ESPN article about touching the top of the backboard (13ft)

[AznBBoyX]

I'd only ever heard of Bron doing it.

Well you heard wrong because in the article, Lebron admits to never being able to do it.

[ChrisConley]

DatZ. Thanks for posting that vid. You da man. However, in the article, the guy says White jumped from the FT line once and did a through the legs dunk. I've been all over youtube and I can't find it. The farthest through the leg dunk I've seen him do is maybe a little more than half the distance to the FT line and it's from an off angle. I did see him do a one handed FT line dunk which does rival Jordan's. His two handed one is at least 6 inches inside the line if not more. Either way, the writer plays up this dunk as the most amazing dunk in history, but I can't find it. 2001? What was he like a junior in high school?

[Kblaze8855]

Ive seen whites through the legs FT dunk. He did it twice(at least). One rimmed out and the other went in. The video was posted when he did it. No idea where it is now.

A teacher at my high school played with Lew Alcindor/Kareem at UCLA, and he told me Lew pulled this stunt off. Grabbed the top of the backboard. I have no reason to disbelieve him.

Kareem himself said he couldnt do it. I dont remember who he was talking about. Either Earl the Goat or Wilt. But he flatly said he couldnt get that high.

[ChrisConley]

Got it. Almost his entire foot is inside the line, but it is still possibly the most amazing dunk ever.

http://www.hoopsdojo.com/Highlight/J...een-Legs-Dunk/

[Unreal Skill]

Got it. Almost his entire foot is inside the line, but it is still possibly the most amazing dunk ever.

http://www.hoopsdojo.com/Highlight/J...een-Legs-Dunk/

That dunk alone put him as an elite dunker along with VC. That dunk is = to VC's French toast dunk. Two very hard to pull off. Btw how old is that article? They should ask James to do it again in the future when he gain some more vertical.

[Diesel J]

I think dwight could do it for sure if he got a running start

[DatZNasty]

James can legitimately get that between the legs from the line, and the 2 handed double pump ft line too from further than MJ took off to do his 1 handed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZtyZWmOLOQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dLGMTp_1Nk



I actually undersold him. His personal best is 7-1 and his coach says with improved technique and no increase in leap, he could add 6-8 inches and he long jumps 25'7. He could potentially do a 3pt layup if he could maintain control while giving a max jump

White jumps at chance
Sky's the limit for Bearcats' two-sport star in basketball and track

By Bill Koch
The Cincinnati Enquirer

The first time James White walked into the Armory Fieldhouse at the University of Cincinnati and told Jim Schnur he wanted to join the track team, Schnur didn't hesitate to welcome him aboard. After all, he had seen White play basketball for the Bearcats.

James White, a forward on the University of Cincinnati's basketball team, is also on the track team.
(Tony Jones photo)
White, a 6-foot-7 sophomore from Kensington, Md., then proceeded to jump 7 feet, 1 inch in practice on that first day, not bad for a guy who doesn't really know how to high jump.

"In the high jump, he's not really doing it the right way," said Schnur, who coaches the jumpers on UC's track team. "He has a problem bending over the bar. The problem he doesn't have is jumping."

White, known for his acrobatic dunks as a guard and forward on the UC basketball team, has never had a problem jumping. It comes as naturally to him as breathing does to most people. "God gave me the ability to jump, and I'm able to take advantage of it with this," White said.

White has yet to jump 7-1 in a meet, but he did jump 6-10 3/4 in his first meet as a Bearcat. That was at the Miami University Invitational on April 10. He not only won the meet but qualified for the NCAA Mid-East Regional on May 28-29 in Baton Rouge, La.

He added the long jump to his repertoire at the All-Ohio Championships April 16-17 and jumped 25-7 1/2, good enough for first place. That jump, which was wind-aided, did not qualify him for the NCAA regional, but his third-best jump of the day, which was 24-1 3/4, did.

Until this spring, White, who transferred to UC from Florida in the fall of 2002, hadn't competed in a sanctioned meet since the spring of 2002. But he wasn't surprised that he did so well right off the bat, despite his poor form.

"I still have the jumping ability," he said.

Jumping higher than 6-10 3/4, though, has been a problem. He admits it has been a struggle refining his technique. If he learns to lay over the bar properly, Schnur said, White could add 6-8 inches to his jump.

"That's the next step," White said. "That's something I'm working on."

Form isn't so crucial to success in the long jump.

"You just jump as far as you can," White said. "It has more of a natural aspect to it."

White said he planned all along to join the track team when he arrived at UC. He had competed in a few meets at Florida but had to give it up because it was conflicting with basketball and the coaching staff there wasn't very flexible.

UC basketball coach Bob Huggins has been more understanding.

"I went to him first and asked him to give me permission," White said. "He said as long as I get everything done with basketball, he didn't care. He's been pretty lenient about it as far as if I miss a workout or something. He knows I'm not out here just playing around.

"I still lift three times a week (for basketball). We work out right now. We don't play as much as we usually do. I do that stuff in the mornings. In the evenings, I come here on Tuesdays and Thursdays and get my jumping in. The meets are on the weekends."

White takes a lot of kidding from his basketball teammates because he walks around in track tights so much, but Schnur says he blends in well with his fellow track athletes.

"He's a regular guy," Schnur said. "He does not put himself above everybody else."

As a track athlete, White competes before much smaller crowds than in basketball games and had to endure an 11-hour bus ride to Des Moines, Iowa, to compete in the Drake Relays, which he won along with high hurdler David Payne. When the basketball team travels, it flies and stays in the finest hotels.

"I don't really care about all of that," White said. "I just want to come out here and have fun and compete."

[supersmashbros]

Theoretically players like Kenny George or Jaber Rouzbahani have the advantage in reaching the top of the backboard since they could already touch the rim while standing flatfooted right? But sadly I don't think they have much of a vertical--besides being vertical already!

[Myth]

James White vs a Jumping Myth

Nice, an article about me. Too bad I'm frowned upon in this article and the author wants to prove me wrong.

[dab0yech0]

Theoretically players like Kenny George or Jaber Rouzbahani have the advantage in reaching the top of the backboard since they could already touch the rim while standing flatfooted right? But sadly I don't think they have much of a vertical--besides being vertical already!

I doubt it will happen but I wonder what would happen if a guy like Sun Ming Ming successfully used Air Alert or another vertical program

[RoseCity07]

I heard Travis Outlaw could grab quarters of the top of the backboard but if Lebron can't do it I'm sure Outlaw can't.

[raiderfan19]

my best guess at this would be tyson chandler when he first came into the nba. He was said to have a 42 inch vert to go with his height that would get him pretty close if true.

[T-Low]

2 Words.....Jus Fly....Buddy from up near Toronto, Ontario Canada area.....

Jus Fly dunks...

[3stat2]

^ Justin Darlington is nuts, I've seen some of his other videos too. The guy jumps ridiculously high, but I don't think he has the armspan/height to pull it off. He's only 6'4 which isn't enough imo. He might be able to get a fingertip on Dwight's sticker though.

What about this Javale McGee guy? I haven't seen exactly how high he can jump but I saw people mention in other threads that he can get his head above the rim. He's tall so maybe he has a shot.

[Myth]

I heard Travis Outlaw could grab quarters of the top of the backboard but if Lebron can't do it I'm sure Outlaw can't.

As I stated nearly a year ago, I watched Brent Petway and Outlaw trying to touch as high as they could, and Outlaw barely got the tips of his fingers higher than the square. That more than a foot away from the top I believe. Petway got within 8 inches or so.