Chapter 13: 1985 all-star slam dunk contest
THE EVOLUTION OF MICHAEL JORDAN INDEX
Last chapter: First 40+ point game
Jordan made such a huge impact early on during his rookie season that he was voted to the starting lineup of the 1985 all-star game. Not only that, he also earned himself a spot in the slam dunk contest.
The slam dunk contest was something new to the league, having only been installed in 1984. The first ever slam dunk contest was won by Larry Nance, who beat out Dr. J Julius Erving to take home the title. Both players came back for the 1985 contest, which also featured high fliers like Dominique Wilkins, Darrell Griffith, Orlando Woolridge, Clyde Drexler, and another rookie sensation Terence Stansbury.
Jordan oddly decided to dunk in warmups
Here are the highlights from the 1985 slam dunk contest.
Jordan and Wilkins led all contestants in the semi-final round, eliminating Terence Stansbury, Dr. J, and last year’s winner Larry Nance from the competition.
Final round showdown between Jordan and Wilkins
You can watch the entire contest here.
But as we already know with Michael, losing will only make him rise up to the challenge. Wilkins and Jordan were destined for another epic slam dunk showdown, which would not happen for another 3 years.
THE EVOLUTION OF MICHAEL JORDAN 