Debunk: Jordan's vertical was NOT 48".
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SuperboyReformed
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PostPosted: Wed May 27, 2015 4:58 pm    Post subject: Debunk: Jordan's vertical was NOT 48".

Another relatively unpopular opinion I hold is that MJ was not the best jumper, contrary to popular belief. So, just for background, a lot of fans think MJ was the best jumper or something like that. I was just looking around the internet and MJ is consistently ranked #1 in leaping ability with a vertical of 48". I'm like, no way. I've seen higher jumpers than him, like Shannon Brown, and even their vertical is not 48".

So I just wanted to point that out since all the rankings are showing MJ at #1 and 48".

Apparently, the highest vertical world record is only 38".

The internet shows Lebron's vertical as 40", which i don't think is true. i think it's 40" with a running start, so his vertical is less. I don't think I've seen him jump higher than 40" with any amount of steam.

Kobe's vertical is 38", which also seems about right. Can't say I've seen him jump much higher than that. Also, this shows that Lebron doesn't jump way higher than Kobe, contrary to a lot of opinions.

Vince Carter should beat all of these guys (around the same height) at 43" which sounds about right. And MJ most definitely did not jump higher than VC.

And I think it's a safe assumption that there are a whole bunch of shorter guys or not very famous high flyers in the league who can jump higher than 40".
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PostPosted: Wed May 27, 2015 5:40 pm    Post subject:

The numbers for this are unreliable for a couple reasons:

1. The Wilt Chamberlain effect: A lot of apocryphal numbers get thrown out in these discussions, and there are people who are determined to convince everyone that the numbers are real.

2. While there is a standard methodology for measuring vertical leaps, not everyone uses it. A lot of the numbers that you see must involve running starts.

Having said all of that, the height of a vertical leap is a function of speed and strength. It's just physics. With a sufficient running start, could a young Kobe or MJ have cleared a four foot wall (and I don't mean doing the Fosbury Flop). I would think so. Could they produce a 48" vertical under standard conditions like what is used at the Combine? I doubt it. There is no running start. No one has ever done it, and there is no reason to think that MJ or Kobe would be the greatest vertical leapers ever.

Basketball players don't have the optimal body type if all you want is a high vertical leap. I see that a fair number of NFL rookies have recorded higher vertical leaps at their Combine than any NBA rookie. That makes sense if you think about it.
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PostPosted: Wed May 27, 2015 6:00 pm    Post subject:

What about Nate Robinson? He's supposedly either 46 or 48.
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PostPosted: Wed May 27, 2015 7:36 pm    Post subject:

AH, the reported numbers are unreliable. But it's not that hard. We have a lot of video evidence now and you can easily measure things like amount of time in the air, and the rim height as a reference. So you can get close. A couple of studies are done, I think one was on Sports Science, where they say something like nobody can go 50" due to some physical limitation, and also a certain cap on how long you can be in the air. So it debunks a lot of these 45-50" claims of the common NBA athlete.

Yes, it does seem to be that NFL running backs can jump higher. But it makes sense.

Nate Robinson would be an interesting one...he does get up there and is definitely short of 6'. I'm looking at his dunks now and 48" (4 feet) looks about right. I think that's the maximum of any human or close.

If you look here, you can see that in an actual competitive jumping event, the record is 44.5". So anything around 44" claimed by an NBA athlete I would question.
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PostPosted: Thu May 28, 2015 2:47 am    Post subject:

SuperboyReformed wrote:
AH, the reported numbers are unreliable. But it's not that hard. We have a lot of video evidence now and you can easily measure things like amount of time in the air, and the rim height as a reference. So you can get close. A couple of studies are done, I think one was on Sports Science, where they say something like nobody can go 50" due to some physical limitation, and also a certain cap on how long you can be in the air. So it debunks a lot of these 45-50" claims of the common NBA athlete.

Yes, it does seem to be that NFL running backs can jump higher. But it makes sense.

Nate Robinson would be an interesting one...he does get up there and is definitely short of 6'. I'm looking at his dunks now and 48" (4 feet) looks about right. I think that's the maximum of any human or close.

