If you’re of a certain age there’s a good chance you had a poster of an NBA star dunking hanging up in your bedroom. And outside of Michael Jordan, the most likely subject was, actually, quite unlikely due to his diminutive stature.
We’re talking about Dee Brown, who turned the world on its head with his unprecedented no-look jam during the 1991 NBA All-Star Dunk Contest.
Just like Brown’s dunk changed his life, Reebok is looking to change the life of the average college basketball fan. Reebok, the makers of the Zpumps, are giving away free tickets to the final game on April 6th in Indianapolis. Just click here to “pump” the Reebok pump button for a chance to win 2 tickets to the final game to crown the champions of college basketball. The four runner-ups will each receive a pair of Reebok Zpumps.
By now it’s probably burned in your brain. But here are five things you may not know about Brown’s majestic flight.
It Wasn’t Pre-Planned
One would think that such an inspired moment was a result of great foresight. After all, it’s best to have a gameplan entering a dunk contest. Otherwise you’re just out there trying random stuff out in midair. But Brown said the blind dunk came to him in the spur of the moment.
“That was the first time I’d tried that dunk, during the contest,” he’s said. “It just came to me right before that dunk. It just popped in my head that I needed to do something special, a signature dunk that people would remember me by,” Brown said. “Everybody remembers Dominique’s windmill, Jordan taking off from the foul line, and Spud Webb since he’s so small. So I needed something that people were going to talk about.”
It Put The Reebok Pump On The Map
Before Brown’s high-flying jam, there was really only one shoe anyone cared about at it was Jordan’s. But after the Celtics guard’s theatrical pump, everyone believed there was some magic that could be unleashed with a few pre-flight pumps.
While the science was never confirmed on such a theory, it didn’t stop every aspiring baller from vigorously pumping their own kicks before key moments.
The savviest marketer in the world couldn’t have done for a company what Brown did for Reebok surreptitiously.
Brown Recreated The Dunk 22 Years Later
At Rucker Park. In jeans. Spoiler alert: it wasn’t as good as the original.
Brown’s Dunk Changed The Dunk Contest Forever
Before this epic moment in slamming, the contest had been essentially about which player had the most athleticism. Julius Erving and Dominique Wilkins thrilled with their jumping ability. Spud Webb delighted with his Mighty Mouse like hops.
But Brown’s dunk brought the contest into the prop era. Sure, he only used his arm but it was a harbinger of what was to come. Year after year the contest became more dramatic with more elaborate setups, designed to be a theatrical experience.
All of these attempts were trying to recapture the moment Brown proved he didn’t even need his eyes to amaze,
Some would argue the magic was never replicated.
Without The Dunk, Brown Probably Would Have Been An NBA Footnote
The dunk contest use to feature the biggest names in the game. The participation of top-tier talent dwindled with time. As disappointing as that is, it allowed names like Brown and Harold Miner and Brent Barry to shine, a place in basketball lore.
Let’s face it. Brown didn’t exactly have a Hall of Fame career.
But nothing can take this moment away from him.
Ever.
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