Top of the Backboard

[Chairman_Yao]

Anybody think that there is anybody that can touch the top of the backboard? Just for the record, how high is the top of the backboard?

Here are some candidates: (Thanks to The Answer for finding all of these videos)

Larry Nance (about 1:32 into the video)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=xeO7oOmk0gI

"Wild Thing Wilson"
Dunks on a 12ft rim!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNhE0eJe5KI

Dwight Howard
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzSjn9lBbJ4

Lebron James
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ve5lSjtmE4Q

Thanks again to The Answer for digging these up.

[The Answer]

Thanks, but I didn't find any of those videos. I created the same thread a while back and all of them were provided by others in it. Here's a link to the my thread.

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showthread.php?t=23139

[Chairman_Yao]

Thanks, but I didn't find any of those videos. I created the same thread a while back and all of them were provided by others in it. Here's a link to the my thread.

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showthread.php?t=23139

Really. . .? Okay thanks, I'm gonna go check that out!

[pete's montreux]

Nate Manigault could.

[raiderfan19]

tyson chandler and josh smith and kirilenko.

[eurobum]

Nate Manigault could.

*Earl

[The Answer]

Nate Manigault could.

That's just a street legend. There's no real proof he could. Yeah, it is Earl BTW.

[Chairman_Yao]

tyson chandler and josh smith and kirilenko.


Nate Manigault could.

That would be amazing. . .

Do you all have any video/picture links of these guys?

[raiderfan19]

chandler is 7'2 and has a 42 inch vert. josh is 6-10 and has a 40+vert. kirilenko is just a story i remember about him and deshawn stevenson both trying.

[Take Your Lumps]

Nate Manigault could.

Was that Earl's cousin?

[The Answer]

That would be amazing. . .

Do you all have any video/picture links of these guys?

No, there is no photographic evidence. If someone could, I'm sure there'd be some.

[Chairman_Yao]

No, there is no photographic evidence. If someone could, I'm sure there'd be some.

I should hope so.

[elementally morale]

In one of Kareem's books I read somewhere that he had a bet going on with someone and they placed a 100 dollar bill on top of the backboard to see if Kareem can grab the money. And he could.

[The Answer]

chandler is 7'2 and has a 42 inch vert. josh is 6-10 and has a 40+vert. kirilenko is just a story i remember about him and deshawn stevenson both trying.

How high do you think Chandler's standing reach is? The top of the backboard is 13 feet. In order to touch the top of the backboard with a 42 inch vert his standing reach would have to be 9-6, which he may very well have. Where'd you here his vertical was 42? That would have to be running vertical, right? It couldn't really be that high, could it?

Does anyone know Smith's standing reach and exact vertical?

[The Answer]

Dwight Howard deserves mention in this thread. At 6'11" with a monster vertical, he seems to be the most likely candidate

[raiderfan19]

How high do you think Chandler's standing reach is? The top of the backboard is 13 feet. In order to touch the top of the backboard with a 42 inch vert his standing reach would have to be 9-6, which he may very well have. Where'd you here his vertical was 42? That would have to be running vertical, right? It couldn't really be that high, could it?

Does anyone know Smith's standing reach and exact vertical?
no thats tysons standing vert.

[StroShow4]

i bet stromile swift can do it... 6'9, ridiculous vert, long arms.

[The Answer]

no thats tysons standing vert.
Where did you here that?

[The Answer]

i bet stromile swift can do it... 6'9, ridiculous vert, long arms.

What's his standing reach? Vertical?

[raiderfan19]

Where did you here that?
ill see what i can find but i just remember reading it. well see what i can dig up.

[bigkingsfan]

i bet stromile swift can do it... 6'9, ridiculous vert, long arms.
With his IQ, he'll just end up banging his head under the backboards.

[StroShow4]

What's his standing reach? Vertical?

i have no idea what his reach is, i have heard that his vert is 40+

[The Answer]

i have no idea what his reach is, i have heard that his vert is 40+

In all likelihood, it would have to be very high in the 40s for him to be able to touch the top of the backboard. So, is Stromile Swift actually your favorite player? Or do you just like him because he posterized Yao and seemed like a random and funny player to base your username on?