If you look here, you can see that in an actual competitive jumping event, the record is 44.5". So anything around 44" claimed by an NBA athlete I would question.


When you have one insane talent but no team sport overall skills, you have all the time to devote yourself to improving this particular characteristic. That´s why the best jumpers are not NFL guys, and the best dunkers, best (practice) shooters are not NBA players.

People freaked out because Curry made 77 three pointers in a row in practice, and there are shooting coaches who can score more than 100 in a row like nothing. And you can mention Vince Carter, but look at Kadour Ziani , who is not even 6 feet tall (http://perlbal.hi-pi.com/blog-images/1669/gd/1138150331/Kadour-Ziani.gif) , or take a look at this Barshim jump: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B44_1YSCEAInWZI.jpg:large . Here, with a virtual basket rim comparison http://www.viralplay.net/wp-content/uploads/salto-de-barshim.jpg
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PostPosted: Thu May 28, 2015 5:43 am    Post subject:

SuperboyReformed wrote:
AH, the reported numbers are unreliable. But it's not that hard. We have a lot of video evidence now and you can easily measure things like amount of time in the air, and the rim height as a reference. So you can get close.


I guess so, but once you starting mixing methodologies, you're going to get inconsistent results.
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PostPosted: Thu May 28, 2015 5:45 am    Post subject:

i thought it was 42
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PostPosted: Thu May 28, 2015 9:44 am    Post subject:

vedanta wrote:
SuperboyReformed wrote:
AH, the reported numbers are unreliable. But it's not that hard. We have a lot of video evidence now and you can easily measure things like amount of time in the air, and the rim height as a reference. So you can get close. A couple of studies are done, I think one was on Sports Science, where they say something like nobody can go 50" due to some physical limitation, and also a certain cap on how long you can be in the air. So it debunks a lot of these 45-50" claims of the common NBA athlete.

Yes, it does seem to be that NFL running backs can jump higher. But it makes sense.

Nate Robinson would be an interesting one...he does get up there and is definitely short of 6'. I'm looking at his dunks now and 48" (4 feet) looks about right. I think that's the maximum of any human or close.

If you look here, you can see that in an actual competitive jumping event, the record is 44.5". So anything around 44" claimed by an NBA athlete I would question.


When you have one insane talent but no team sport overall skills, you have all the time to devote yourself to improving this particular characteristic. That´s why the best jumpers are not NFL guys, and the best dunkers, best (practice) shooters are not NBA players.

People freaked out because Curry made 77 three pointers in a row in practice, and there are shooting coaches who can score more than 100 in a row like nothing. And you can mention Vince Carter, but look at Kadour Ziani , who is not even 6 feet tall (http://perlbal.hi-pi.com/blog-images/1669/gd/1138150331/Kadour-Ziani.gif) , or take a look at this Barshim jump: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B44_1YSCEAInWZI.jpg:large . Here, with a virtual basket rim comparison http://www.viralplay.net/wp-content/uploads/salto-de-barshim.jpg

I think there is only a handful of people in the world that can top 77 threes in a row. You're making it sound like they are common. Which shooting coach can hit 100 in a row?! That's crazy amazing! Maybe 1 or 2, like that old guy who's the record holder.

In a row is one thing. Making a high clip is another. I do think a whole bunch of shooting coaches can hit over 90/100. I've heard stories of practice routines of players like Miller and West, who would go around the three point line or something, and they had to make 25 in a row or else they start over. Crazy stuff like that.
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PostPosted: Thu May 28, 2015 3:36 pm    Post subject:

SuperboyReformed wrote:
vedanta wrote:
SuperboyReformed wrote:
AH, the reported numbers are unreliable. But it's not that hard. We have a lot of video evidence now and you can easily measure things like amount of time in the air, and the rim height as a reference. So you can get close. A couple of studies are done, I think one was on Sports Science, where they say something like nobody can go 50" due to some physical limitation, and also a certain cap on how long you can be in the air. So it debunks a lot of these 45-50" claims of the common NBA athlete.

Yes, it does seem to be that NFL running backs can jump higher. But it makes sense.

Nate Robinson would be an interesting one...he does get up there and is definitely short of 6'. I'm looking at his dunks now and 48" (4 feet) looks about right. I think that's the maximum of any human or close.

