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Number 5: Nike Air Max Fly By/Hyperdunk 2011
That’s right – the first entry to our list isn’t even a Super.Fly model.
Few dunks are as iconic as Griffin’s dunk over the Kia Optima. It was the championship round, and he pulled out all the stops. He brought out a church choir to sing R.Kelly’s “I Believe I Can Fly”. Not to mention the fact that it came off a lob from then-Clipper Baron Davis. The crowd lost their minds, Spike Lee almost fell over out of excitement, and Griffin took home the 2011 Dunk Contest title.
What made this shoe so special is the promo that came immediately afterwards. Blake rocked the Nike Air Max Fly By for the actual contest, but Nike soon released a 2011 Hyperdunk package with the same-ish color scheme. The Hyperdunks featured the same eye-popping orange color and an earthquake pattern on the back heel and midsole. Dubbed the “10.0”, the shoes revolved heavily around an earth-shattering theme.
The shoe wasn’t adored by many, but to others this was the hottest shoe on the market. I was one of those others. I still own my pair of these to this day, paired with the promotional t-shirt that came with them. They’re a solid basketball performer and always turn heads, which is what puts them at our #5 slot.