Thirty years before Monk’s dunks, Rex Chapman almost slammed his way to McDonald’s title

Malik Monk came close Monday night, but he fell just short of winning the McDonald’s All-American Game dunk contest, throwing down some nice jams but finishing in second place behind Duke signee Frank Jackson.

That means the streak still stands: No future Kentucky Wildcat has ever been crowned the McDonald’s slam dunk champion, in an annual contest that dates back to 1984.

Thirty years ago, Rex Chapman almost took home the honor.

Chapman earned a perfect score for what would come to be known as “The Flip” — a dunk in which he flipped the ball over his head, caught it in the air and finished with a reverse jam.

“Unbelievable!” exclaimed Dick Vitale on that year’s broadcast. “Scintillating, sizzling, and they’re going to love him in Kentucky.”

Unfortunately for Chapman, a botched dunk attempt earlier in the the contest prevented him from achieving the highest total score. The winner that year was Chris Brooks, who later went on to star at West Virginia.

This story was originally published March 30, 2016 at 3:18 PM with the headline "Thirty years before Monk’s dunks, Rex Chapman almost slammed his way to McDonald’s title."