Obviously I cannot speak for everyone else, but I am not black. I've always found it a little silly when I heard certain people say they can't dunk because they're white. Most of the time they're joking and making light of the situation but every now and again, I'm wondering if some really believe that's the reason they can't jump.
Well...not to stir up any stereotypes, but I can tell you from my experience growing up playing ball...pretty much all the dunkers/leapers were black. There were some guys like myself who could leap as well, but we were anomalies. Don't get me wrong...I enjoyed it. No one ever saw me coming. I look like I could barely walk, much less ball or dunk so when I got one in a game, people were like "damn look at this white boy!".
Obviously I cannot speak for everyone else, but I am not black. I've always found it a little silly when I heard certain people say they can't dunk because they're white. Most of the time they're joking and making light of the situation but every now and again, I'm wondering if some really believe that's the reason they can't jump.
Technically, if you didn't know this then i'm not trying to make you out to be an idiot or anything, but there is a difference between black people and white people genetically speaking.
Not the colour of skin, although that is an obvious one lol. I mean in terms of the type of muscles we have. Black people in general have more fast twitch muscle fibres than white people do, and therefore it makes short burst energy easier for them, where as white people tend to have more slow twitch fibres making endurance movements easier for us.
Of course there are exceptions. Also I believe there is a difference in hips that allows black people to have a longer stride because they can open up their hips more tha white people.
Not saying that makes "being white" a legitimate reason for not being able to dunk, but we do have differences other than skin colour.
I'm pretty sure I was 16 (or around there). 6'1'' (in shoes). We had practice at 4:00 PM and school ended up 3:45, so those of us who were tall enough spent the 10-15 minutes until the coach got there trying to dunk.
I could dunk a volleyball at 14, but it took me the extra 2 years to get the grip and technique down (I always tried to take off too early. Even when my friends told me that I had trouble correcting it and still getting the height).
I have never dunked in a game. I tried a few times and I either threw it off the back of the rim or it slipped out of my hand and turned into a weird lay up.
Our star player was throwing down in game dunks as a 5'9'' 14 year old. By 16 he was dunking 1-2 times a game as a 6' PG.
Ha, I feel where you're coming from since I'm certain there's always going to be someone who lies, but almost the entire second page was made up of guys admitting they're not even close to dunking.
I was 16. Height was 6 3 . Nothin special but I have long arms so it wasnt really great leap.
Im 6 6 now at 25 and I do it easy. But my wingspan is 6 11 so dont need a lot of bounce,to dunk.
Lucky bro. My wingspan is the same as my height; 6'3. I looked a lot like Harold Miner trying to do my dunks since I had to get up with somewhat shorter arms.
To answer the question, about 15 at somewhere around 6 foot.
Lucky bro. My wingspan is the same as my height; 6'3. I looked a lot like Harold Miner trying to do my dunks since I had to get up with somewhat shorter arms.
To answer the question, about 15 at somewhere around 6 foot.
Same here. I'm 6'3'' and my wingspan is also very comparable to my height. I used to compare my vertical to that of players in the Draft Combine. I'd fit right in. Then I'd look at the maximum reach numbers. I remember Sherron Collins was the only guy I could possibly outreach. Nearly every other prospect was reaching 11' or more. I suppose I've made due as it is.
Same here. I'm 6'3'' and my wingspan is also very comparable to my height. I used to compare my vertical to that of players in the Draft Combine. I'd fit right in. Then I'd look at the maximum reach numbers. I remember Sherron Collins was the only guy I could possibly outreach. Nearly every other prospect was reaching 11' or more. I suppose I've made due as it is.
Yeah, I just remember seeing Wade having a 35.5 inch vertical at the draft, and when I was 17/18 years old and dunking at my best, I was wondering why I can't get up and dunk as easily as he could, seeing as we are the same height (him being maybe an inch taller). I completely forgot to factor in that he had a 6'11 wingspan, compared to my 6'2 or 6'3 wingspan...
Saying that though, I just went back and watched the 93 dunk contest. I could do every dunk Miner did to win that thing apart from the 360 windmill at the end, which he didn't even need to win the thing...
Re: How old were you when you first dunked?