[StroShow4]

In all likelihood, it would have to be very high in the 40s for him to be able to touch the top of the backboard. So, is Stromile Swift actually your favorite player? Or do you just like him because he posterized Yao and seemed like a random and funny player to base your username on?

yeah he is my favorite player.

how do you find a player's vertical leap and reach? i have been searching on google and cant really find anything.

[The Answer]

yeah he is my favorite player.

how do you find a player's vertical leap and reach? i have been searching on google and cant really find anything.

Honestly, I have no clue where people get that stuff. My best guess is old draft profiles, but even those could be unreliable.

Did he become your favorite player when he dunked on Yao, or have you rooted for him since his days at LSU?

[TheBigAristotle1]

Short Answer: No, if someone could do it we would have video proof.

[raiderfan19]

i thought david "skywalker" thompson supposedly took quarters off of the top of the backboard? His vert was supposed to be something crazy like 54.

[StroShow4]

Honestly, I have no clue where people get that stuff. My best guess is old draft profiles, but even those could be unreliable.

Did he become your favorite player when he dunked on Yao, or have you rooted for him since his days at LSU?

the first time i ever saw him play happened to be the game where he dunked on yao. ever since then he has been my favorite player.

[TheBigAristotle1]

i thought david "skywalker" thompson supposedly took quarters off of the top of the backboard? His vert was supposed to be something crazy like 54.

It's total BS.

[schyza]

Oh man that NBA Slamdunk Contest 1984~88 video was from the old Dazzling Dunks and Basketball bloopers VHS I had when I was a kid it never left my VHS. It had the same commentary and everything dude thanks for posting that what a trip down memory lane :rockon:

[pgm]

The top of the backboard is 13 feet. It would have to take a perfect leap too, or they would be slamming into the board.

[shaqman]

Dwight Howard deserves mention in this thread. At 6'11" with a monster vertical, he seems to be the most likely candidate

in Howard's game the other day, he grabbed a rebound and all of both of his hands were above the square. :applause: :applause:

[Chairman_Yao]

in Howard's game the other day, he grabbed a rebound and all of both of his hands were above the square. :applause: :applause:

He was indeed pretty high, you have a video of that?

[shaqman]

He was indeed pretty high, you have a video of that?

nah, I was just watching the game on TV.

[Younggrease]

Vince Carter said he used to be able to touch the top of backboard with 2 hands in high school.

[shaqman]

Vince Carter said he used to be able to touch the top of backboard with 2 hands in high school.

I don't know if I believe that.

[Chairman_Yao]

Vince Carter said he used to be able to touch the top of backboard with 2 hands in high school.

When and where did he say that?

[Younggrease]

When and where did he say that?

at bball camp, he was the guest speaker. He actually said he could hang from the backboard but only did it once in high school, I didnt believe him. We asked him to prove it and touch the top of the backboard but he said no. We asked him for one dunk, he said no. We asked him for a jumpshot and he still wouldnt do it. He was really arrogant, he wouldnt take one jumper.

[MTing]

Thats probably true.
Vince had some SEROIUS hops when he was younger.

[Chairman_Yao]

at bball camp, he was the guest speaker. He actually said he could hang from the backboard but only did it once in high school, I didnt believe him. We asked him to prove it and touch the top of the backboard but he said no. We asked him for one dunk, he said no. We asked him for a jumpshot and he still wouldnt do it. He was really arrogant, he wouldnt take one jumper.

Hmm, interesting. . .:confusedshrug:

[pete's montreux]

Whoops. Earl.

[DCL]

chandler is 7'2 and has a 42 inch vert.


grossly exaggerated (mis)information.

[ClutchCityReturns]

We had this thread before, and I believe we came to the conclusion that you'd have to have...

A) Incredible height
B) Insane length/wingspan/standing reach
C) World class jumping ability

The consensus being that it's damn near impossible, and while someone might be able to do it, it's never been officially recorded. Personally, considering how easy it is to put a picture/video on the internet these days, I think if someone could do it, you'd be able to find it online (which isn't the case).

[TheOne]

D Howard can easily do it. He can autograph on top of the backboard.

