Clippers forward Blake Griffin excited Staples Center - and the World Wide Web - with his dunk against the Oklahoma City Thunder. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Before we go completely gaga over Blake Griffin’s thunderous dunk (or throwdown) over Kendrick Perkins, let’s take a step back and avoid being a prisoner of the moment.

Griffin’s aerial assault on Jan. 30 against the Oklahoma City Thunder was spectacular and deserved all the attention it received the past couple of days. But to proclaim it as the best dunk in NBA history, like many were calling it on Twitter, is a complete knee-jerk reaction and a little farfetched. There was a whole lot of hyperbole going around the Web when Griffin posterized Perkins. Even LeBron James, who has seen or done better dunks in the past, got caught up in the moment.

In case you haven’t seen Blake’s dunk, click here.

Was it the best dunk ever? Before you answer that question, slow your roll and check out these 10 dunks. They all may be equal to or better than Griffin’s slam.

10) BARON DAVIS LOWERS THE BOOM ON ANDREI KIRILENKO AND THE JAZZ

9) SHAQUILLE O’NEAL BRINGS DOWN THE HOUSE (AND THE BACKBOARD) IN NEW JERSEY

8) DWYANE WADE PUNKS KENDRICK PERKINS AND DOES THE CABBAGE PATCH

7) KEVIN JOHNSON POSTERIZES HAKEEM OLAJUWON IN A 1994 PLAYOFF GAME

6) LEBRON JAMES “WITH NO REGARD FOR HUMAN LIFE!” AGAINST THE CELTICS

5) SHAWN KEMP TOMAHAWKS THE WARRIORS IN THE 1992 PLAYOFFS

4) JULIUS “DR. J” ERVING ROCKS THE CRADLE ON MICHAEL COOPER

3) MICHAEL JORDAN SPINS BASELINE AND THROWS IT DOWN ON PATRICK EWING AT THE GARDEN

2) DOMINIQUE WILKINS: THE ORIGINAL HUMAN HIGHLIGHT REEL

1) VINCE CARTER LEAPS OVER 7-FOOT FREDERIC WEIS IN THE OLYMPICS

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Ten years ago, Vince Carter had the whole NBA world spinning like a 360 windmill.

He exploded onto the scene with a sensational rookie season in 1999 as a member of the Toronto Raptors and then became known as “Half Man, Half Amazing” (thanks Shaq!) with his mind-blowing performance in the slam dunk contest at the 2000 NBA All-Star Weekend in Oakland. Many consider Carter’s first four dunks as the best collection of dunks in NBA history – better than Air Jordan, better than The Human Highlight Film, and better Dr. J.

But then, like most shooting stars who experience a meteoric rise above the competition, Carter fizzled and took a backseat to there new “it” guys such as LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. Injuries also took away some of Carter’s immense athletic ability, and the moniker “Half Man, Half Amazing” became “Half Man, Half A Season” (thanks Kenny Smith!).

The regular highlight dunks on SportsCenter had been replaced by close-up shots of Vince Carter wincing in pain – hence the new nickname “Wince” Carter.

Vince Carter, 33, is pointing to a possible NBA championship this season. (ORLANDO SENTINEL)

After six seasons in Toronto, Carter was traded to the New Jersey Nets. He spent the next five seasons with the Nets, experiencing a few bright moments but nothing like the spotlight he enjoyed in Toronto. Last summer, Carter was traded to his nearby hometown team of Orlando. Happy to be back in the Sunshine State, the Dayton Beach native and Mainland High School standout has been a good fit for the Magic and seamlessly adapted to the role of secondary option to Dwight Howard, Orlando’s young first-team All-NBA center.

Carter was once considered a franchise player, like Howard, during the prime years of his career, but those days were left behind in Toronto and New Jersey. Now 33 years old, Carter knows Orlando could be the last stop of his storied career and he’s not about to waste a great opportunity to rewrite his legacy.

“For me, I’m just gonna continue to play, be the player that I am and focus on the task at hand. And when it is all said and done, maybe it’s good enough for some people, maybe it’s not,” said the eight-time NBA All-Star. “This is my opportunity for a championship. I’ve dedicated myself to this team for that reason. Like I said, when it is all said and done, I’m gonna hold my head up high. I’ve felt like I’ve had a great career.

“A lot of people don’t get the opportunity to play 11 years or 12 years. I’ve done that, and hopefully I have a couple of more left. I’m hoping I could say, ‘Yeah. I have a championship as well.’ At the end of the day, I’ll let you guys make the decision.”

On a Magic team armed with three other legitimate All-Stars (Howard, Jameer Nelson and Rashard Lewis), Carter doesn’t need to be great all the time. He just needs to play his role and wait for his turn to score.

“Guys are just focused. Everybody is locked in on what needs to be done,” said Carter, a career 22.9 scorer but averaged just 16.6 during the regular season. “We’re all playing for each other. We don’t wanna let the next man down. It’s been great to see and guys are just playing hard.”

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Vince Carter scored 16 points in his return to New Jersey but left the game with an ankle injury. (GETTY IMAGES)

With the theme song of the evil Republic playing in the background, Vince Carter was introduced to New Jersey Nets fans in East Rutherford, N.J., on Friday night, but this time as a member of the Orlando Magic.

For the most part, the crowd was appreciative and there were more cheers than boos. The cheers got even louder when Carter drove to the basket and slammed one home early in the first quarter.

But in typical Vince Carter fashion, the promising night turned into disappointment as Carter went down with ankle injury in the second quarter and never returned.

Carter, who has been referred to as Wince Carter for being so injury-prone and overly dramatic whenever he falls on the hardwood, scored 16 points before leaving the game against his former teammates. Dwight Howard more than made up for his absence with 20 points, 22 rebounds and four blocks to lead Orlando to a 95-85 victory.

“I heal like a young guy so I’ll be good tomorrow,” Carter told the Associated Press after sitting out the second half. “Hopefully, I’ll be back Sunday. We’re going to be smart about it. It’s a long season. I’m feeling better now that I am walking on it.”

Carter spent the second half in the trainers’ room and had his ankle wrapped. X-rays were negative.

His night ended with 3:05 left in the first half. Dribbling around the top of the key, Carter stepped on Harris’ foot and immediately fell to the court, clutching his ankle.

Carter needed about a minute before getting up and going to the bench. He stayed there for about a minute and went to the locker room for the rest of the game.

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