Why Don't American Coaches Teach About How Damaging Dunking Can Be For Players?

[Euroleague]

The thread about the ACL injuries reminded me about something that I have always wondered about.............

In European basketball they often gauge the impact to the body that dunking does for the players. Often times, guys that are 196 cm or shorter (that's 6'5" and under) are taught NOT to dunk the basketball.

Some players of course that are that height or shorter dunk the ball anyway. It's totally up to the player to do what they want. But it's normal to advise guys that height and shorter not to dunk.

And in guys that are say 192 cm and shorter (6'3" and lower) it's quite often considered stupid for them to dunk the basketball.

The reason for this is because they have done extensive research and testing into the impact the body takes from dunking the basketball and smaller players take a huge amount of physical impact to their bodies when they dunk.

It will basically shorten a career and reduce athletic ability if you keep dunking and are a smaller player.

For an example, Derrick Rose (ACL) fits into this category.

Also, it's been shown that guys that dunk the ball a lot and guys that are power dunkers also have the same negative impact to their bodies.

Amare Stoudemire (micro-fracture) fits into this category.

The general belief in European basketball is that you should only dunk the basketball when it is necessary, because it has a negative effect on your body. Again, it's up to the players themselves to decide what they do.

But when I look at European basketball, I see guards still playing in their mid to late 30s and you don't see blown out knees and micro-fractures and things like that.

And when you look at athletic big men in Europe, it also seems noticeable how many less injuries they seem to have as compared to NBA players of the same type.

You do see athletic big men in Europe starting to have knee problems after age 30, after they have been playing for 12+ years. But you don't see it too often in guys under 30. In the NBA you see it all the time in athletic big men under 30.

And the NBA has so many of those athletic guys that seem to crumble by age 30........like Tracy McGrady, Steve Francis - guys like that. Seemingly unable to keep their body right past age 30. This seems to rarely happen with guys playing in Europe.

But what you will notice if you watch a Euroleague game for example, is some 6-5 guy might steal the ball, get free for an open layup and choose to just softly lay the ball in off the glass, rather than throwing down what would be a relatively easy dunk.

Of course some guys are definitely dunking that and trying to make highlights (especially the American players). But you do see this quite often from players in Europe that almost won't dunk as a rule.

I just wonder why no one in American basketball seems to understand this. A guy like Derrick Rose didn't need to try to dunk the ball every time, but that is exactly what he would do. Westbrook plays the same way.

It's not necessary and it causes unneeded damage to their bodies. But I can't really think of many NBA guards that all through their careers were choosing to not dunk to conserve their bodies.

Maybe Nash when he was younger, maybe Andre Miller?.......that's about all the comes to mind. And guys like Amare are a classic example of over dunking and ruining the knees for no reason.

I don't know, maybe Tim Duncan is a guy that has taken a lot of layups that he could have dunked........

And these guys like Nash, Miller, and Duncan have lasted so much longer in their careers than most other players do. Maybe Kareem is also a good example. He was shooting sky hooks mainly, rather than trying to dunk everything and power around the basket.

Compare that to Yao Ming who was taught by the idiot Jeff Van Gundy to try to power everything around the basket, bully in the low post, and try to dunk everything........his huge body didn't last very long at all.

Basically, a smaller guy puts a lot of pressure and stress on his body when he lands back to the floor after he dunks the ball. A bigger guy puts a lot of force on his knees when he leaps to power dunk the ball.

And the worst damage is done by guys that jump and land on one leg, which is how American basketball, and especially the NBA, teaches the players. Guys that generally jump and land with two legs (like Dominique Wilkins for example) put much less stress on their bodies to dunk the ball.

But in American basketball they are always teaching players from early ages NOT to dunk and jump like Wilkins, but to do everything off one leg, which is hugely damaging to the body.

Do American coaches and trainers not even know this?

[B-Low]

Westbrook's under 6'5, dunks at least once a game with POWER, and he's never missed a game in the NBA or college because of injury. Meanwhile Kyrie who has like 5 dunks in 2 years has missed game after game.

