Definition of slam dunk

The term "slam dunk" originated in the 1970s in the sport of basketball. At the time, there was no single term used to describe a basketball move where a player jumped high above the rim and forcefully threw the ball down into the basket, often with a loud noise and forceful impact. The first recorded use of the phrase "slam dunk" appeared in an article in the January 1971 issue of Slam magazine, which was published for fans of professional basketball. The author, Hal Rudnick, used the term to describe a dominant performance by a player named Michael Newland, who was then a member of the American Basketball Association's Kentucky Colonels. The term quickly gained popularity among basketball fans and commentators, as it nicely captured the forcefulness and excitement of this impressive move. Today, "slam dunk" is widely used in basketball, both to describe the move itself and to denote an easy and decisive outcome in any context.