.

A dunk that would shape future dunk contests forever.

Enjoy.

"It's over."

This dunk has influenced almost every dunk contest participant since then. Each contest you watch, there will be some attempt at a hybrid version of a between-the-legs dunk.

"It's over."

However, those words spoke truer than most realized at the time.

It was two years since the last NBA Dunk Contest in 1997. The NBA needed a spectacle to get the interest back. Carter did his job, and possibly did it too good.

This dunk contest was so good, with appearances from contemporary stars like Tracy McGrady and Steve Francis, that the dunk contest isn't as exciting now as it was 15 years ago.

Why?

Is it harder to create more and more creative and original dunk ideas? Absolutely. Is it harder to convince the judges to give a high score for a dunk that has been done in the past? No question. But Vince Carter's performance in 2000 set the bar, and it probably set the bar too high.

Some say the dunk contest interest ended with Spud Webb, but it peaked and died in one fell swoop in 2000.

Only a perfect performance could do that.