I wouldn't say it's that big a deal whether a smaller player dunks or not

[esiotrot]

Great post Euroleague, some of these Americans and NBA only fans don't know anything about basketball.

[Psycho]

Westbrook's under 6'5, dunks at least once a game with POWER, and he's never missed a game in the NBA or college because of injury. Meanwhile Kyrie who has like 5 dunks in 2 years has missed game after game.

I wouldn't say it's that big a deal whether a smaller player dunks or not

That's two players and there could just be genetic/conditioning reasons outweighing whether they dunk or not.

[NumberSix]

The thread about the ACL injuries reminded me about something that I have always wondered about.............

In European basketball......
Wait, in what? :wtf:

[The Choken One]

http://www.cointalk.com/attachments/226814d1357346864-double_facepalm.jpg

[B-Low]

That's two players and there could just be genetic/conditioning reasons outweighing whether they dunk or not.

That's my point exactly though. I can name plenty of players who dunk without injury, and plenty who don't dunk and get injured just as much. There's too many other factors than to say it's all about size/dunking like Euro says. There are injury-plagued players and non injury plagued ones. There's way too many factors to blame dunking, and especially American coaches for the injuries.

It's a professional sport. There's running, jumping, contact, falling...it's just part of the sport. You don't teach players not to use God-given gifts if they can use their athleticism to their advantage

[Euroleague]

That's my point exactly though. I can name plenty of players who dunk without injury, and plenty who don't dunk and get injured just as much. There's too many other factors than to say it's all about size/dunking like Euro says. There are injury-plagued players and non injury plagued ones. There's way too many factors to blame dunking, and especially American coaches for the injuries.

It's a professional sport. There's running, jumping, contact, falling...it's just part of the sport. You don't teach players not to use God-given gifts if they can use their athleticism to their advantage

I didn't make any such claim. I am just saying that it's been proven through testing in sports labs that dunking DOES cause unneeded stress to the body. Obviously some guys are built to take that stress better than others.

Like Shaq for example. But some guys obviously are NOT built to take that stress as well. Like for example, Amare or McDyess that both clearly damaged their knees from too much power dunking.

[Psycho]

That's my point exactly though. I can name plenty of players who dunk without injury, and plenty who don't dunk and get injured just as much. There's too many other factors than to say it's all about size/dunking like Euro says. There are injury-plagued players and non injury plagued ones. There's way too many factors to blame dunking, and especially American coaches for the injuries.

It's a professional sport. There's running, jumping, contact, falling...it's just part of the sport. You don't teach players not to use God-given gifts if they can use their athleticism to their advantage

Yeah, but dunking and overexerting themselves can gradually lead to or encourage in injury-plagued players such as Rose, so you would think that not dunking except in necessary situations would be advantageous (ie in transition you can just lay it in).

[TMac&Luther]

Great post Euroleague, some of these Americans and NBA only fans don't know anything about basketball.

:rolleyes: Yeah, we only invented the damn game. :oldlol: GTFO


There's nothing wrong with dunking a damn basketball, most players hang on the rim anyways to protect themselves and you can just as easily tear your knee up while making a cut on the floor (which is what happens a great majority of the time) as you can leaving your feet.

We dunk, because we teach our players to finish strong and not play a ***** brand of basketball. Seeing how us dumbass "Americans who don't know anything about basketball" have faired in international competition, I'll say it's worked out pretty well. :sleeping

[ThickassGlasses]

Running is one of the worst things you can do for your knees and ankles.. Which causes hip and back problems.

Maybe we should ask these same coaches why they don't teach players how to power walk down the court rather than run?

:coleman:

[ThaRegul8r]

Kareem is also a good example. He was shooting sky hooks mainly, rather than trying to dunk everything and power around the basket.

He couldn't.

And I mean that completely literally.

While he was at UCLA, dunking was banned, which led to the development of the skyhook.

And thus the irony of the fact that it was the institution of rules designed to reduce his dominance which was directly responsible for the most unstoppable shot in the history of the game.