If you look here, you can see that in an actual competitive jumping event, the record is 44.5". So anything around 44" claimed by an NBA athlete I would question.


When you have one insane talent but no team sport overall skills, you have all the time to devote yourself to improving this particular characteristic. That´s why the best jumpers are not NFL guys, and the best dunkers, best (practice) shooters are not NBA players.

People freaked out because Curry made 77 three pointers in a row in practice, and there are shooting coaches who can score more than 100 in a row like nothing. And you can mention Vince Carter, but look at Kadour Ziani , who is not even 6 feet tall (http://perlbal.hi-pi.com/blog-images/1669/gd/1138150331/Kadour-Ziani.gif) , or take a look at this Barshim jump: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B44_1YSCEAInWZI.jpg:large . Here, with a virtual basket rim comparison http://www.viralplay.net/wp-content/uploads/salto-de-barshim.jpg

I think there is only a handful of people in the world that can top 77 threes in a row. You're making it sound like they are common. Which shooting coach can hit 100 in a row?! That's crazy amazing! Maybe 1 or 2, like that old guy who's the record holder.

In a row is one thing. Making a high clip is another. I do think a whole bunch of shooting coaches can hit over 90/100. I've heard stories of practice routines of players like Miller and West, who would go around the three point line or something, and they had to make 25 in a row or else they start over. Crazy stuff like that.


Well, of course it is rare, but this kind of guys exist outside the pro basketball world. I am talking about guys who can make literally thousands of free throws in a row, or more than one hundred threes with no effort. There is info available on the net about them.
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 10:27 am    Post subject:

I've been studying more of lebron's dunk highlights. His head never actually reaches the rim on any dunks, which makes whatever his vertical is even less.

Not trying to bash him unnecessarily (despite how much I enjoy it)...but still just trying to address some of the misconceptions that Jordan or Lebron are the highest jumpers or stuff like that.

Lebron is taller than both Kobe and Jordan, and I'm not sure he jumps higher than either of them. I guess I'd believe he jumps higher than Kobe, but not Jordan. I haven't looked into Kobe's in detail yet, he's difficult to tell from just the way it looks because he's not as tall as lebron, his hands are smaller than Jordan so it doesn't look as good when he dunks, and his arms are really long, maybe longer than either. So it just looks different.

For me, I feel like the highest jumper I've seen is Vince Carter. But he's also SG height...some of these little guy dunkers like Nate Robinson I'm willing to bet get much higher. Shannon Brown is up there too, but again, he's a little taller and huge hands, which can look better than it is.
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 10:59 am    Post subject:

SuperboyReformed wrote:
I've been studying more of lebron's dunk highlights. His head never actually reaches the rim on any dunks, which makes whatever his vertical is even less.


I don't think this really tells you anything. For one thing, camera angles make it difficult to determine exactly where a player is precisely. For another, players aren't jumping to their maximum height on most plays for a lot reasons (safety, obstacles, take off position, it simply isn't necessary).

I think the only meaningful way to evaluate a player's vertical leap is to measure it in a controlled environment. Just drawing conclusions from watching films leaves a lot of room for inaccuracy.

And, ultimately, I don't think it even matters. A great maximum vertical leap doesn't necessary mean a great basketball player. It's just one part of the skillset that contributes to the whole. It's steeped in hype, legend, projection and illusion.


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PostPosted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 11:01 am    Post subject:

vedanta wrote:
SuperboyReformed wrote:
vedanta wrote:
SuperboyReformed wrote:
AH, the reported numbers are unreliable. But it's not that hard. We have a lot of video evidence now and you can easily measure things like amount of time in the air, and the rim height as a reference. So you can get close. A couple of studies are done, I think one was on Sports Science, where they say something like nobody can go 50" due to some physical limitation, and also a certain cap on how long you can be in the air. So it debunks a lot of these 45-50" claims of the common NBA athlete.

Yes, it does seem to be that NFL running backs can jump higher. But it makes sense.

Nate Robinson would be an interesting one...he does get up there and is definitely short of 6'. I'm looking at his dunks now and 48" (4 feet) looks about right. I think that's the maximum of any human or close.

