Documentary on 1976 ABA Slam Dunk Contest 

David Thompson was nicknamed "Skywalker" long before Star Wars was a thing

The Doctor saved both leagues simultaneous

No disrespect to Jordan or Le Bron or any other greats, but Dr. J was the greatest of all. He was from another planet. Too bad you can't find old ABA games to watch him day after day.

Julius could have jumped from at least 1 metre further than the free throw line. He had so much left at the end, simply amazing.

The ABA was the best thing to happen to the NBA. Dr.J was the best thing to happen to the ABA,NBA,Rutker Park, BASKETBALL!

This Slam Dunk Contest was not the very first; it was the first "Official" Slam Dunk Contest. The first actual one took place in front of just over 10,000 at half time at the previous year's 1975 ABA All Star Game in San Antonio - and it was a spontaneous unofficial event that the players simply did on their own. While my memory's a little hazy about all the contestants and I have found no video of the game, let alone its half time events, they were pretty much the same high flyers as in this 1976 video from Denver. What isn't hazy is my memory of Dr.J's winning dunk. Julius started running from the opposite corner with a ball in each hand. I'm not sure exactly where he took off from, but it was somewhere at or beyond the free throw line. Flying rapidly through the air, he slowly turned a 180 so that he reached the basket with his back to it. From there he tomahawked each ball over his opposite shoulder, before gracefully landing with knees bent and arms outstretched to the sides taking in the roar of the stunned & delirious crowd. It was the most incredible combination of speed, power, athleticism, finesse, and ballet-like body control I have ever seen in any athletic event. After 60 years as a basketball junkie, I still watch NBA All Star Dunk Contests. I've seen some great dunks over the years. But none compare with that one, from 25 year old Dr J at his physical peak.

Seeing Dr. J play was watching poetry in motion and witnessing basketball history at the same time. He was a true innovator. Thank you for the memories Dr. J!

In 1972 the ABA played the NBA in an exhibition game at the Nassau County Coliseum--final score NBA 106, ABA 104...there is video, but it omits the fourth quarter, where Dr. J actually dunked from the foul line DURING THE GAME!!! I saw it and remember being blown away and then not being shocked when he did the same thing in the contest....

David " Skywalker" Thompson was the MAN. Mr. Excitement with the coolest nickname ever!!

ABA was AWESOME!!!

Doc and Sky were putting down some big league dunks. If DT hadn't missed that one, he may could have won. The FT dunk was great but that 360 and double pump brought down between DT's legs was cool too.

The ABA was about to take over,it was more exciting and skillful with more talented players 💯🏀

Erving might have been 6" inside the foul line, but he was still flying well past the bucket. Still my favorite dunk. DT looks good in his interviews here. Glad to see him sober and doing well. An incredible player. I was a big fan of his! 360 dunk out of the corner was crazy!

Lucky to watch the game in Denver...ABA would kicked the NBA ass back in the day!

Am I the only one that noticed that David Thompson, a guy who was listed at 6’ 4” but was only about 6’ 2” just did a standing double clutch back scratcher?!??!!!

I remember this well!, I just had turned 8, an the Doc, Iceman, an the Skywalker was in it!, This is all you heard about a week prior, an my house was packed with about 10, of my parent's friends kicking it fa real!!!

Anyone ever notice how long Thompson's arms are? If you look at his actual vertical, it's not that high, though I know it was supposedly measured at 44". However, I think this is highly speculative. Jordan had a 48" vertical and was a far greater leaper than a mere 4" would suggest. Finally, as with Jordan, the size of Dr. J's hands allowed him to create dunks no one else could even think of.

my friend, Carl Scheer as I worked with him on a couple events. it was HIS idea as commissioner of the ABA. He told me this story!

So you say MJ I say Dr J in his prime maybe the goat he saved both leagues

They shared $1200.00 in prize money? That's pathetic for what they were worth in drawing the crowd.

Dr J. The True Original jumpman bottomline. Thats one bad man

The very first slam dunk contest took place on January 27, 1976. One day before my sixth birthday. Thirty-nine years later, on March 3, 2015 in Atlanta, GA, I ended up meeting the winner of that particular contest, Julius Erving. My favorite basketball player.

I love the Doc and always will!!!!

The merger was the best thing that happened to basketball. It took a little bit of time but it eventually combined the best aspects of both leagues. Wait - Star Wars hadn't come out yet in 1976 so how did they get that nickname from Star Wars? I think George Lucas or David Thompson have some explaining to do....

Loved that era.

Star Wars movie did not come out until 1977, a year after the dunk contest.

The 1976 ABA All-Star Game in Denver was shown only on local television, since the league never had a major television contract.

ONLY thing I don't like is the photo of Skywalker in his "Brown ball" uniform dunking instead of a nice ABA still pic.

I'm assuming the player dunking the ball on the right in the thumbnail was the inspiration for the 1983 NBA all-star game poster. Who was he?

Im lookin for a video about the 84 dunk contest and others , but the 84 was edited with a classical music and its superb

aba was fun league great players

The only reason I did not win this is because I was not born yet, and Ducks cannot fly before they are born.

Too bad Jackie Moon was hurt this night. I think he would beaten both the Dr. & Thompson.

cold

Nice of them to use jaco pastorius for some of the music in this

Dr. was way over the line by the length of his foot

Oh and it wasn't so much a merger it was more like a massacre by the boring brown ball league.

レア過ぎるぞ 😂

The Dr.....UMASS product

DOCUMENTRY= DALLAS OWE SEE HUMAN CROSS ARE Y MAIN CONNECTICUT AFRICA

l like see but