Slam Dunk - Dunk Types - Between The Legs

Between The Legs

For one-footed jumpers, the ball is generally transferred to the non-dominant hand just prior to or upon take-off; for two-footers, this transfer is delayed for milliseconds as both hands control the ball to prevent dropping it in the presence of additional momentum induced by the upward trajectory. While airborne, generally, the dominant leg is raised and the ball is transferred from non-dominant to dominant hand beneath the raised leg. Finally the ball is brought upwards by the dominant hand and slammed through the rim.

The between-the-legs dunk was popularized by Isiah Rider in the 1994 NBA slam dunk contest, so much so that the dunk is often colloquially referred to as a 'Ryder' dunk. However, Orlando Woolridge quietly ushered the dunk into the NBA contest a decade prior. Since these performances, the between-the-legs has been featured in the NBA contest by a number of participants, and has been a staple of other contests as well. While it may be considered archetypical of modern high-flyers, the dunk still caries a certain degree of difficulty on an account of the hand-eye coordination, flexibility, and hang-time required to complete it. As such, the dunk is generally reserved for exhibition and contest performances, absent from competitive game situations. However, both Josh Smith and Ricky Davis have both botched the dunk in NBA games, though Davis has managed to successfully complete the dunk in-game.

Because of the possible combinations of starting and finishing hands, and raised-legs, there are many variations on the basic between-the-legs dunk—perhaps more so than any other. For example, in a 1997 French Dunk contest, Dali Taamallah lept with his right leg while controlling the ball with his left hand, and once airborne he transferred the ball from his left hand, underneath his right leg to his right hand before completing the dunk. NBA star Jason Richardson has also pioneered several notable variations of the between-the-legs including a lob-pass to himself and a pass off of the backboard to himself. Independent athlete Shane 'Slam' Wise introduced a cuffed-cradle of the ball prior to initiating the under the leg transfer and finishing with two-hands. While a number of players have finished the dunk using one- or two-hands with their backs to the rim, perhaps the most renowned variant of the dunk is the combination with a 360°, or simply stated: a 360 between-the-legs. Due to the sheer athleticism and hang-time required, the dunk is a crowd favorite and is heralded by players as the preeminent of all dunks; as such is discussed at depth below.