In 1967, the NCAA banned the dunk shot. Publicly, the cartel was concerned about injuries but the general theory was that it was because of one player: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, then known as Lew Alcindor.
At 7-2, Jabbar was nearly impossible to guard in college, leading UCLA to three straight national titles. He was so far ahead of his time that his freshman team (freshmen were ineligible at the time) beat the varsity UCLA team 75-60 in a scrimmage. Jabbar had 31 points and 21 rebounds.
It’s even more amazing when you realize that that UCLA team was the two-time defending national champions.
To an extent, you can understand the desire to limit Jabbar’s dominance, although ultimately it forced him to develop other skills, including the most lethal weapon in the history of the game, the skyhook.
However, the rule wasn’t universally popular, as you’ll see in this clip from former Duke coach Vic Bubas, who notes that people pay “$2.50…up to $5.00…” to attend a game, and that taking out the dunk limits their entertainment.
He thought it would be a failed, one-year experiment. It lasted until 1976.
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