Wilt with confirmed 42+ vertical?... when has any center gotten this high?

[3ball]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4JC6ahiLDL4#


I recommend watching at 25% speed - notice his left shoulder and chin at the rim

[Phoenix]

Russell was shorter but he was a high jump champion. He was getting some air too.

[3ball]

Russell was shorter but he was a high jump champion. He was getting some air too.

Russell probably got his head at rim too but there's a lack of film.. it's cool to see this on tape

I don't remember Shaq ever getting this high.. wilt appears on another level.. maybe peak Dwight could do it

[3ball]

for most guys, it's a little harder to fully extend and get up as high for a block with their off-hand

and he saves the ball from going out of bounds.. or almost

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

70sfan with another great find. Guy has a lot of rare Wilt footage.

Just waiting on one of Wilt's 50 point games to surface.

[warriorfan]

Russell probably got his head at rim too but there's a lack of film.. it's cool to see this on tape

I don't remember Shaq ever getting this high.. wilt appears on another level.. maybe peak Dwight could do it

I think I’ve seen a clip of Russell taking off from near free throw line and finger rolling it in. Looks like he could have dunked it if he really wanted to though.

[highwhey]

Ayton has a 43.5" vert

click play

https://www.facebook.com/theScore/videos/10159541276097037/?t=18

[light]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4JC6ahiLDL4#


I recommend watching at 25% speed - notice his left shoulder and chin at the rim

That's from a high angle so he's a bit lower than you think.

We need a rim level view for a better idea.

[warriorfan]

Ayton has a 43.5" vert

click play

https://www.facebook.com/theScore/videos/10159541276097037/?t=18

https://www.google.com/amp/s/clutchpoints.com/suns-news-deandre-ayton-shocked-embarrassed-over-25-game-ped-suspension/amp/

[RRR3]

Dwight used to literally be able to kiss the rim.

[Elosha]

I'm surprised 3Ball would rely such a well known inaccurate camera angle. That high above the backboard angle adds about 6 inches of vertical height. Completely unreliable. It's about a 33-34 inch jump most likely, which is very much in line with the vast majority of Wilt footage for dunks and blocks.

As for Shaq, there is much more evidence for him at or near room level than wilt. Both college and NBA footage showing him at or just slightly below rim level. I think Shaq was a bit more of an explosive jumper. I would put David Robinson, Shaq, and certainly DeAndre Jordan and Dwight Howard as better overall leapers than Wilt.

[3ball]

I'm surprised 3Ball would rely such a well known inaccurate camera angle. That high above the backboard angle adds about 6 inches of vertical height. Completely unreliable. It's about a 33-34 inch jump most likely, which is very much in line with the vast majority of Wilt footage for dunks and blocks.

As for Shaq, there is much more evidence for him at or near room level than wilt. Both college and NBA footage showing him at or just slightly below rim level. I think Shaq was a bit more of an explosive jumper. I would put David Robinson, Shaq, and certainly DeAndre Jordan and Dwight Howard as better overall leapers than Wilt.
distortions only occur when there's space between the player and rim to distort

there's no space between wilt's shoulder and the rim - that's legit

an shaq is too small for wilt - people were amazed initially at Shaq - "I've never seen anything so big"... and people who saw wilt were like "I have, and you have no idea".. . this vid gives us a glimpse of what they were talking about

[Round Mound]

:bowdown:

[HylianNightmare]

Maybe dwight. Wilt easily still one of the goats

[getting_old]

Maybe dwight. Wilt easily still one of the goats

Both had everything

except a killer instinct and seriousness when it mattererd

[Elosha]

distortions only occur when there's space between the player and rim to distort

there's no space between wilt's shoulder and the rim - that's legit

an shaq is too small for wilt - people were amazed initially at Shaq - "I've never seen anything so big"... and people who saw wilt were like "I have, and you have no idea".. . this vid gives us a glimpse of what they were talking about

Nope. There's all kinds of high above the rim camera shots that show players right next to the rim but then when a true straight on angle is shown, their vertical is about 6 inches lower. Prime example is that Lebron jump where he caught the ball next to the rim and landed back in first Cavs stint. The over the backboard camera angle made it look like he was chin level with the rim, but when we got a true straight on angle, he was no more than an inch above it. Still a fabulous jump and likely very close to his max particularly since he was jumping without the ball. But nowhere close to what the distorted camera angle suggested.

