The Mystery of Jerry West's Gorilla Wingspan

[G-train]

[CavaliersFTW]

What do you have?

Was gonna save it for another topic where I reveal his, Kareem's, and Wilt's measurements to compare to modern centers - but Russell is stated as having an 85" wingspan in a NY Times article dated December 30th 1961

[jlauber]

Was gonna save it for another topic where I reveal his, Kareem's, and Wilt's measurements to compare to modern centers - but Russell is stated as having an 85" wingspan in a NY Times article dated December 30th 1961

Not quite 88" then.

[Eric Cartman]

OP would be a great detective in real life.

[jlauber]

Was gonna save it for another topic where I reveal his, Kareem's, and Wilt's measurements to compare to modern centers - but Russell is stated as having an 85" wingspan in a NY Times article dated December 30th 1961

BTW, Sonny Hill claims that Kareem, himself, said, that his highest reach was 12' 6", which would equal Dwight Howard's. Of course, Hill claims that he witnessed Chamberlain touching the top of the backboard (as did longtime Sixer trainer, Al Domenico.)

[ralph_i_el]

Watching west shoot is ridiculous. If you see it from behind it looks like 2 giant arms materialize out of nowhere. So fast. You can't barely contest it

[CavaliersFTW]

Watching west shoot is ridiculous. If you see it from behind it looks like 2 giant arms materialize out of nowhere. So fast. You can't barely contest it

He was one of those mis-match players to guard. Short legs and quick feet meant he was as mobile as a point guard but his wingspan meant he'd just shoot right over top of them. And inversely, he was quicker than the big guys that could reach him so he'd just use a quick fake or a jab to get them off balance and his shot was released before they could even recover.

[CavaliersFTW]

OP would be a great detective in real life.

[CavaliersFTW]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2VZqY8YWHg&t=14s

Jerry West picks a guys pocket... then he throws the hammer down

[MeLO MvP 15]

Didn't Marshon Brooks and Iman Shumpert each have ridiculous wingspan's too....
http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Iman-Shumpert-5156/
http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/...n-Brooks-6347/

Brooks is 6'5" with a 7'1" wingspan....

EDIT: Biyombo also has a ridiculous wing span.
http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/...-Biyombo-5902/
he's 6'9" with a 7'6" wing span

[CavaliersFTW]

Didn't Marshon Brooks and Iman Shumpert each have ridiculous wingspan's too....
http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Iman-Shumpert-5156/
http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/...n-Brooks-6347/

Brooks is 6'5" with a 7'1" wingspan....

@ Marshon Brooks!

NBA Knuckle Draggers:

Rajon Rondo
~6'1 with a 6'9 wingspan

Derrick Rose
6'1.5" with a 6'8 Wingspan

Jerry West
~6'2.5" with a 6'9 wingspan

Iman Shumpert
6'4.25" with a 6'9.5" wingspan

Marshon Brooks
6'4.25" with a 7'1" wingspan

(west and rondo's specific heights are speculative)
Rondo's wingspan was measured on sport science.

[jlauber]

@ Marshon Brooks!

NBA Knuckle Draggers:

Rajon Rondo
~6'1 with a 6'9 wingspan

Derrick Rose
6'1.5" with a 6'8 Wingspan

Jerry West
~6'2.5" with a 6'9 wingspan

Iman Shumpert
6'4.25" with a 6'9.5" wingspan

Marshon Brooks
6'4.25" with a 7'1" wingspan

(west and rondo's specific heights are speculative)
Rondo's wingspan was measured on sport science.

Any idea on Connie Hawkins' wingspan. He not only had long arms, he had HUGE hands.

[CavaliersFTW]

[La Frescobaldi]

Does anyone know the numbers for Phil Jackson? He and Kevin McHale had the longest arms I think I've ever seen.

Scottie Pippen also real long, for his body...... prolly no coincidence in each case we are finding true greatness - ability to use physical advantages to maximum potential

[La Frescobaldi]

Watching west shoot is ridiculous. If you see it from behind it looks like 2 giant arms materialize out of nowhere. So fast. You can't barely contest it

Yeah. I get a lot of grief from ISH people about it but I got Logo as the starting PG on my All-Time Starting 5

The only argument I can find for his spot is Magic which to me is true horns of the dilemma........ happily I find I can solve the conundrum perfectly by the fact, Magic is my 6th Man........ thus he plays the same minutes as everybody else, by floating for MJ, Logo, Larry Legend, and Kareem.

My center famously never came out of a game in 1962......... 48.5mpg for the season.
****************
edit: forgot.... other thing about that quick shot? Jerry had a really unique trick, which as far as I know, he invented this.... he would dribble around the perimeter, like anybody (although amazingly fast) but at some point on the arc, known only to himself, he had a single hard dribble.

I mean he would slam that ball down hard... and he would go into his jumpshot without the ball. To the defender, it was another dribble...... but for Jerry, that hard bounce would fling the ball up to about his shoulder height... into his hands as they floated up..... and with those long arms he had a high release combined with the fact he was already IN THE AIR, WITH THE BALL... before the defender could react.
Result: another uncontested shot for the Logo

Kobe Bryant, Master of All That Has Come Before has copied that move to an exact perfection that has given him a lot of buckets... over the years as his athleticism has declined he has honed his skills to a very fine sharpness indeed