This Saturday, four of the NBA’s best—Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic, Rudy Fernandez of the Portland Trail Blazers, J.R. Smith of the Denver Nuggets and Nate Robinson of the New York Knicks—will go head-to-head in the 2009 Slam Dunk Contest to determine who can catch the most air and take it to the hole in style.

While I’m sure these four men will put on a decent show, it’s doubtful that any will come close to exhibiting Michael Jordan’s ability to defy the laws of gravity at a whim. There’s a reason he earned the nickname “Air Jordan,” and it’s not because he had a flatulence problem.

No one could jump higher, shoot better or dunk harder than MJ, and many NBA legends buckled under the pressure whenever they confronted him 1-on-1 on the court.

Case in point: Back in the day, one of Jordan’s main rivals—for New Yorkers anyway—was Knicks Center Patrick Ewing. In this clip, Jordan masterfully dances around two Knicks guards before coming face-to-face with Ewing himself. Does he pause? No, he more or less jumps the entire height of Ewing’s body and slams it in his face.

If this year’s Slam Dunk Contest and/or All-Star Game provided similar jaw-dropping moments, I would be shocked, but I’m keeping my expectations firmly in check.
 

For this and more amazing legendary slam dunks, check out Gunaxin's top ten.