My attraction with the douse alike led me to do things I wasn't appreciative of, like blind out with one adjacency guy because he had a rim alfresco that could be bargain to dunkable heights. Accumulated with the actuality that his earlier brother had copies of "Penthouse Letters" hidden beneath the bore in the bathroom, his abode was like the Holy Grail for addition beneath the age of 13. I never admired him, but I weaseled my way assimilate his driveway at atomic alert a week.

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Click on the photo to see who I rank as the top 10 Slam Douse champions anytime

Eventually, I assuredly got to a point area I could accurately attack to douse on a adjustment rim. Never fabricated one admitting aggravating about 1,000 times.

While my canicule of jumping and accepting blimp by the advanced of the rim are continued over, the douse fascinates me. And because of that, the NBA Slam Douse Challenge has been article I've looked advanced to for as continued as I remember.

In the body up for the NBA Slam Douse Challenge set for Saturday night at Staples Center, I re-watched every Douse Challenge aback the alliance added it to its All-Star anniversary in 1984. Were they consistently as acceptable as I remember? Of beforehand not. Still, this is my affair – and actuality are my thoughts on the history of my admired contest.

1984 in Denver

The NBA absitively to convention All-Star Saturday in a applicable abode – Denver – the burghal area the ABA debuted their douse challenge in 1976. Compared to the accepted product, this aboriginal adaptation of the douse challenge in about unrecognizable. There were nine dunkers instead of four – and like a babyish speaking it's a aboriginal word, aloof about aggregate was impressive.

Take this for example. Larry Nance denticulate a 49 by casting the brawl off the backboard and ablution with it two easily – causing the anchorperson to assert "Larry Nance with a abundant gamble, and it pays off big." Plus if you accumulated the actual acclimated to accomplish all the competitor's shorts, you ability accept abundant to accomplish one accepted NBA uniform.

A few notable things appear here: Orlando Woolridge becomes the aboriginal dunker to jump and put the brawl amid his legs afore dunking. Julius Erving array the aboriginal absolute account by jumping from the free-throw line. Nance wins by not missing any dunks in the finals – a trend we'll see throughout the years.

1985 in Indianapolis

The Douse Challenge took a big footfall advanced in 1985 by agreeable a blab amateur from the Chicago Bulls. Michael Jordan looks like an conflicting compared to his competitors. He spends the aboriginal annular ablution in a Nike countdown suit; he's agitation a gold alternation and shoes with his name on them.

We additionally get our aboriginal architecture tweak, with Larry Nance and Julius Erving accepting a bye into the additional annular because of their first- and second-place finishes the year before.

The highlights: Indiana's Terrance Stansbury does the Statue of Liberty, a douse area he holds the brawl in one duke while accomplishing a 360. A computer scoring absurdity originally keeps Jordan out of the additional annular afore it's adapted (How archaic were the computers area they couldn't add?). The champ wins $12,000, and because the award-winning money never gets over $40,000, that's a acceptable block of money.

Most importantly, Jordan loses to Dominique Wilkins, sparking one of the best alone rivalries of the decade.

1986 in Dallas

A burst bottom keeps us from seeing Jordan-Wilkins, annular two. We get our aboriginal ambiguous anticipation selections, with Martina Navralitova accepting the nod to advice adjudge the winner. Makes sense.

The finals pit teammates adjoin one another, with Wilkins adverse off adjoin 5-foot-6 Spud Webb. Webb wins the crowd, and eventually, wins the contest.

1987 in Seattle

This time, an abrasion to Dominique keeps us from a Jordan-Wilkins rematch, but Jordan's back, and he's the bright favorite. We additionally accept our aboriginal white guy in the challenge – Tom Chambers.

Jordan shouldn't accept fabricated the semi-finals, but the NBA bare him to advance, so Jordan got a 47 for a actual banal douse off a bounce.

Jordan eventually wins the challenge by accomplishing the aforementioned douse twice, jumping from alfresco the lane, aptitude in and accomplishing a windmill.

1988 in Chicago

Three above champs aboveboard off at the old Chicago Stadium – 'Nique, Jordan and Spud are all in the contest.

The finals are appealing epic, with Wilkins and Jordan trading huge array by accomplishing their signature stuff. Jordan wins it (never was activity to lose in Chicago), by accomplishing his booty on the free-throw band dunk. For sports nerds who grew up in Chicago with austere parents, the affiche commemorating this was our adaptation of Farrah Fawcett in the red bathing suit.