[esiotrot]

:rolleyes: Yeah, we only invented the damn game. :oldlol: GTFO


There's nothing wrong with dunking a damn basketball, most players hang on the rim anyways to protect themselves and you can just as easily tear your knee up while making a cut on the floor (which is what happens a great majority of the time) as you can leaving your feet.

We dunk, because we teach our players to finish strong and not play a ***** brand of basketball. Seeing how us dumbass "Americans who don't know anything about basketball" have faired in international competition, I'll say it's worked out pretty well. :sleeping

Didn't you hear? A Canadian invented basketball. :lol

And Stern rigged the Olympics. :coleman:

[NotYetGreat]

No, you know what? They shouldn't ban hanging on the rims. Why? Because at least hanging gives you a teeny bit of time in order to land safely on your feet instead of just carrying your momentum possibly all the way into the crowd. What difference is the dunking motion from the lay-up? You jump and land in either. What damages players is the landing. Eccentric stress is what hurts muscle, ligaments, bones, etc. If you think jumping the exact same way and grabbing rim and landing the same way as you would on a soft lay-in is gonna increase your chances of getting injured then dayum, son.

It's not dunking that injures them. It's their bodies' incapabilities to withstand the forces that act on them during play that destroys them. Banning dunking isn't the solution. Better strength training, better corrective strengthening of the body, and better injury prevention are the solution.

[LilEddyCurry]

Mabye cause Euroleague players are less athletic, therefore they require more strength and energy to dunk?

[Raymone]

Leave it to a euro-lover to be against dunking.

[esiotrot]

Leave it to a euro-lover to be against dunking.

:biggums:

Spanoulis is more athletic than Westbrook.

[TMac&Luther]

Didn't you hear? A Canadian invented basketball. :lol

And Stern rigged the Olympics. :coleman:

Naismith was born in Canada.. became a American.. invented basketball. What's your point? This entire country is made up of immigrants (especially in the 1800's), but we're still American. :hammerhead:

[TMac&Luther]

:biggums:

Spanoulis is more athletic than Westbrook.

:roll: Y'all most have some space aged crack rocks over there.

[esiotrot]

:roll: Y'all most have some space aged crack rocks over there.

:facepalm

Westbrook only runs faster, changes direction quicker, is more durable, jumps higher, and has better explosion.

Spanoulis has him beat in everything else.

[TMac&Luther]

:facepalm

Westbrook only runs faster, changes direction quicker, is more durable, jumps higher, and has better explosion.

Spanoulis has him beat in everything else.

:lol You forgot one thing..

Westbrook also has a *****. Spanoulis was a giant ****** here in Houston and the big ol mean JVG made him give up on his NBA career and he went crying back home to mama.. no lie, they guy actually went crying back home to mama. He said he missed his mama. :oldlol: Dude compared himself to Tmac.. their ability to whine and go emo was about the only thing they had in common.

[esiotrot]

:lol You forgot one thing..

Westbrook also has a *****. Spanoulis was a giant ****** here in Houston and the big ol mean JVG made him give up on his NBA career and he went crying back home to mama.. no lie, they guy actually went crying back home to mama. He said he missed his mama. :oldlol: Dude compared himself to Tmac.. their ability to whine and go emo was about the only thing they had in common.

True, Westbrook has a healthy c0ck.

[Budadiiii]

True, Westbrook has a healthy c0ck.
No doubt.

[SacJB Shady]

The thread about the ACL injuries reminded me about something that I have always wondered about.............

In European basketball they often gauge the impact to the body that dunking does for the players. Often times, guys that are 196 cm or shorter (that's 6'5" and under) are taught NOT to dunk the basketball.

Some players of course that are that height or shorter dunk the ball anyway. It's totally up to the player to do what they want. But it's normal to advise guys that height and shorter not to dunk.

And in guys that are say 192 cm and shorter (6'3" and lower) it's quite often considered stupid for them to dunk the basketball.

The reason for this is because they have done extensive research and testing into the impact the body takes from dunking the basketball and smaller players take a huge amount of physical impact to their bodies when they dunk.

