Who is the shortest person to slam dunk in the NBA?

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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