This probably does represent close to a max jump for Wilt too, since he is jumping with a one or two steps, and jumping without the ball. I wouldn't be surprised if he were one or two inches below the rim, but no more than that. There is simply no evidence could truly get his head over the rim. Everyone always cites distorted camera angles or pictures, but whenever we get a clear view of Wilt's dunks or blocks, he is nowhere close to rim level. There is nothing to suggest that his vertical was more than 33 to 34 inches. Which is great, for a big man.

As for size, Wilt may have been slightly taller and longer than Shaq but he not as heavy throughout his career. Will came into the league extraordinarily skinny and Shaq came in already weighing around 285, as they both bulked up throughout their careers, Shaq always significantly outweighed Wilt, but still retained both power and great explosiveness. If you're talking about when they were in their physical and athletic primes, Shaq would likely have outweighed wilt by 30 to 50 lbs. And it shows in how aggressive he was and how he could knock people around in ways that I've never seen in any Wilt highlights. Not to say wilt was not a monster as well, but this idea that he was some unstoppable force of nature I think has much more to do with the level of his competition than his actual ability. He was great, again I'm not denying it. But he was not some superhuman. Anyone with a unbiased mind who watches his highlights can see that.

[Soundwave]

Nope. There's all kinds of high above the rim camera shots that show players right next to the rim but then when a true straight on angle is shown, their vertical is about 6 inches lower. Prime example is that Lebron jump where he caught the ball next to the rim and landed back in first Cavs stint. The over the backboard camera angle made it look like he was chin level with the rim, but when we got a true straight on angle, he was no more than an inch above it. Still a fabulous jump and likely very close to his max particularly since he was jumping without the ball. But nowhere close to what the distorted camera angle suggested.

This probably does represent close to a max jump for Wilt too, since he is jumping with a one or two steps, and jumping without the ball. I wouldn't be surprised if he were one or two inches below the rim, but no more than that. There is simply no evidence could truly get his head over the rim. Everyone always cites distorted camera angles or pictures, but whenever we get a clear view of Wilt's dunks or blocks, he is nowhere close to rim level. There is nothing to suggest that his vertical was more than 33 to 34 inches. Which is great, for a big man.

As for size, Wilt may have been slightly taller and longer than Shaq but he not as heavy throughout his career. Will came into the league extraordinarily skinny and Shaq came in already weighing around 285, as they both bulked up throughout their careers, Shaq always significantly outweighed Wilt, but still retained both power and great explosiveness. If you're talking about when they were in their physical and athletic primes, Shaq would likely have outweighed wilt by 30 to 50 lbs. And it shows in how aggressive he was and how he could knock people around in ways that I've never seen in any Wilt highlights. Not to say wilt was not a monster as well, but this idea that he was some unstoppable force of nature I think has much more to do with the level of his competition than his actual ability. He was great, again I'm not denying it. But he was not some superhuman. Anyone with a unbiased mind who watches his highlights can see that.

Yeah I agree, there's a thing called parallax effect, which can skew the view.

Wilt is amazing, but I honestly think prime Shaq would still be able to bully even him in the post.

Every other big kinda apologized for being too big/strong, even Wilt. Shaq was the only one that didn't give a shit.

Shaq is a the greatest combination of size/agility/power in an NBA center ever IMO. Other guys did it now and again, but Shaq was constant with it.

[FKAri]

Definitely, Bill Walton

[3ball]

Yeah I agree, there's a thing called parallax effect, which can skew the view.

Wilt is amazing, but I honestly think prime Shaq would still be able to bully even him in the post.