It will basically shorten a career and reduce athletic ability if you keep dunking and are a smaller player.

For an example, Derrick Rose (ACL) fits into this category.

Also, it's been shown that guys that dunk the ball a lot and guys that are power dunkers also have the same negative impact to their bodies.

Amare Stoudemire (micro-fracture) fits into this category.

The general belief in European basketball is that you should only dunk the basketball when it is necessary, because it has a negative effect on your body. Again, it's up to the players themselves to decide what they do.

But when I look at European basketball, I see guards still playing in their mid to late 30s and you don't see blown out knees and micro-fractures and things like that.

And when you look at athletic big men in Europe, it also seems noticeable how many less injuries they seem to have as compared to NBA players of the same type.

You do see athletic big men in Europe starting to have knee problems after age 30, after they have been playing for 12+ years. But you don't see it too often in guys under 30. In the NBA you see it all the time in athletic big men under 30.

And the NBA has so many of those athletic guys that seem to crumble by age 30........like Tracy McGrady, Steve Francis - guys like that. Seemingly unable to keep their body right past age 30. This seems to rarely happen with guys playing in Europe.

But what you will notice if you watch a Euroleague game for example, is some 6-5 guy might steal the ball, get free for an open layup and choose to just softly lay the ball in off the glass, rather than throwing down what would be a relatively easy dunk.

Of course some guys are definitely dunking that and trying to make highlights (especially the American players). But you do see this quite often from players in Europe that almost won't dunk as a rule.

I just wonder why no one in American basketball seems to understand this. A guy like Derrick Rose didn't need to try to dunk the ball every time, but that is exactly what he would do. Westbrook plays the same way.

It's not necessary and it causes unneeded damage to their bodies. But I can't really think of many NBA guards that all through their careers were choosing to not dunk to conserve their bodies.

Maybe Nash when he was younger.......that's about all the comes to mind. And guys like Amare are a classic example of over dunking and ruining the knees for no reason.

I don't know, maybe Tim Duncan is a guy that has taken a lot of layups that he could have dunked........

And these guys like Nash and Duncan have lasted so much longer in their careers than most other players do. Maybe Kareem is also a good example. He was shooting sky hooks mainly, rather than trying to dunk everything and power around the basket.

Compare that to Yao Ming who was taught by the idiot Jeff Van Gundy to try to power everything around the basket, bully in the low post, and try to dunk everything........his huge body didn't last very long at all.

Basically, a smaller guy puts a lot of pressure and stress on his body when he lands back to the floor after he dunks the ball. A bigger guy puts a lot of force on his knees when he leaps to power dunk the ball.

And the worst damage is done by guys that jump and land on one leg, which is how American basketball, and especially the NBA, teaches the players. Guys that generally jump and land with two legs (like Dominique Wilkins for example) put much less stress on their bodies to dunk the ball.

But in American basketball they are always teaching players from early ages NOT to dunk and jump like Wilkins, but to do everything off one leg, which is hugely damaging to the body.

Do American coaches and trainers not even know this?




While all this may be valid, you gotta remember that basketball is entertainment. Fans are not paying for a lack of entertainment. Even if the players career is ultimately shortened or more likely to be, they still end up as zillionaires with the best medical treatment, so they owe it to us to show out.

[Groovy Kat]

I could see how it would contribute to injuries but I don't think its that significant. The NBA style of play is just more wearing on the body. Also Ricky Rubio tore his ACL and he plays the Euro style and Manu is always injured.

[Euroleague]

I could see how it would contribute to injuries but I don't think its that significant. The NBA style of play is just more wearing on the body. Also Ricky Rubio tore his ACL and he plays the Euro style and Manu is always injured.

Well, Manu was always trying to dunk in games. As for Rubio, he does not, but I can say that he had a bad habit like LeBron of showing off in warm ups.

In Europe you could often see him doing all these different kinds of dunks during warm ups, trying to show off to the crowd.

[9512]

I agree with OP.