If you look here, you can see that in an actual competitive jumping event, the record is 44.5". So anything around 44" claimed by an NBA athlete I would question.


When you have one insane talent but no team sport overall skills, you have all the time to devote yourself to improving this particular characteristic. That´s why the best jumpers are not NFL guys, and the best dunkers, best (practice) shooters are not NBA players.

People freaked out because Curry made 77 three pointers in a row in practice, and there are shooting coaches who can score more than 100 in a row like nothing. And you can mention Vince Carter, but look at Kadour Ziani , who is not even 6 feet tall (http://perlbal.hi-pi.com/blog-images/1669/gd/1138150331/Kadour-Ziani.gif) , or take a look at this Barshim jump: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B44_1YSCEAInWZI.jpg:large . Here, with a virtual basket rim comparison http://www.viralplay.net/wp-content/uploads/salto-de-barshim.jpg

I think there is only a handful of people in the world that can top 77 threes in a row. You're making it sound like they are common. Which shooting coach can hit 100 in a row?! That's crazy amazing! Maybe 1 or 2, like that old guy who's the record holder.

In a row is one thing. Making a high clip is another. I do think a whole bunch of shooting coaches can hit over 90/100. I've heard stories of practice routines of players like Miller and West, who would go around the three point line or something, and they had to make 25 in a row or else they start over. Crazy stuff like that.


Well, of course it is rare, but this kind of guys exist outside the pro basketball world. I am talking about guys who can make literally thousands of free throws in a row, or more than one hundred threes with no effort. There is info available on the net about them.


Yup. There is one guy who is in the Guinness Book for making something like 5500 free throws in a row -- but he didn't even play college ball because he didnt have the skill set.

There are lots of guys who can make a ton of shots in a row if they are unguarded. They aren't basketball players, though because they can't get their shot off against defenders or do the other things the game requires.
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 12:03 pm    Post subject:

activeverb wrote:
SuperboyReformed wrote:
I've been studying more of lebron's dunk highlights. His head never actually reaches the rim on any dunks, which makes whatever his vertical is even less.


I don't think this really tells you anything. For one thing, camera angles make it difficult to determine exactly where a player is precisely. For another, players aren't jumping to their maximum height on most plays for a lot reasons (safety, obstacles, take off position, it simply isn't necessary).

I think the only meaningful way to evaluate a player's vertical leap is to measure it in a controlled environment. Just drawing conclusions from watching films leaves a lot of room for inaccuracy.

And, ultimately, I don't think it even matters. A great maximum vertical leap doesn't necessary mean a great basketball player. It's just one part of the skillset that contributes to the whole. It's steeped in hype, legend, projection and illusion.

I've been looking at it from all different angles, multiple kinds of plays, etc. You can get an idea. A pretty good idea.

It may not be the absolute max as in a "controlled environment", but it's not off by that much...maybe an inch or two.

Again, keep in mind my main point here...MJ did NOT jump 48" no matter what situation you're looking at, that's my point. Same goes for a lot of other guys mentioned here. That much can be relatively clear from highlights, videos, etc. whatever else we have available.

And I'm talking about who's a great player or anything, either! I don't understand such a defensive reaction. I'm talking about a misconception among jumping heights.
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 1:51 pm    Post subject:

SuperboyReformed wrote:
activeverb wrote:
SuperboyReformed wrote:
I've been studying more of lebron's dunk highlights. His head never actually reaches the rim on any dunks, which makes whatever his vertical is even less.


I don't think this really tells you anything. For one thing, camera angles make it difficult to determine exactly where a player is precisely. For another, players aren't jumping to their maximum height on most plays for a lot reasons (safety, obstacles, take off position, it simply isn't necessary).

I think the only meaningful way to evaluate a player's vertical leap is to measure it in a controlled environment. Just drawing conclusions from watching films leaves a lot of room for inaccuracy.

And, ultimately, I don't think it even matters. A great maximum vertical leap doesn't necessary mean a great basketball player. It's just one part of the skillset that contributes to the whole. It's steeped in hype, legend, projection and illusion.