Every other big kinda apologized for being too big/strong, even Wilt. Shaq was the only one that didn't give a shit.

Shaq is a the greatest combination of size/agility/power in an NBA center ever IMO. Other guys did it now and again, but Shaq was constant with it.

wilts left shoulder is touching the rim - so there's nothing to distort

again, there must be space to distort - space between player and rim - if there isn't any space, then there's nothing to distort

in this clip, wilt's left shoulder is touching the rim .. there's no "effect" there... only wilt's shoulder touching the rim

[Marchesk]

This probably does represent close to a max jump for Wilt too, since he is jumping with a one or two steps, and jumping without the ball. I wouldn't be surprised if he were one or two inches below the rim, but no more than that. There is simply no evidence could truly get his head over the rim. Everyone always cites distorted camera angles or pictures, but whenever we get a clear view of Wilt's dunks or blocks, he is nowhere close to rim level. There is nothing to suggest that his vertical was more than 33 to 34 inches. Which is great, for a big man.


LOL!!! There's all sorts of evidence Wilt was in the 38-42 inch range, including some of the video footage you downplay. Here's one where Wilt catches a jump shot at its apex:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCtmgxwsiJY

https://i.postimg.cc/j2znLY6q/wilt-blocks-shot-near-top-backboard.png

Wilt could dunk on a 12 foot experimental rim at KU. There was a newspaper article Dan who owns the Wilt Chamberlain Archive on YT posted a while back on here that said Wilt touched 12'9" on the backboard at some point in his career, which would have been a 39" vertical at the time, given his 9'6" standing reach. Bill Russell had basically the same vertical.

Someone did a pixel analysis to calculate this as a 38" vertical:
https://i.imgur.com/5xULi9e.jpg

And then you have Wilt blocking this jump shot at it's apex:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqN1nQLByy4

Also, they played in Chuck Taylors on those old courts without breakaway rims or ESPN highlights to motivate posterizing and pulling down rims.

[Phoenix]

Yeah I agree, there's a thing called parallax effect, which can skew the view.

Wilt is amazing, but I honestly think prime Shaq would still be able to bully even him in the post.

Every other big kinda apologized for being too big/strong, even Wilt. Shaq was the only one that didn't give a shit.

Shaq is a the greatest combination of size/agility/power in an NBA center ever IMO. Other guys did it now and again, but Shaq was constant with it.

I'm not so sure he bullies Wilt. I think I recall Shaq saying something along the lines of he couldn't budge Smits down low? I can't recall if it was him, but it wasn't someone who wouldn't be considered on Wilts level in terms of strength. It would be an interesting matchup, especially against Lakers Wilt when he was heavier.

[Marchesk]

And it shows in how aggressive he was and how he could knock people around in ways that I've never seen in any Wilt highlights. Not to say wilt was not a monster as well, but this idea that he was some unstoppable force of nature I think has much more to do with the level of his competition than his actual ability. He was great, again I'm not denying it. But he was not some superhuman. Anyone with a unbiased mind who watches his highlights can see that.

Wilt didn't play like Shaq. He was more finesse, but there is video of Wilt showing his strength in situations other than bowling people over and dunking. As for competition, both Wilt and Shaq played against multiple HOF centers. They played in the two best eras for centers.

Regardless, Wilt was definitely the superior shot blocker and rebounder, and he was better at running the floor and kept himself in better shape. Shaq couldn't have played the minutes Wilt did at 60s pace.