From personal experience I tried to dunk when I was younger (5 foot 8) and could touch the rim on a one two step jump. I failed again and again and was never able to do it. Today I have chronic episodes of jumper's knee and inflammation on my right knee (jumping knee).

The landing hurts the most. Not the ascension. Especially if you don't look where you land. Especially if you play on concrete like I did.

And of course we all saw what happened to Kevin Ware if you don't look where you land. Even though most will not break their leg like Ware, the stress on the bones, ligaments, tendons, muscles etc... will impact the body negatively in the long run.

[Euroleague]

Leave it to a euro-lover to be against dunking.

I never said I was "against dunking". I am just saying, it's not needed when guys like Rose feel the need to do some big show off dunk on a breakaway steal or whatever.

I mean, Blake Griffin is another good example. He's often just trying to do the biggest dunk possible for no real reason other than to showboat, show up opponents, make Sportscenter highlights.......

it may all be fun now, but his knees won't hold up to playing that way.

[Crystallas]

Wait, you guys take Euroleague(LakersFanYo) seriously?

:roll:

He's an obvious troll, or mentally retarded.

[Crystallas]

I never said I was "against dunking". I am just saying, it's not needed when guys like Rose feel the need to do some big show off dunk on a breakaway steal or whatever.



How many dunks does Rose do a year? Just asking, because you act like you know a thing or two.

Also, how many times has Rose injured himself on a dunk?

[tomkiddo91]

As much as I hate to agree/listen to anything Euroleague says, I'm also pretty sure I've heard Charles Barkley credit his dunking in his younger years to his breaking down in later ones.

Still, it is Euroleague so nvm.

[deja vu]

:facepalm

Westbrook only runs faster, changes direction quicker, is more durable, jumps higher, and has better explosion.

Spanoulis has him beat in everything else.
Spanoulis is more athletic than Derrick Rose and Westbrook combined. He'd average 25 ppg in the NBA if he played there today. Forget his 4 ppg average during his short-lived Rockets career. The coach didn't want to unleash his athletic prowess on the court. :roll:

Anyway, OP is just mad that Euroleague players can't barely dunk. :banana:

[TMac&Luther]

As much as I hate to agree/listen to anything Euroleague says, I'm also pretty sure I've heard Charles Barkley credit his dunking in his younger years to his breaking down in later ones.

Still, it is Euroleague so nvm.


Yeah, I'm pretty sure that had more to do with his fat ass. :oldlol: Dude was horribly out of shape in his later years and when he got to the Rockets he looked like butter bean out there. When you carry extra weight it puts 5x more stress on your knees than dunking ever will.

Michael Jordan was a high flyer and was productive into his 40's, but he always stayed in shape and took care of his body. Crispie cream isn't exactly a good workout program.

Every player has so many jumps in their legs, the same way every football player only has so many snaps in their career. You're picking up wear and tear every time you step out on a court, but I doubt dunking a ball (which a player probably averages less than 1 dunk per game) greatly decreases their career longevity.. especially since players no longer log the kind of minutes other players did back in the day.

American coaches are never going to teach their players not to dunk, because they're smart enough to realize a big thunder dunk ignites a crowd and can swing the momentum of a game or further extend a run. It's also the highest percentage shot in basketball.. why the hell would they tell their players not to do that. :facepalm

[MtMutombo]

Depends on the body. I dont see a Javale Mcgee ever taking a knee injury. I dont really see a Blake Griffin taking one either. IDK, sounds like it makes sense in light of recent trends but it depends on the body.

Youd think James Harden would be in for one.

[esiotrot]

Depends on the body. I dont see a Javale Mcgee ever taking a knee injury. I dont really see a Blake Griffin taking one either. IDK, sounds like it makes sense in light of recent trends but it depends on the body.

Youd think James Harden would be in for one.

He broke his kneecap and tore his meniscus already.

[LBJFTW]

Westbrook's under 6'5, dunks at least once a game with POWER, and he's never missed a game in the NBA or college because of injury. Meanwhile Kyrie who has like 5 dunks in 2 years has missed game after game.