[BlackMoses]

Wilt probably could have done it. What about guys like Larry Nance, or even Tom Chambers?

[demirci]

D Howard can easily do it. He can autograph on top of the backboard.

Yeah, I also heard that in the dunk contest he is going to jump from behind the sideline, over the backboard and finish with a two-handed reverse dunk... with his eyes covered.

[TheOne]

Yeah, I also heard that in the dunk contest he is going to jump from behind the sideline, over the backboard and finish with a two-handed reverse dunk... with his eyes covered.

No, here are the 3 dunks he will do.

1. kiss the rim, then dunk 2 balls
2. dunk the ball, put whole arm into the rim. - like Vince put his forearm.
3. autograph on top of the backboard with right hand, dunk the ball with left hand.

[demirci]

1. kiss the rim, then dunk 2 balls


I would love to see that happen. But why doesn't he try more balls? He should bite the rim instead of kissing it, hang on to it with his teeth, let guys pass him the balls and dunk like 7-8 of them.

Edit: Actually, I just figured he doesn't need to use his teeth, he can hold on easily with those lips he has.

[Psileas]

Nate Manigault could.

Earl Μanigault was 6-2, so he had a reach of about 8-2. Do the math. He needs 58 inches. I don't buy it.

There is that famous UCLA Kareem picture grabbing a rebound with his head, though not in a completely vertical position, almost touching the rim. I'm sure he could come close, although he said that he couldn't do it.

Larry Nance and Dwight Howard are among the most jumpy big men ever and can certainly make a case.

Wilt Chamberlain had a reach of 9-6. He'd need 42 inches to do it. There's a great speculation as to how high his vertical was. People say he could touch 13 feet, as well as dunk at a 12-foot basket there was in his College gym. However, there's not enough footage of him in his younger days to confirm this.

LeBron and Vince? They'd need about 48-49 inches to do it. Not plaucible, especially for LeBron. There's a legend that he could do it based on a famous dunk against the Bobcats. However, the angle of the camera is grossly distorting the whole picture. If you watch it from another angle, you'll realize that he was clearly below that level. Vince says he could do it with 2 hands? No comment...

Manute Bol is a good question. His outstreched arm's reach could exceed 10 feet and there are a couple of videos of him blocking shots at a very high point. Ralph Sampson had great athleticism for his size, as well.

Michael Wilson of the Globetrotters, IMO, could either do it or come extremely close. If you watch his 12-foot dunk, at his highest point, it seems by both cameras that he had at least his palm and wrist above that rim.

As for the photo in this page:

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showthread.php?t=23139&page=2

Don't expect me to believe either that the camera doesn't distort reality or that this is a normal-sized backboard. The distance between the middle of his biceps to his jumping reach looks like 3 feet. Sorry, guys, that's a man, not a pterosaur.

[Chairman_Yao]

No, here are the 3 dunks he will do.

1. kiss the rim, then dunk 2 balls
2. dunk the ball, put whole arm into the rim. - like Vince put his forearm.
3. autograph on top of the backboard with right hand, dunk the ball with left hand.

These are crazy, simply crazy, if he can pull these off. . .:bowdown:

[Bulls_Fan20]

I'm pretty sure Earl Boykins can reach the top...or is it Nate Boykins? Meh, who cares?

[shaqman]

I'm pretty sure Earl Boykins can reach the top...or is it Nate Boykins? Meh, who cares?

I don't think that Earl Boykins could touch the top... :banana:

[vert48]

Top of the backboard is a looooooong way up there. Even with a reach of 9', you would need a vert of 48"s to get the top of the back board. I doubt there are 3 guys in the NBA that can jump that high, and none of them have that reach.

[shaqman]

Top of the backboard is a looooooong way up there. Even with a reach of 9', you would need a vert of 48"s to get the top of the back board. I doubt there are 3 guys in the NBA that can jump that high, and none of them have that reach.

good point...

