NBA 2K21 – How to Dunk

Dunking is one of the most exciting plays in basketball and equally exciting on the virtual courts of NBA 2K21.  There are some things that come into play with dunking in NBA 2K21 that you need to understand.  From player abilities to using the right dunking controls.  The types of dunks that you are capable of will ultimately depend on the stats of the player you are trying to dunk with, so keep that in mind when dunking in 2K21.

If you want to try a dunk want to leave up to the cpu as to whether you attempt a dunk or a lay-up and what type of shot you want to take you can simply use the shoot button when you are close to the hoop.  Press the X button (Xbox) or Square button (PlayStation) when moving towards the hoop to attempt a dunk.

If you want to try different types of dunks you will need to use different controls, using the sticks and triggers to do specific types of dunks.

How to do Two Hand Dunk

If you want to do a two-hand dunk you need to press and hold the RT trigger + press the Right Thumbstick Up

Dominant or Off-Hand Dunk

If you want to do a dominant or off-hand dunk you need to press the RT trigger and press towards the left or right with the thumbstick

Flashy Dunks

Flashy dunks are hardest to do but can be done by pressing the RT + holding down on the right stick.  If your player is a player with a high dunking ability, they will automatically try to perform a flashy dunk in the appropriate situations.

*For PlayStation controls on these just press the R2 button.  

There are some things to know about dunking in NBA 2K21 that you should also know.  The game is realistic in that you shouldn’t try to force dunks when the lane is crowded with players.  If you try to force dunks you might lose the ball in the air or fail the dunk attempt.

Not all players can dunk

You might think that every player in the NBA can dunk, but that’s not the case in this game.  If you attempt a dunk with a player who is unable to dunk due to stats in the game, they will attempt to perform a lay-up instead of a dunk.