1989 in Houston

Clyde Drexler – a actor in anniversary challenge so far – is aback and loses again. He's the Eugene Debs of the Douse Contest. (Note -- Debs was a left-wing who ran for admiral bristles times afterwards winning. It's an abstruse reference, but it's adamantine to acquisition examples of bodies who access contests over and over afresh who never win. Usually they accord up. Maybe a added acceptable way to accept put this was "Clyde Drexler is the Clyde Drexler of the NBA Slam Douse Contest").

Kenny Walker, a advanced from the Fresh York Knicks with a hi-top achromatize acceptable abundant to get him into Kid 'N' Play, wins the challenge a anniversary afterwards his ancestor died.

Touching story? Yes. Acceptable contest? No.

1990 in Miami

While Dominique wins this one, this is a axis point in agreement of the Douse Challenge actuality added about creativity. Guys like Rex Chapman (white guy No. 2), Kenny Smith and Shawn Kemp alpha ablution off the toss, abacus a accomplished fresh aspect to the Contest.

As a bonus, Craig Sager is alive the sidelines cutting a accustomed clothing – not a accustomed afterimage to NBA fans.

'Nique is additionally the aftermost big brilliant to win for the abutting 10 years.

1991 in Charlotte

The is one of my favorites. You accept Shawn Kemp throwing bottomward artistic dunks with ferocity; Rex Chapman accepting the home army into it by accomplishing a agglomeration of artistic tosses. Kenny Smith is bouncing the brawl amid his legs off the backboard.

And, best memorably, there's Dee Brown pumping up his Reeboks and accoutrement his eyes to ice the contest.

It was acceptable fun, abnormally compared to the clay that's about to be served up in the Douse Challenge over the abutting few years.

1992 in Orlando

It's a appealing aberrant contest, in hindsight, because of the cardinal of players who seemed like approaching stars who never accomplished their abounding potential. There's Larry Johnson, Nick Anderson and Stacey Augmon all in the field, abutting by John Starks, Doug West and approaching Laker Cedric Ceballos.

Shawn Kemp's additionally back, potentially for a life-changing weekend. Calvin Murphy is a adjudicator for the contest, and amid him and Kemp, they accept at atomic 21 accouchement (a agenda you won't acquisition in the NBA's bold addendum for the contest). Did Murphy cull Kemp abreast at some point during the weekend to say, "Shawn, condoms are way overrated?" I'm action yes.

Ceballos ends up acceptable the challenge by ablution blindfolded, admitting he about absolutely could see through it.

1993 in Utah

One of my admired entrants of all time, Chris Jackson (later to be Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf) gets a atom in the acreage alike admitting he had never dunked in a NBA game. Shockingly, he didn't win.

The arbitrary comparisons for Harold Miner, nicknamed "Baby Jordan" while arena at USC alone get worse afterwards he takes home the acme abaft some big-time ability dunks.

1994 in Minneapolis

The NBA afresh tinkers with the format, now giving dunkers 90 abnormal to do three dunks. Acceptable affair they arrive Antonio Davis and Allen Houston to participate.

Isaiah Rider wins the challenge in advanced of his home army by busting out a douse we haven't apparent aback Orlando Woolridge in 1984. Rider started on the baseline, took a few dribbles, jumped and put the brawl beneath his leg afore ablution it.

I anon try this on a seven-foot rim and acreage on my butt.

1995 in Phoenix

The 90-second alarm is back, causing the TV announcers to analyze the Douse Challenge to a "figure skating routine." Nice.

Some appealing funny moments here: 1) Jamie Watson gets alien to the army and there's no reaction. Watson doesn't alike get up from the bench, about like alike he doesn't admit the name. 2) The camera assuredly abstracts out to alpha assuming Dikembe Mutombo's reactions to every dunk, arch to some of the funniest faces anytime fabricated by a 7-foot man. 3) The Lakers are represented by Antonio Harvey, who milks the alarm bottomward to its final abnormal aggravating to pump up the army afore attempting a 360 dunk. He all-overs able-bodied larboard of the rim and throws the brawl off the ancillary of the rim.

Harold Miner wins his additional appellation with a few absorbing ability dunks.

1996 in San Antonio

The blush barrier is assuredly burst in the Slam Douse Challenge as Brent Barry (white guy actor No. 3) pulls it out by ablution from the free-throw band while cutting his Clippers' countdown jacket.

Unlike around anybody who has attempted that douse afore him, Barry absolutely does booty off from the free-throw line.

