Dominique Wilkins had no idea what was coming. It was February 8, 1986. Reunion Arena in Dallas was packed, the air thick with that specific 80s basketball energy—lots of short shorts and high expectations. Wilkins, known as "The Human Highlight Reel," was the heavy favorite. He was the defending champ. He was 6'8". And he was about to get beat by a guy who barely cleared 5'7" on a good day.
That guy was Anthony "Spud" Webb.
Most people today see the grainy YouTube clips and think it was a gimmick. It wasn't. Spud didn't win because he was short; he won because he was actually the best dunker in the building that night. Honestly, the dunk contest Spud Webb put on is still arguably the most statistically improbable event in NBA history. We're talking about a man with a 46-inch vertical leap. To put that in perspective, if Spud stood next to you at the grocery store, you might not notice him. If he jumped, he could look a 7-footer in the eye.
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The Teammate Betrayal (Sort Of)
The funniest part of the whole 1986 saga is that Spud and Dominique were teammates on the Atlanta Hawks. They shared a locker room. They practiced together every single day. Yet, Dominique later admitted he had never seen Spud dunk in practice. Not once.
Spud had basically "duped" him, as Hawks coach Mike Fratello put it. Webb told Wilkins he didn't have anything prepared. He acted like he was just happy to be there. Meanwhile, the little man was secretly harboring a repertoire of dunks that would make modern players sweat.
When the competition started, the vibe shifted instantly. Every time Spud walked toward the rim, the crowd in Dallas—his hometown, by the way—went absolutely nuclear. There is something primal about watching a person do something that physically shouldn't be possible.
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How a 5'7" Human Wins a Dunk Contest
It wasn't just about reaching the rim. It was the complexity. In the final round against Wilkins, Spud needed to be perfect. He was.
He started throwing down things that defied the laws of physics for someone his size:
- A 360-degree helicopter one-handed jam.
- The "elevator" two-handed double pump.
- A reverse double-pump slam that looked like he was walking on air.
- The legendary lob bounce off the floor, catching it off the backboard for a reverse two-handed "strawberry jam."
He notched two perfect 50s in the final round. Two. Dominique was pulling out his best windmills—and they were incredible—but the judges (and the world) were mesmerized by the sheer violence of Spud’s finishes. When you’re 6'8", a dunk is a long reach. When you're 5'7", a dunk is a flight.
Why the Dunk Contest Spud Webb Legacy Still Matters
You've got to understand the context of the mid-80s. The NBA was a league of giants. If you were under six feet, you were expected to be a pesky floor general who stayed out of the paint. Spud shattered that. He proved that "explosiveness" wasn't reserved for the guys who could reach the top shelf without a stool.
He paved the way for guys like Muggsy Bogues and Earl Boykins. Later, he even mentored Nate Robinson (5'9") to win his own dunk titles. In 2006, Spud actually stood on the court while Nate jumped over him to win. It was a passing of the torch, or maybe a passing of the flight plan.
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Some people argue that the scoring was biased because of the "underdog" factor. Sure, the crowd was biased. Who wouldn't be? But if you watch the tape without looking at the heights, the technical execution of Spud's 360s and his timing on the self-lob are elite by any era's standards. He wasn't palming the ball, either—he didn't have big enough hands. He had to use the momentum of his jump to guide the ball into the hoop, which actually makes the degree of difficulty higher than what Dominique was doing.
Real Talk: The Aftermath
Winning the dunk contest Spud Webb style changed his life, but it was also a bit of a curse. For the rest of his 12-season career, fans expected him to be a circus act. People forgot he was a legit point guard who averaged over 10 points and 5 assists for years. He even led the league in free-throw percentage in 1995 (.934).
He wasn't just a dunker. He was a basketball player who happened to have rockets in his calves.
If you’re looking to understand the gravity of that night, don't just look at the trophy. Look at the faces of the other All-Stars on the sidelines. Michael Jordan, Julius Erving—these guys were the gods of flight. And they were looking at Spud like he was an alien.
Next Steps for the History Buffs
- Watch the 1986 Raw Footage: Look specifically for the "strawberry jam" dunk. The timing of the bounce is harder than it looks.
- Compare Verticals: Research the vertical leaps of current players like Mac McClung. You'll find that Spud’s 46 inches still holds up against the modern elite.
- Check the Stats: Look up Spud’s 1991-92 season with the Sacramento Kings. He averaged 16 points a game—proof that his game was much more than just a highlight reel.