William Easton, a 5’2” point guard is the shortest to slam dunk in the NBA.
While not impossible, dunking at short height is still unbelievably crazy but someone was able to set this record. Dunking takes months of practice and patience and even some of the NBA pros took a lot of work before being able to learn this skill.
If you’re under 6 feet tall and you ever dream of becoming a great dunker then keep reading.
Who is William Easton?
William Easton is a senior at Ribault High School in Jacksonville, Florida.
Check out this video to see how amazing he dunks at only 5’2″.
Now let’s find out how to exactly dunk a basketball? Does height really matter? Surely do but there are also other factors.
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How to dunk a basketball?

Height and athleticism are the primary factors in dunking. However, limb length and wingspan are equally as important as height. There are also other factors that determine whether or not a player can dunk.
A 6 foot under guy doesn’t have much of a shot with a 10-foot rim unless he’s like William Easton or Spud Webb. At the same time, a 6 footer won’t have a chance without at least a bit of athletic ability. Not everyone has the ability to dunk but some were able to manage it.
Building strength
Being fit is the best way to get started and there are exercise routines or workouts to help in improving your fitness. Some of the basic exercises to improve strength include squats, lunges, hamstring curls and leg press. Once that’s established, it’s easier to increase vertical jumps and boost power.
Jump
Generally, a player can get his highest when jumping off one foot and reaching up with one hand. For a right-hander, the most common way is approaching from the left and jumping off the left foot with the ball in the right hand. However, some people find jumping off two feet more comfortable, so experiment and find what’s best for you.
Going up for a two-handed slam, while awesome, is a more advanced dunk and shouldn’t be the goal just yet. To slip your hand over the rim and throw down a ball means to eliminate anything that might keep you from your vertical maximum. So your other hand should stay at your side to balance your body.
If you’re unsure of your potential, start jumping without a ball first. Get the hang of it until you’re able to touch the rim. Remember to be patient and consistent while learning this.
Progression
From the jump and hoop course, keep going and work your way up. Start with smaller balls to practice timing and elevation. It’s quite difficult than just grabbing the rim, and a good step toward throwing down a big ball. If you can throw smaller balls with ease, then start with a bigger basketball.
If you’re not feeling confident or you’re tired, you won’t stand a chance at dunking it. Don’t get frustrated if you have several attempts and you’re still not good at it. Some days our legs are tired after long hours of the jumping session and that’s normal.
With a ball
Now you’re close to your dunking journey and able to palm an NBA basketball. Work at it, patience and focus. If your first dunk isn’t good then have your second try until you finally get a clean one. If you’re able to slam dunk the rim, keep practicing and work harder.
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Here are the shortest NBA dunkers under 6 feet
Most people would say that you have to be tall to be good at basketball or at least if you want to dunk an NBA sized rim. Here’s the list of the shortest NBA dunkers who are probably as tall or shorter than you.
1 Spud Webb
At 5 foot 7, Webb is the shortest NBA dunker who won an NBA small dunk contest. In 1986, he beat his teammate Dominique Wilkins (legendary dunker himself) with two perfect 50s in the final round.
As a commentator said during the contest, “He makes it hard for anybody to argue that he is too small for basketball.” He motivated a whole generation of short basketball players and showed you don’t have to be over 6 feet tall to dunk. His dunks still hold up today! The short shorts don’t.
2 Nate Robinson
The only three-time Slam Dunk contest winner is an athletic beast! Nate Robinson went to college on a football scholarship and also excelled in track and field in high school.
This 5’9” point guard became famous for his dunk over a 6’ 10” Dwight Howard dressed as “Kryptonate” to win the 2009 Dunk Contest. He also showed his amazing 43-inch vertical jump in 2006 when he blocked Yao Ming who is almost 2 feet taller.
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3 Allen Iverson

This pick may be controversial as Allen Iverson is listed as 6’0 tall in most sources. But honestly, it’s still unbelievable.
Everybody knows NBA teams (and players) like to exaggerate height, and 6’0″ is an especially popular height among NBA players.
However tall he may be, there is no denying Iverson was one of the greatest short dunkers of all time. He dunked 40 times in his career.
4 Will Bynum
At 5’11”, Will Bynum aka “Will The Thrill” or “Bynumite” went undrafted in the 2005 NBA draft and spent his rookie year playing in the NBA Development League where he earned the NBDA Rookie of the Year Award. After a two-year stint in the Euroleague, he impressed the Detroit Pistons in the summer league and finally got his chance to play in the NBA. He is a great example of what you can achieve if you never give up and keep working hard!
That ends our fun post about the shortest dunkers in basketball history. And a short crash course on basketball dunking. So if you still think that height matters to dunking in basketball, you may want to read this post again.
Who’s your favourite shortest NBA dunker on the list? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below!
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