So, I was digging into some NBA stuff the other day, and man, did I get sucked into the whole “highest vertical jumps” rabbit hole. Seriously, these guys are jumping out of the gym! I mean, we all know about Michael Jordan, right? Dude’s got a 48-inch vertical. That’s just insane. I remember seeing that iconic free-throw line dunk from the ’88 All-Star weekend. It made me want to try it myself, of course, but my knees said “nope” before I even started.
But it wasn’t just about reliving Jordan’s glory days. I wanted to see if anyone else was even close to that. So, I started, you know, just Googling around, seeing what I could find. Turns out, there’s this guy, Dennis Smith Jr., who also apparently hit a 48-inch vertical during his rookie year. I watched some of his highlights, and yeah, the dude can fly. It got me wondering, how do they even measure these things accurately?
- First, I tried finding videos of players like Zion Williamson. I mean, that guy’s a tank, but when he jumps, it’s like he’s floating. I figured there had to be some footage of him getting his vertical tested. Found a few clips, but nothing too official.
- Then I got this idea – maybe I could try measuring my own vertical. Yeah, I know, not exactly NBA-level, but it sounded fun. I marked a spot on the wall as high as I could reach, then did my best jump and marked that too. Let’s just say, the difference wasn’t exactly 48 inches. More like… well, let’s not talk about that.
My Little Experiment
Anyway, after my little experiment, I went back to the internet. Found out that Wilt Chamberlain, the legend himself, supposedly had a 48-inch vertical too. Now, that’s a big man jumping high! It really made me appreciate how athletic these guys are.
I spent the rest of the afternoon just reading up on these high-flyers. It’s crazy to think about the kind of training and natural ability it takes to get that high off the ground. I mean, I can barely touch the rim, and these guys are practically flying over it!
It was a fun little dive into the world of NBA verticals. Definitely gave me a new appreciation for these athletes. And hey, maybe it motivated me to work on my own jump a little. Who knows, maybe one day I’ll get that extra inch or two. A guy can dream, right?