I've been looking at it from all different angles, multiple kinds of plays, etc. You can get an idea. A pretty good idea.

It may not be the absolute max as in a "controlled environment", but it's not off by that much...maybe an inch or two.

Again, keep in mind my main point here...MJ did NOT jump 48" no matter what situation you're looking at, that's my point. Same goes for a lot of other guys mentioned here. That much can be relatively clear from highlights, videos, etc. whatever else we have available.

And I'm talking about who's a great player or anything, either! I don't understand such a defensive reaction. I'm talking about a misconception among jumping heights.


I have no idea what defensive reaction you are perceiving. I haven't seen anyone here defending the notion that MJ had a vertical leap of 48" (or anyone who particularly seems to care what his vertical leap was).

I'd say it's pretty clear to anyone who spends 10 seconds looking into this topic that the reported vertical leaps are steep in hype, often inaccurate, and commonly based on running starts.

I was only questioning whether you or anyone could look at videos and accurately gauge what a player's vertical leap is. You believe you are within one or two inches. Maybe you are, maybe you aren't. There isn't anyway to vet your conclusions or methods so there's no way to say if you are as correct as you believe you are.
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 4:01 pm    Post subject:

SuperboyReformed wrote:
activeverb wrote:
SuperboyReformed wrote:
I've been studying more of lebron's dunk highlights. His head never actually reaches the rim on any dunks, which makes whatever his vertical is even less.


I don't think this really tells you anything. For one thing, camera angles make it difficult to determine exactly where a player is precisely. For another, players aren't jumping to their maximum height on most plays for a lot reasons (safety, obstacles, take off position, it simply isn't necessary).

I think the only meaningful way to evaluate a player's vertical leap is to measure it in a controlled environment. Just drawing conclusions from watching films leaves a lot of room for inaccuracy.

And, ultimately, I don't think it even matters. A great maximum vertical leap doesn't necessary mean a great basketball player. It's just one part of the skillset that contributes to the whole. It's steeped in hype, legend, projection and illusion.

I've been looking at it from all different angles, multiple kinds of plays, etc. You can get an idea. A pretty good idea.

It may not be the absolute max as in a "controlled environment", but it's not off by that much...maybe an inch or two.

Again, keep in mind my main point here...MJ did NOT jump 48" no matter what situation you're looking at, that's my point. Same goes for a lot of other guys mentioned here. That much can be relatively clear from highlights, videos, etc. whatever else we have available.

And I'm talking about who's a great player or anything, either! I don't understand such a defensive reaction. I'm talking about a misconception among jumping heights.


Av is right though that verticals are steeped in mythology. Spud Webb was reporetdly measuered in college at 42" vertical and at 5'7" could 360 dunk. If Jordan had a 48" vertical with his extra height and length, his hand would touch the top of the backboard.

For some reason common sense goes out the window when talking about verticals. One guy on here was saying Ibaka has a 44" vertical (and all the googloing came up with a few posts on another message board). Just the common sense rule. At 6'11" and a standing reach of 9' 4", how would his dunks be if he really had a 44" vertical. He'd be close to a foot ABOVE the top of the backboard. It's just stupid.


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PostPosted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 4:04 pm    Post subject:

Here's what a 48" vertical looks like on a 5'9" dude.



Look at the airspace between his feet and the ground. There isn't an NBA player that sniffs that. NBA guys look like they get up so much higher because...drumroll...they're (bleep) really tall...

Even Gerald Green was at 39".
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 4:10 pm    Post subject: Re: Debunk: Jordan's vertical was NOT 48".

SuperboyReformed wrote:
Another relatively unpopular opinion I hold is that MJ was not the best jumper, contrary to popular belief. So, just for background, a lot of fans think MJ was the best jumper or something like that. I was just looking around the internet and MJ is consistently ranked #1 in leaping ability with a vertical of 48". I'm like, no way. I've seen higher jumpers than him, like Shannon Brown, and even their vertical is not 48".

So I just wanted to point that out since all the rankings are showing MJ at #1 and 48".

Apparently, the highest vertical world record is only 38".