1997 in Cleveland

A audacious amateur from Los Angeles, some dude called Kobe Bryant, makes it into the finals of the challenge with Chris Carr and Michael Finley.

Before we get to Lil' Mamba's performance, we accept to acknowledgment white guy No. 4 (Bob Sura) and the silliest douse anytime attempted in the history of the contest. Finley throws himself a aerial toss, does the affliction cartwheel anytime attempted, grabs the brawl and misses the dunk.

Kobe looks a little like Jordan. For one, he's ablution in his countdown shirt. In the aboriginal round, he makes a nice one-handed about-face and a able two-handed about-face area he brings the brawl bottomward to his feet.

Then in the finals, Kobe wins it by activity amid the legs, afterward the douse by actualization his now acclaimed tough-guy beneath bite.

2000 in Oakland

After a two-year hiatus, the Douse Challenge comes aback with its best appearance to date. Steve Francis is as agitative of a abbreviate dunker as we've seen, accomplishing absolutely air-conditioned actuality off the toss. Tracy McGrady hasn't been riddled with injuries yet, and he flashes some austere ablution skill.

But both of those guys never had a adventitious with Vince Carter in the competition.

Carter unleashes a battery of "Holy (expletive)" dunks. He starts with a 360 windmill, spinning abroad from the bassinet instead of appear it. Then, he takes a canyon from McGrady and goes amid the legs.

Things get absolute austere in the finals aback Carter puts his bend through the rim, abrogation the army stunned. He acme off his night by accomplishing the free-throw band dunk, alone slamming it home with two hands.

It's awe-inspiring to watch now because it feels awe-inspiring to see Vince Carter affliction about something.

2001 in Washington D.C.

No way this challenge could've lived up to what we saw in Oakland, and there's no way it did.

Not abundant to say actuality added than Desmond Mason wins it with two absolutely nice, bequest dunks. Mason leaned in like Jordan and accomplished things off with a two-handed windmill like Dominique. Acceptable stuff, but no area abreast the Vinsanity of the year before.

2002 in Philadelphia

The NBA panics afresh and adds a antic gimmick – trotting out a douse caster with a TV awning in the middle. Contestants would circuit the caster and be assigned a douse from either the '80's, '90's, a abstruseness category, a Jordan category, a Dominique class or Doctor J category.

Charles Barkley, who was alive the advertisement at the time he said this: "I don't anticipate this is a acceptable idea." Per usual, he's right.

Also, the four dunkers competed head-to-head in a single-elimination tournament, arch to a final match-up amid Gerald Wallace and Jason Richardson.

Wallace absolutely has a adventitious to win afterwards Richardson does a absolutely apparent douse from central from the free-throw line, but Wallace chokes aback aggravating to put his bend in the rim like Carter.

With the aperture open, Richardson throws bottomward an amazing two-handed about-face windmill to win the title.

It's the aboriginal time Kenny Smith says a douse is so sick, that it has "the flu."

Three years afterwards aback Smith still runs that band out there, I get "the nausea."

2003 in Atlanta

A appealing loaded douse challenge with Amar'e Stoudamire, Richard Jefferson, Richardson and Mason.

Richardson and Mason, both above champs, accommodated in the finals, and Mason has Richardson on the ropes.

Like a appreciative Spartan would, Richardson doesn't aback down. He goes to the baseline, tosses the ball, catches it off the animation with his larboard duke and aback to the rim, goes beneath his leg and dunks it with one duke over his head.

He bare to account a 49 to win; he denticulate 50. And yes, that douse had "the flu."

2004 in Los Angeles

Staples Center holds its aboriginal Douse Challenge and America gets alien to Chris Anderson – the lovable, spiky-haired, tatted-up, 6-foot-10 dude bottomward the street. As anon as he's introduced, Jack Nicholson starts animated uncontrollably, pointing at the Birdman's head.

Fred Jones and Richardson end up activity head-to-head in the finals, but afore that, we get our accidental celebrity analysis of the night. Why, it's Michael Ian Black sitting two rows abaft the dunkers. I adulation L.A.

Also, we get Fred Jones whipping a canyon to a dude in the stands, who gain to bandy him an alley-oop from the seats.

Still, Richardson can win aloof by scoring a 42, but instead, he tries to hit a home run. Richardson tries to do a 360, catastrophe the douse with his bend in the rim (like Carter). He can't do it; Jones wins afterwards neither amateur makes his aftermost dunk.

2005 in Denver

The NBA reacts to both of its finalists catastrophe the 2004 challenge with misses by adage that you now douse until you accomplish one.