[Soundwave]

Here's an example of parallax view, in hockey the puck (the black circle thing for those who don't know) has to cross the red line to count as a goal ... by this angle it seems clear the puck is over the red line.

https://ducksnpucks.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/screen-shot-2015-05-05-at-9-20-56-pm.png?w=584

But in actuality it's not.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSG8mzwwOs8

[72-10]

It's quite impressive that a man weighing that much (Wilt was the heaviest player in the league in his day) could get chin if not shoulder level with the rim, even given his enormous stature of 7-1, dispelling any myths about inferior athleticism of his era. No surprise that freakishly athletic workout warrior Dwight Howard has the highest officially recorded (as acknowledged by the league) leaping reach on the backboard at 12 feet 6 inches, upping Shaq's previous mark by an inch, giving Dwight a vertical leap of 39.5 inches, which somehow pathetically got caked out of the article on him over at wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dwight_Howard&oldid=871440259#Player_profile

they say Wilt could nick the top of the backboard on a standing jump

I'd have to imagine that athletic Scott Pippen and Kevin Durant could reach quite high on the backboard considering their gangly armspans

familiar story about Wilt, but I've never heard of a giant getting that high

I wonder how high high flyers Clint Richardson (44' vert), James White and Gerald Green could get

[3ball]

Phil Jackson says Will was a better athlete than Shaq around the 1:15 mark, and this vid explains why Wilt is the goat athlete:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FCRIB6ZBSA4

[Gabe Ball]

Definitely impressive must've done some serious vertical training :bowdown:

[hiphopanonymous]

Anyone thinking angle - you're right. Nobody could take a ruler and measure anything with a camera angle like that. However.... that's the most common angle in basketball. All games are filmed at that angle. So how many times has that extremely common camera angle created the appearance of a player that close to the rim looking that high. We don't need to measure it to know that we simply don't see Davis doing that, or Embiid, nor Shaq nor Robinson, etc. And again - that's the most common camera angle in the history of the sport. The half-court middle row camera that basically tracks and follows the game.

[Vino24]

It's quite impressive that a man weighing that much (Wilt was the heaviest player in the league in his day) could get chin if not shoulder level with the rim, even given his enormous stature of 7-1, dispelling any myths about inferior athleticism of his era. No surprise that freakishly athletic workout warrior Dwight Howard has the highest officially recorded (as acknowledged by the league) leaping reach on the backboard at 12 feet 6 inches, upping Shaq's previous mark by an inch, giving Dwight a vertical leap of 39.5 inches, which somehow pathetically got caked out of the article on him over at wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dwight_Howard&oldid=871440259#Player_profile

they say Wilt could nick the top of the backboard on a standing jump

I'd have to imagine that athletic Scott Pippen and Kevin Durant could reach quite high on the backboard considering their gangly armspans

familiar story about Wilt, but I've never heard of a giant getting that high

I wonder how high high flyers Clint Richardson (44' vert), James White and Gerald Green could get

It puts into perspective how GOAT Bill Russell came to be. Who did MJ face? John Stockton? Lol

[highwhey]

OP confirmed a dumb bitch. totally dodging my post even thought i proved him wrong.

[Shooter]

OP confirmed a dumb bitch. totally dodging my post even thought i proved him wrong.

:roll: :roll:

[3ball]

Ayton has a 43.5" vert

click play

https://www.facebook.com/theScore/videos/10159541276097037/?t=18
wilts left shoulder and chin were touching the rim - so that's superior to ayton

imagine wilt doing that same drill that you posted of Ayton . he'd crush it

btw, watch wilt in his mid-40's springing off the ground while playing professional volleyball - Shaq was never that light on his feet, even in his prime

[highwhey]

wilts left shoulder and chin were touching the rim - so that's superior to ayton

imagine wilt doing that same drill that you posted of Ayton . he'd crush it

btw, watch wilt in his mid-40's springing off the ground while playing professional volleyball - Shaq was never that light on his feet, even in his prime

Your thread title implied no other cent had a 42+ vert.

i just posted a video proving you wrong.

:pimp:

[3ball]

Your thread title implied no other cent had a 42+ vert.

i just posted a video proving you wrong.

:pimp:

i posed a question

you helped answer it with a video of ayton in a practice format designed to maximize his vert... so it helps, but TBH, I was looking for more in-game, off-the-cuff leaping (so to speak), not a drill designed to maximize vert

but appreciate the input for sure