Slam dunk

Slam Dunk is a term chiefly only known in North America and amongst followers of US basketball. It derives from basketball, where a slam dunk (or sometimes just dunk) is a particular method of scoring points. In a slam dunk, the player, holding the ball in one or both hands, leaps off the floor and jams the ball directly into the basket, and then usually hangs from the hoop for a second or two. The slam dunk is one of the most visually impressive moves in all of basketball.

Related Topics:
North America - US - Basketball

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The term was coined by Chick Hearn.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Due to this visual impressiveness, slam dunks gain wide recognition. Posters of famous players often capture them in the act of dunking, and every year the NBA holds a widely publicized slam dunk contest at the NBA All-Star Game. Most famous are slam dunks that actually shatter the backboard, which occur very infrequently, or dunks that are combined with other tricks, such as an alley oop.

Related Topics:
Poster - NBA - NBA All-Star Game - Alley oop

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A slam dunk is often referred to as "jamming"; this was the root of the title of the popular arcade game series NBA Jam.

Related Topics:
Arcade game - NBA Jam

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~