Anthony “Spud” Webb was always told he was too small to play basketball.  That never stopped the 5′6″ Webb from pursuing his dream and becoming a star in the NBA.  Spud Webb had an incredible leaping ability with a vertical leap around 42 inches, which he showed off in the 1986 Slam Dunk Contest.  Spud ended up winning that Dunk Contest, and it really put him on the map.  Most people know about the show he put on in that 1986 Dunk Contest, but most people don’t realize that Spud really was a solid NBA player for quite a few years.  He was a rookie the year he won that dunk contest, and he only averaged about 16 minutes per game in his first four seasons with the Hawks.  He still made an impact, despite playing such few minutes.  As a rookie, he not only won the dunk contest, but he also averaged 15.6 minutes, 7.8 points, 4.3 assists, 1.6 rebounds, 1.0 steals and shot 48% from the field.  Those are some pretty good numbers for a rookie, especially one playing just 15 minutes per game.  His breakout season was in the 1990-’91 season, where he played 29.3 minutes per game and averaged 13.4 points, 5.6 assists, 2.3 rebounds, 1.6 steals, and shot 45% from the field.

Spud impressed a lot of teams around the league, especially the Sacramento Kings who traded for him the next season.  He had his best season that year (91-92) with the Kings, averaging 35 minutes, 16.0 points, 7.1 assists, 2.9 rebounds, 1.6 steals, and shot 45% from the field and 37% from three.  Although Webb had his best years statistically with the Spurs, he will always be remembered for that memorable 1986 Dunk Contest as an Atlanta Hawk.  Spud Webb inspired many small guards from then on, including Tyrone “Mugsy” Bogues (5′3″), Earl Boykins (5′5″), and most of all Nate Robinson (5′9″).  Spud was Robinson’s inspiration for the 2006 Dunk Contest and trained him for it, which Robinson went on to win.  Robinson also won the 2009 Dunk Contest and will be looking for his third Dunk Contest win in this year’s contest, which Spud will be a judge for.

From 1982-1994 the Atlanta Hawks’ fans had the opportunity to watch the best finisher in NBA history in my own humble opinion. That would be small forward Dominique Wilkins. Nicknamed the Human Highlight Film, Wilkins would dunk on anyone and anytime with results that would often take the breath away of anyone watching the game. But, Wilkins was much more than a dunking machine as he was a great offensive player for the Hawks. He played in 882 games (878 starts) in his career with the Hawks and he averaged 26.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.4 steals per game. I’ve added a video to remind you all of his greatness.