Chris Anderson will accomplish two dunks on 15 tries.

Along with Anderson, Josh Smith, J.R. Smith and Amar'e Stoudamire are in the contest; Magic Johnson picks "Smith."

A brace of appealing air-conditioned dunks including Stoudamire casting the brawl to Steve Nash, who active off the backboard afore Stoudamire dunks. J.R. Smith goes abaft the aback in the air, and Josh Smith ripped off his jersey to acknowledge a Dominique Wilkins jersey afore throwing bottomward a windmill.

Magic ends up actuality appropriate as Josh Smith wins the contest.

2006 in Houston

The aphorism area you can try as abounding dunks until you accomplish one is still in place, and the best overrated dunker of the aftermost 10 years, 5-foot-9 Nate Robinson, takes abounding advantage of it. (More on this later).

He tries and tries and tries to go amid his legs, 13 times in total, afore authoritative one. It's like his ablution has a stutter.

Andre Iguodala does some absolutely air-conditioned stuff, including communicable an alley-oop from abaft the basket, jumping in bound and authoritative a reverse.

Nate Rob bounces aback with a air-conditioned dunk, bringing Spud Webb assimilate the court, accepting a bung from him and jumping over him for a appealing air-conditioned moment.

In the finals, Robinson wins afterwards attempting a douse 15 times to get one down. This is why I say he's overrated; it aloof takes him too continued to accomplish a dunk, authoritative it beneath impressive.

After he gets the trophy, Magic calls it a achievement for "little people" everywhere.

2007 in Las Vegas

The NBA All-Star Weekend is in Vegas – what could go wrong? Obviously, Michael Jordan is a adjudicator because aback has he anytime angry bottomward a cruise to Vegas.

We've got addition change in rules; dunkers get two account to accomplish a dunk, and if they still haven't fabricated one, they get two added tries.

Gerald Green, Nate Robinson and Dwight Howard (the tallest adversary anytime in the contest) absolutely abduct the show. Green's best actuality included agitation a Dee Brown jersey and accomplishing the cover-the-eyes douse while jumping over Robinson. Blooming wins, but the best douse in the challenge came address of Howard.

Jameer Nelson threw Howard a aerial toss, and Howard catches it with his appropriate duke and dunks it. Doesn't attending like abundant at first, but the replays appearance Howard cupping a sticker in his larboard duke – a sticker he puts 12 anxiety up on the backboard. (Nelson had hidden a band measure).

The lath had no clue what had aloof happened, but they'd anon acquisition out Howard was aloof accepting started.

2008 in Fresh Orleans

Gerald Blooming defends his acme by unleashing the "Birthday Cake" douse – agreement a lit cupcake on the aback of the rim – communicable a pass, alarming out the candle and authoritative a douse – all afterwards the cupcake hitting the ground.

Still no one will bethink that one.

Dwight Howard advisers a Superman catchbasin top and cape – all-overs from aloof central the free-throw band and throws it through the rim. It's apparently one of the coolest replays in challenge history, with Howard so aerial off the arena and the cape bent in the air abaft him.

For acceptable measure, he afterwards tosses one to himself, jumps, curtains the brawl off the lath with one duke and dunks it with the other.

2009 in Phoenix

Pau Gasol makes a cameo, casual to Rudy Fernandez – admitting poorly. Howard does some air-conditioned stuff, ablution on a 12-foot rim, but he can't area off Nate-Rob's kryptonite.

Wearing all green, Robinson "jumps over" Howard (he gets a addition from Howard's back) and dunks to win the crowd.

With admirers allotment the champ via text, Robinson wins by accepting 52 percent.

Even added notable, LeBron James says he's preliminarily entering his name into the 2010 Douse Contest. It's one "decision" he doesn't chase through on.

2010 in Dallas

Robinson joins Gerald Wallace, DeMar DeRozan and Shannon Brown – who got in abundantly in allotment to LetShannonDunk.com.

After two appealing barbarous dunks by challenge standards, Kenny Smith says "Don't let Shannon douse dot com."

Robinson (now the aboriginal three-time winner) defeats DeRozan in a appealing accustomed final, which brings us to...

2011 in Los Angeles

Blake Griffin, the best agitative bold dunker in years, makes his Douse Challenge debut, and I absolutely apprehend there to be a gigantic fizz in the allowance aback the brawl is in his hands. Maybe he'll cull a 540; maybe he'll attending like Dominique Wilkins 2.0.

Either way, I'll leave happy. It's my thing, and I adulation it.