The past two seasons have seen Zach LaVine elevate his game both literally and figuratively. While the Minnesota Timberwolves shooting guards improves his all-around game, he leaves everyone dumbfounded with his dunking ability.
Turns out the general public isn’t the only set of people impressed by LaVine. Another former dunk champion by the name of Dr. J is comparing the young dunker to some of the league’s all time best (h/t Complex Sports):
I’ll tell you; Zach has put on a show the last couple of years. He has to get kudos. I don’t know if the surprise factor and the timing coordination dunks that he does are as impactful as what Vince Carter brought to the scene when he did a few things that hadn’t been seen before. I think with Connie Hawkins, myself, Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins, Clyde Drexler, there’s a lineage there, and I think Vince shook it up a little bit there with a couple of dunks there. I’m gonna let him reside in that spot right there.
In a similar vein, Dr. J called last year’s dunk contest the greatest he has ever seen. If you don’t remember, Zach LaVine and Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon had a showdown for the ages at All-Star Weekend:
It was clearly as good as the Wilkins-Jordan showdown, and I had a showdown with David Thompson back in ’76 which was the last year in the ABA. It doesn’t get acknowledged as much, but it was a great showdown. But Zach and [Aaron] Gordon, in terms of the guys who are judging and to hear what they had to say during that time, records are made to be broken, and standards of the bar are established to be challenged so somebody can go above it. I would put those two guys, the things they did this past show in Toronto, at the top of the bar. Even for them to chase next year, or put some new guys next year to go after it…they have raised the bar to a different level.
Hey when Dr. J says it, it’s probably true.