I wouldn't say it's that big a deal whether a smaller player dunks or not

Westbrook was the first thing that popped into my mind as I was reading Euroleague's post. He finally posted something worth reading and not another thread about how bad the Euroleague is compared to the NBA.

[magic14]

I didn't make any such claim. I am just saying that it's been proven through testing in sports labs that dunking DOES cause unneeded stress to the body. Obviously some guys are built to take that stress better than others.

Like Shaq for example. But some guys obviously are NOT built to take that stress as well. Like for example, Amare or McDyess that both clearly damaged their knees from too much power dunking.
I heard about another test that was being done. It said that playing good defense and hustling is damaging for players too! That's why Andrei Kirilenko, Andrew Bogut and Manu Ginobili are so injury prone. Smart players like Kobe and Lebron are so durable because they save their energy and only play defense during important times. This has been proven by many advanced sports labs across the world.

[LBJFTW]

I heard about another test that was being done. It said that playing good defense and hustling is damaging for players too! That's why Andrei Kirilenko, Andrew Bogut and Manu Ginobili are so injury prone. Smart players like Kobe and Lebron are so durable because they save their energy and only play defense during important times. This has been proven by many advanced sports labs across the world.

Buwahahahahaha!

/thread

[LongLiveTheKing]

Can euroleague players even dunk? lol

[Fiba basketball]

Westbrook was the first thing that popped into my mind as I was reading Euroleague's post. He finally posted something worth reading and not another thread about how bad the Euroleague is compared to the NBA.
Westbrook is healthy now but he will have problems with his knees when he's 40 or 50 .

[LBJFTW]

Can euroleague players even dunk? lol

When I was in Athens playing pickup ball I was dunking on all them niqqas! Bunch of Panathanikos fans learned real quick how we do it in America.

And no, one else on the court could dunk so that pretty much translates to Euro League. Even the great Nikos Galis couldn't dunk.

[LBJFTW]

Westbrook is healthy now but he will have problems with his knees when he's 40 or 50 .

But he'll already have retired as the most durable player to ever lace them up by that time.

[andremiller07]

Westbrook is healthy now but he will have problems with his knees when he's 40 or 50 .

So will every other professinal basketball player/athlete in which they are required to run and jump for a extended periods of years.

[LongLiveTheKing]

When I was in Athens playing pickup ball I was dunking on all them niqqas! Bunch of Panathanikos fans learned real quick how we do it in America.

And no, one else on the court could dunk so that pretty much translates to Euro League. Even the great Nikos Galis couldn't dunk.
Showing them how sh*t is done! :applause:

[BoutPractice]

He actually makes a reasonable point.

This connects with a larger issue, which is that the NBA is part of the entertainment business as well as a sport. As a result, players are treated like merchandise instead of human beings. It's all part of the game, of course, and most players know and accept that, but it's a reality nonetheless. So when it comes to things like long term health, a player's best interests often conflict with his team's.

[Mr. Jabbar]

its a good thing op was descriptive in his title cause theres no way im reading through that mess :applause:

[Y2Gezee]

I agree with this. This is generally why players learn to rely more on skill as they get even into their prime years. And players that don't adjust well in terms of being able to play a different way usually fall hard. Just like a guy like Larry Bird who always hit the deck hard, had a shortened career.

[deja vu]

Westbrook is healthy now but he will have problems with his knees when he's 40 or 50 .
How do you know? MJ was dunking like crazy during his younger and prime years, and still schooling young 'uns in his 40s and 50s. :bowdown:

[Salty]

LOL this is ridiculous. I assume what your european pseudoscientists deduced is that the impact of landing after jumping for a dunk is potentially harmful to the cartilage and tendons of the knees, so why only dunking? You eurofags should stop jumping for layups, stop jumping for blocks, for jump shots, for anything.

All jump balls will just be players standing on their tippy toes waving their hands in the air.

In fact, running is pretty bad for your legs, too. Why don't american coaches teach about how damaging running can be for players? It's what makes european basketball so effing great.

