#5. Rodney Hood season opener dunk
You’ll have to dig way back in your memory to remember this one as it took place in the Utah Jazz’s season opener against the Portland Trail Blazers. Near the end of the third quarter of a hotly contested bout (that unfortunately would see the Jazz fall short) Rodney Hood elevated and extended the arm for a scintillating jam that rocked the rim and sent Jazz fans skyrocketing out of their chairs.
If you need a refresher, you can check it out below:
Sure, some of the reason behind the “jump-out-of-the-seat” reaction to this highlight jam had to do with the fact that this was the first game of a fresh NBA season, but still it was quite the statement by Rodney Hood and certainly a memorable way to kick off what would go on to be the franchise’s most successful year in over half a decade.
It’s somewhat ironic that Hood finds himself in this spot as well as in another one in my top five (stay tuned, it’s coming up soon) given that overall for the season, he was significantly lacking in highlight plays. Hopefully he’ll be able to stay healthy next year and that shortage will be dramatically rectified.