The internet shows Lebron's vertical as 40", which i don't think is true. i think it's 40" with a running start, so his vertical is less. I don't think I've seen him jump higher than 40" with any amount of steam.

Kobe's vertical is 38", which also seems about right. Can't say I've seen him jump much higher than that. Also, this shows that Lebron doesn't jump way higher than Kobe, contrary to a lot of opinions.

Vince Carter should beat all of these guys (around the same height) at 43" which sounds about right. And MJ most definitely did not jump higher than VC.

And I think it's a safe assumption that there are a whole bunch of shorter guys or not very famous high flyers in the league who can jump higher than 40".




Kind of on topic regarding Jordan, but today Jerry West said he was the best combo of offensive and defensive player he has ever seen.
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 4:24 pm    Post subject:

jonnybravo wrote:
SuperboyReformed wrote:
activeverb wrote:
SuperboyReformed wrote:
I've been studying more of lebron's dunk highlights. His head never actually reaches the rim on any dunks, which makes whatever his vertical is even less.


I don't think this really tells you anything. For one thing, camera angles make it difficult to determine exactly where a player is precisely. For another, players aren't jumping to their maximum height on most plays for a lot reasons (safety, obstacles, take off position, it simply isn't necessary).

I think the only meaningful way to evaluate a player's vertical leap is to measure it in a controlled environment. Just drawing conclusions from watching films leaves a lot of room for inaccuracy.

And, ultimately, I don't think it even matters. A great maximum vertical leap doesn't necessary mean a great basketball player. It's just one part of the skillset that contributes to the whole. It's steeped in hype, legend, projection and illusion.

I've been looking at it from all different angles, multiple kinds of plays, etc. You can get an idea. A pretty good idea.

It may not be the absolute max as in a "controlled environment", but it's not off by that much...maybe an inch or two.

Again, keep in mind my main point here...MJ did NOT jump 48" no matter what situation you're looking at, that's my point. Same goes for a lot of other guys mentioned here. That much can be relatively clear from highlights, videos, etc. whatever else we have available.

And I'm talking about who's a great player or anything, either! I don't understand such a defensive reaction. I'm talking about a misconception among jumping heights.


Av is right though that verticals are steeped in mythology. Spud Webb was reporetdly measuered in college at 42" vertical and at 5'7" could 360 dunk. If Jordan had a 48" vertical with his extra height and length, his hand would touch the top of the backboard.

For some reason common sense goes out the window when talking about verticals. One guy on here was saying Ibaka has a 44" vertical (and all the googloing came up with a few posts on another message board). Just the common sense rule. At 6'11" and a standing reach of 9' 4", how would his dunks be if he really had a 44" vertical. It's just stupid.

I don't know about av, but what you said is very accurate as far as I'm concerned.

There's this idea that Jordan has to be the best at everything. I've been annoyed by it ever since '91, lol. I love the guy and everything, but I can't stand this attitude that he must be the best of everything. So when I was looking up these dunkers, I was shocked that he was topping just about every list of NBA jumpers, the verticals that is. I knew it wasn't true, not even close. We saw VC, we saw SPudd, etc. there's just no way. And I know what the max human jumping limits are too.

A lot of people confuse how high you can reach with how high you can jump. The other thing I question (though I haven't researched it) are all these claims of NBA athletes who can grab a quarter at the top of the backboard. I just doubt it very much. Maybe Wilt...MAYBE! Definitely not MJ. Look... if an NBA athlete of any size (especially under 7') can literally touch the top of the backboard, they would be virtually unstoppable. if Lebron could do that, all he would have to do is set one little screen, and he can basically fly in from a step or two in front of the arc and just dunk.

When I was watching the videos, I came across this guy claiming to jump over 60" with video! I'm like no way, wtf??!!

so i was laughing. Yes, it's impressive, but that's not a vertical. who knows, this guy may only be jumping like 40", the rest of it is his flexibility and technique.

