A few months ago, Vernon Maxwell and Byron Scott discussed their top five dunkers of all time.
Scott opened his ranking for "Boveda" with Tracy McGrady. He later placed Dominique Wilkins at number four. Julius Erving took the third spot without hesitation. Zach LaVine came in at number two.
But his number one choice was a completely different player. It was Vince Carter taking the crown.
Scott didn't go into it completely set on all of his choices.
For instance, he initially had Ja Morant of the Portland Trail Blazers at No. 4. Eventually, though, another all-time great dunker made the list.
"I'm a go back 'cause I'm going to take Ja Morant out. Okay. I'm putting Dominique Wilkins in that spot," said the three-time NBA champion with the Los Angeles Lakers .
LaVine's inclusion one spot ahead of Wilkins came from something Scott had watched unfold live. He talked about the former's legendary windmill dunk from the free-throw line during the final round of the 2016 NBA Slam Dunk Contest. It happened in February 2016. Still, Scott said he hadn't seen anyone else replicate it.
"That boy got hops. I ain't never seen anybody jump from the free throw line and windmill it like he did," he remarked.
None of that mattered once he reached the top of his list, though.
Maxwell was sure Scott would go for the legendary Michael Jordan. Instead, Scott opted for the player he introduced with the nickname "Mr. Insanity."
"Vince Carter — my number one," he said.
The 2008 Coach of the Year then explained his reasoning.
"I saw VC do some stuff in games and in dunk contests that I ain't never seen before. So, I'm going with Vince Carter as the greatest dunker I've ever seen in the NBA," Scott emphasized.
Maxwell, for his part, didn't argue. He just admitted the pick spoke for itself, saying it was "flowers right there" for Carter.
Just how good was Carter at dunking? The highlight reels tell part of the story. But if someone does not have the time, one fact says enough. After all, one of his dunks even has its very own Wikipedia page .
It is the "Dunk of Death," which happened at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.
Back then, Carter picked off a pass on a fast break and saw 7'2″ French center Frédéric Weis waiting under the rim. The future Hall of Famer went up anyway. Years later, Weis said he learned that very day that people could actually fly. French media called it "le dunk de la mort."
Ultimately, Scott and Carter never shared an NBA court. Scott retired after the 1996-97 season. Carter, the former No. 5 pick out of UNC, did not begin his rookie season with the Toronto Raptors until 1998-99.
Maxwell did share the floor with him, though. Twice . That said, the Houston Rockets ' two-time NBA champion got a close look at how dominant Air Canada was as an athlete. It still was not enough. Carter was not Maxwell's number one.
Maxwell ranked Dominique Wilkins fifth. Tracy McGrady came in fourth. Robert Horry took the third spot. Carter landed at number two. Only one player topped him. Jordan.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Aug 29, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