[Mr. Jabbar]

LOL this is ridiculous. I assume what your european pseudoscientists deduced is that the impact of landing after jumping for a dunk is potentially harmful to the cartilage and tendons of the knees, so why only dunking? You eurofags should stop jumping for layups, stop jumping for blocks, for jump shots, for anything.

All jump balls will just be players standing on their tippy toes waving their hands in the air.

In fact, running is pretty bad for your legs, too. Why don't american coaches teach about how damaging running can be for players? It's what makes european basketball so effing great.

it just hit me, metta is preserving his health, he'll be playing till 75 :bowdown:

[esiotrot]

it just hit me, metta is preserving his health, he'll be playing till 75 :bowdown:

So is Steve Nash :eek: :eek: :eek:

[Fiba basketball]

How do you know? MJ was dunking like crazy during his younger and prime years, and still schooling young 'uns in his 40s and 50s. :bowdown:
Every player that jumps a lot will have problems with their knees .

[bd#1pguard]

Yeah, but dunking and overexerting themselves can gradually lead to or encourage in injury-plagued players such as Rose, so you would think that not dunking except in necessary situations would be advantageous (ie in transition you can just lay it in).

great point, and in a couple espn articles it shows thats exactly what rose is going to do. return to the dunking, he even said he wont come back until he can dunk whilst jumping of his left leg.

maybe this is why lebron wont go into the dunk contest, because he has seen how many dunk attempts happen in it.

[tgan3]

This is complete bu11crap. There are so many explosive athletes under 6'4 that never had any major injury before and there are guys who have never dunk but had acl tear etc.

Yes leg injuries are very common in basketball, but it is unrelated to whether you can dunk anot although playing a game like Iverson or Westbrook increases the odds of injury.

[Rake2204]

I do not believe dunking is typically any more damaging to the knees than shot blocking, rebounding, shooting, elevating through the lane for a layup, or performing a jump ball tip. There's something to be said about wear and tear, but I do not find many reasons to single out dunking when referencing the damage it could have on one's knees.

In order for me to dunk, I have to exert my energy. I am most certainly not a guy who can throw down with 12% effort. I have to spring to make it happen. However, my dunk opportunities sprout up just a few times per game, if that. Of my in-game jumps, dunk jumps account for about 1%. My other jumps involve me performing the actions mentioned in the first paragraph - powering up for a rebound; chasing down, planting, and max jumping in an attempt to complete a blocked shot; attacking the hole with a defender in front where I know I won't be able to dunk, but must go hard regardless, resulting in a max jump that turns into a layup attempt, etc.

I've never found dunking to be more dangerous for my knees than most of the other actions I perform on the basketball court (also including grounded activities such as sprinting, stopping on a dime, and cutting at a moment's notice). In fact, between a dunk and layup, I find layups to often be more dangerous in my experience. I say this because for me, I need a relatively stable launch and pathway in order to dunk. That means I plant cleanly, take off cleanly, and often have a mostly clear path to the basket. Conversely, I take off on layups from all sorts of weird angles, often without my body weight completely centered, with an uncertain landing pad sometimes waiting for me on the other side. And even on layups, I'm still usually attempting to spring as strongly as possible. Ankle sprains and knee twists have been much more prevalent in the latter scenario.

In truth, this may sound funny, but the biggest injury risk dunking has ever posed to me (short term or long term) has been on my back and elbow. Elevating at a high speed then meeting (and often hanging) on an object - thus significantly altering your inertia - can lead to some unnatural jarring and twists. 99 times out of 100 it's not a problem, but every now and again I'll wake up and realize I probably shouldn't have hung like I did.

[Nero Tulip]

Well at least it's an original idea. It's a complete load of crap that doesn't pass the smell test but at least it's original

[The Iron Fist]

He couldn't.

And I mean that completely literally.

While he was at UCLA, dunking was banned, which led to the development of the skyhook.

And thus the irony of the fact that it was the institution of rules designed to reduce his dominance which was directly responsible for the most unstoppable shot in the history of the game.
The Skyhook had been in development since Kareem was a kid.

[CavaliersFTW]

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