What's a Slam Dunk?

A slam dunk, also simply dunk, is a type of basketball shot that is performed when a player jumps in the air, controls the ball above the horizontal plane of the rim, and scores by putting the ball directly through the basket with one or both hands touching the rim.

What does the idiom slam dunk mean?

The phrase "slam dunk" has entered popular usage in American English outside of its basketball meaning, to refer to a "sure thing": an action with a guaranteed outcome, or a similarly impressive achievement. This is related to the high probability of success for a slam dunk versus other types of shots.

Why are slam dunks illegal?

The NCAA banned the slam before the 1967-1968 college season for a couple of reasons. In the organization's words, the dunk “was not a skillful shot,” and the rules committee said the ban was also a result of injury concerns. ... Alcindor regularly dunked over his opponents his first year in college.