Anthony Edwards has the highest Dunk Score with a dunk from the 2023-24 season earning a 124.4 Dunk Score.

Below is a list of frequently asked questions about the Dunk Score. For more information, read the Dunk Score 101 summary.

What is Dunk Score?

Dunk Score is an innovative new project led by NBA Stats that combines player tracking data and NBA Data Science to create the first-ever objective measurement of every dunk. Four subscores: power, jump, style and defensive contest make up the composite score on the Dunk Scale. 

How is Dunk Score calculated?

Over 25 features (e.g. player vertical, ball acceleration, defensive contest level) are calculated in real-time from NBA player tracking data immediately after a dunk happens in the game. An additional layer of data science built by the NBA Stats Team then weights the features in a model that outputs the final Dunk Score. 

Read more about how the Dunk Score is calculated here. 

How is the player tracking data compiled in real time?

A computer vision-based system built by Hawkeye is deployed in every NBA arena. The system computes a coordinate (x, y, z) for 29 body parts of every player, as well as the game ball, 60 times per second. 

Is there a maximum Dunk Score?

The Dunk Score is uncapped so there is no theoretical maximum. With the athleticism and explosiveness of NBA players always evolving, nobody can predict what could take place on any given night in the NBA. In this beta version of Dunk Score, there may be times the statistical formula will need to be updated to give each and every dunk the credit it deserves. 

Are subjective elements factored into the Dunk Score?

The Dunk Score is an objective output. Scores are not impacted on factors like the player who performed the dunk or the game situation. 

Do all subscores factor into the calculation the same?

No, not all subscores receive the same significance in the composite output. This weighting is based on extensive analysis of previous NBA dunks.

Can a Dunk Score change?

While it will be rare, there remains a possibility that a Dunk Score can change postgame based on pose data (player tracking data) being corrected or cleaned up. 

Where can I find information on Dunk Score?

Make sure to check the Dunk Score hub, the NBA App and NBA social media for the most up-to-date information on Dunk Score.

Can we calculate Dunk Scores from Previous Seasons?

The 2023-24 season was the first season with the necessary “pose”-based player tracking data from Hawkeye where 29 body parts are located on each player. Thus, Dunk Scores can only be calculated for dunks starting with the 2023-24 season and moving forward. The top Dunk Score from the 2023-24 season was Anthony Edwards with 124.4.