Kobe = best dunker

[Velocirap31]

Check the last link. The angle is much better. The angles aren't that deceiving in those vids either. Where's the Kobe head at rim video? It better be a good angle to.

[eliteballer]

They are all horrible angles...except the block.

but in the block he's NOT rim level

[Velocirap31]

They are all horrible angles...except the block.

but in the block he's NOT rim level

His head is clearly rim level in the last link and the angle is above the rim to. Learn a thing about perception and get back to me. Still waiting on that Kobe head at rim video, it must not exist.

[eliteballer]

The last one is as horrible as all of the others. The camera is high above and can peer over the rim.........get educated.

[Velocirap31]

The last one is as horrible as all of the others. The camera is high above and can peer over the rim.........get educated.

Alright man. I'm a structural engineer, but what do I know. You're just a blind Kobe stan. I give up. I'll check this thread tonight to see that Kobe head at rim video. I've got better things to do.

[eliteballer]

Hooray for bad anges!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCCwLFa9Q64

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjKIm9T7abA&t=0m50s

[eliteballer]

Alright man. I'm a structural engineer, but what do I know. You're just a blind Kobe stan. I give up. I'll check this thread tonight to see that Kobe head at rim video. I've got better things to do.

An engineer posting THOSE absurd angles and trying to pass them off? SURE....

[Rake2204]

1. The difficulty of the dunk greatly affects how high you get up. A dunker doing a reverse 360 windmill (a dunk I have never seen emulated well since) is not going to get as high as when that same dunker does a running sprint to catch the ball and dunk (as Francis did on his highest vertical dunk, a vertical beating Vince's by 1-2 inches).

2. Francis had an insane vertical which is why he was able to compete in the slam dunk contest at his height.

3. There are several plays where VC's head is rim level or a bit above.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RF2zNRr0xdQ on an alley oop
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gn70Wr48ptE on a block
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMwYZ-WegYk on a windmill dunk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxJ4yI3Y1NI on another block

Of course Vince's wingspan helped, but why is that a negative against him in your opinion? His wingspan isn't substantially greater than Kobe's anyway and even still, his head clearly reaches the rim in his prime. I've never seen Kobe's head at the rim. Show me that proof.

I'm a big Vince guy, but most of those are tough angles to make any kind of point, particularly the UNC clip. I think the blocks provide the best looks in terms of angle and head placement but even then, tough to find anything definitive.

My favorite "high jumping" Vince Carter clips:

1) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYtaGqM5HTM

2) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSzKmkEdaVQ (around the 11 second mark).

If we had to be real, I feel like we all could agree that performing an elbow dunk without relying on breaking away the rim to complete the slam probably means one's head is going to be right up there.

And in the 2nd clip, I don't insist this to be a "head at rim level" shot, but there's no doubt he's up there, seemingly without much effort.

Also, for the sake of sakes, here's Vince Carter pulling off the elbow dunk in-game (but without the hang and with a horrible angle): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmvT06dmdpM

[andgar923]

Some of you guys are
The original post was actually praising Kobe. Him being able to throw it down in game situations with (actually a lot) less vertical than LeBron, MJ or Vince is a compliment. Yet some of you... eh.

Im glad somebody noticed.

[eliteballer]

Kobe doesnt have a lot less vertical than those guys. Thats just a stupid statement.

Analysts, coaches, players NEVER say "wow good for kobe he is such an inferior athlete to these guys".

Its only fans who dont remember what Kobe is capable of

[andgar923]

Kobe doesnt have a lot less vertical than those guys. Thats just a stupid statement.

Analysts, coaches, players NEVER say "wow good for kobe he is such an inferior athlete to these guys".

Its only fans who dont remember what Kobe is capable of

Almost every single dunk contest contestant has had a higher vertical leap than Kobe. And that's not counting others that had a higher vert than him.

[Rake2204]

Kobe doesnt have a lot less vertical than those guys.

I would tend to agree, but somehow I sort of understand where he was coming from. Kobe Bryant was a wonderful dunker, but I never recall being struck with that feeling of, "Omigod he was freakishly high up there". That doesn't mean Kobe never had major elevation, because we know he did, but to a lot of folks that portion of his dunking didn't always stick out. Whereas, with certain other dunkers, part of the show is what kind of dunk they did, while the other part of the show is how they seemed to float en route to pulling it off.

[jstern]

I always felt that he was an amazing dunker for some one with less than a 40 inch vertical. I sometimes wonder if the reason for the Afro was to give the impression that he was jumping higher, head closer to rim level.

[eliteballer]

Almost every single dunk contest contestant has had a higher vertical leap than Kobe. And that's not counting others that had a higher vert than him.

No....they dont.

There's no way an impartial person can watch this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvWy9liwC7U

Then this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPRyG5bOOtY

and say there is a huge difference in their leaping ability

[andgar923]

I would tend to agree, but somehow I sort of understand where he was coming from. Kobe Bryant was a wonderful dunker, but I never recall being struck with that feeling of, "Omigod he was freakishly high up there". That doesn't mean Kobe never had major elevation, because we know he did, but to a lot of folks that portion of his dunking didn't always stick out. Whereas, with certain other dunkers, part of the show is what kind of dunk they did, while the other part of the show is how they seemed to float en route to pulling it off.

His dunks were always more about ferocity and anger then elevation, when compared to some of the great Dunkers in history.

I guess in a scale if 1-10 of elevation here's where they'd probably rank:

VC= 10
MJ= 10
G.Green=10
Ricky Davis= 8.5
Kobe=7.5

That's not bad, just thought I'd give some examples for context.