Also something in this thread I don't buy...people talking like there are a whole bunch of athletes (not NBA caliber) in the world who can do these amazing things...like hit hundreds of shots in a row or jumping super high. Sure, there are these people, but to me it sounds like there's a misconception about how common they are. Even the non famous ones...there's only a handful.


btw, here's ted st. martin, the best shooter world record holder. over 5000 free throws in a row, broke his record a bunch of times starting with 200 in a row. sheesh, he's a robot. This is NOT common! If it were even somewhat common, someone else would have temporarily had the record. It's been him for 25 years. He just keeps breaking his own record. lol, it's crazy!!
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activeverb
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 6:12 pm    Post subject:

SuperboyReformed wrote:
Also something in this thread I don't buy...people talking like there are a whole bunch of athletes (not NBA caliber) in the world who can do these amazing things...like hit hundreds of shots in a row or jumping super high. Sure, there are these people, but to me it sounds like there's a misconception about how common they are. Even the non famous ones...there's only a handful.


I don't think anyone is saying it's common. But there are 7 billion people in the world. Let that sink in ... 7 billion. If even a microscopic percentage of people have the potential to hit 100 3-pointers in a row, that's still a lot of people. So you can have a lot of people who are able to do it, without it being common.
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 7:00 pm    Post subject:

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One guy on here was saying Ibaka has a 44" vertical (and all the googloing came up with a few posts on another message board). Just the common sense rule. At 6'11" and a standing reach of 9' 4", how would his dunks be if he really had a 44" vertical. It's just stupid.


Had. I don't know about a 44" vert., but prior to the draft, he really did explode the hoop, dribbling in transition like Shawn Kemp.

This is why I thought he was so highly underrated.


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PostPosted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 7:43 pm    Post subject:

Alright everyone, I'm going to submit a name for consideration. This guy not only could jump damn near past the top of the board, but the special note is he was an ex-Laker. Nate Hawthorne.

If I recall his vertical was measured at about 46 inches.The Lakers weren't that good during his short stay but I would watch the games to see Nate come in the game and Chick amazed by the guy's jumping ability.
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 8:38 pm    Post subject:

This dunk contest was the closest that I've seen to 40" vert or more. Includes prime James White.


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PostPosted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 11:49 pm    Post subject:

I am sure Patrick Ewing, Mutombo, Zo and many others can now get some relief...
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 02, 2015 5:00 am    Post subject:

jonnybravo wrote:
Here's what a 48" vertical looks like on a 5'9" dude.



Look at the airspace between his feet and the ground. There isn't an NBA player that sniffs that. NBA guys look like they get up so much higher because...drumroll...they're (bleep) really tall...

Even Gerald Green was at 39".


Uh, no, I don't think that's 48 inches. Do the math and use the reasoning from your earlier post. What would the standing vertical reach be for a 5' 9" guy? It would be over 7 feet. Even at 5' 9", he would come close to the top of the backboard.

In a lot of these discussions, people make the mistake of looking at the feet. By that reasoning, the average high school high jumper blows away most of the players in the NBA.
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 02, 2015 1:40 pm    Post subject:

Aeneas Hunter wrote:
jonnybravo wrote:
Here's what a 48" vertical looks like on a 5'9" dude.



Look at the airspace between his feet and the ground. There isn't an NBA player that sniffs that. NBA guys look like they get up so much higher because...drumroll...they're (bleep) really tall...

Even Gerald Green was at 39".


Uh, no, I don't think that's 48 inches. Do the math and use the reasoning from your earlier post. What would the standing vertical reach be for a 5' 9" guy? It would be over 7 feet. Even at 5' 9", he would come close to the top of the backboard.

In a lot of these discussions, people make the mistake of looking at the feet. By that reasoning, the average high school high jumper blows away most of the players in the NBA.

good point AH (can't believe I'm agreeing with you...I need to see my therapist).

I mean, I'll need to confirm, but I swear the human record for actual verticals is not more than 44-45". So that's the limit, keep that in mind.

There are so many ways the eye gets tricked with juming. Clothing, body type, length of arms, size of hands, camera perspective.

Jordan is not the highest leaper by any means. and a bunch of players have jumped from the free throw line. but MJ's "looks" the best, no question. Absolutely no question. Why? Those huge mitts. He brought the ball down engulfed in his hand, scrunched his legs in, and then expanded it back out. It made it seem like he got more air, was in the air longer, etc. Artistic.
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