[giantgonzolez]

Ralph Sampson could probably hang with 2 hand from the top of the back board. He was 7'4" with EXTRELMELY long arms plus he had a DOCUMENTED 36" vertical and his one step jump was probably around 40 or 42".
I've never seen ANYONE whose head is above the rim a higher percentage of the time than Ralph Sampson. His head was above the rim on just about every single block attempt, alley oop or dunk. Ralph Sampson should be in the Guiness Book of World Records for touching like 13'6" or 13'8".
The guy could almost dunk while standing, and he had like a 42" one step jump on top of that. Shaq has a 9'8" standing reach, but I'd guess Sampson probably had like a 10'2" or 10'4" standing reach.
This is just an AVERAGE play for Sampson, nothing crazy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0YUN4DBIgo

[L.Kizzle]

Jumpin' Johnny Green ftw!

[jamal99]

chandler is 7'2 and has a 42 inch vert. josh is 6-10 and has a 40+vert. kirilenko is just a story i remember about him and deshawn stevenson both trying.

no thats tysons standing vert.
LOL, Chandlers max vert is 33.5...
http://www.draftexpress.com/nba-pre-draft-measurements/?page=&year=2001&sort2=DESC&draft=0&pos=0&sort=

[beasly15]

i remember reading in slam that vince used to try to reach the top every game during the warmups.. i'm pretty sure he could at a point in his life.

[nbastatus]

With his IQ, he'll just end up banging his head under the backboards.
:oldlol: :oldlol: funny

[Timmy D for MVP]

In one of Kareem's books I read somewhere that he had a bet going on with someone and they placed a 100 dollar bill on top of the backboard to see if Kareem can grab the money. And he could.

Yeah Kareem was rumored to be able to and so was a street baller that I think Wilt played against sometimes but it's hard to tell myth from reality.

[GilZero]

Ya'll need to reasearch better ;) Doug Thomas can touch the top.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXY9_2yb6GA

AND if you say its not legit, well i've seen him do it myself. belive it or not.

[Younggrease]

i remember reading in slam that vince used to try to reach the top every game during the warmups.. i'm pretty sure he could at a point in his life.

I heard him say it at bball camp...but he also said he could hang on it which is obviously a lie.

[Manute for Ever!]

Manny Lawson

http://media.scout.com/Media/Image/24/244456.jpg

[jc23]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nh6Dho5J0_I&feature=related

James White is close but can't.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXY9_2yb6GA&NR=1

Doug Thomas sure can.

Wilt and Howard are probably the only two I can really see doing it.

[Manute for Ever!]

Manute Bol is a good question. His outstreched arm's reach could exceed 10 feet and there are a couple of videos of him blocking shots at a very high point. Ralph Sampson had great athleticism for his size, as well.


From what I have read, Bols standing reach was 10'6", however, his vertical was about 22".

http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/52811/manute_bol.jpg

http://beyondthebeat.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/mb2.jpg

http://218.185.17.68/pic/9s/1698517_1_md.jpg

[bdreason]

Somebody in the NBA can hit 13' I think.

[sick_brah07]

i heard travis outlaw could

[OldSchoolBBall]

From what I have read, Bols standing reach was 10'6", however, his vertical was about 22".


Manute's standing reach wasn't 10'6". Maybe like 9'10" or so. 10'2" tops. If it was 10'6", they could just pass it to him at the rim and he could easily dunk it without jumping. I find that very hard to believe. Where'd you hear that?

[Big One]

i bet stromile swift can do it... 6'9, ridiculous vert, long ****.

:oldlol: this guy giving BJ's to stromile never get old :roll: im sure you know its long:cheers: :lol

[BallPhunk]

Kareem (Lew) would touch the top of the backboard all the time in college, but then they changed the rule because of it and he hand to stop. I think that's how it goes?

[OldSchoolBBall]

Kareem (Lew) would touch the top of the backboard all the time in college, but then they changed the rule because of it and he hand to stop. I think that's how it goes?

Kareem actually said in an interview that he never did it.

[Psileas]

Manny Lawson

http://media.scout.com/Media/Image/24/244456.jpg


It's obvious though that the backboard is smaller than normal. Or else, he should be like 7'7 tall.


Manute's standing reach wasn't 10'6". Maybe like 9'10" or so. 10'2" tops. If it was 10'6", they could just pass it to him at the rim and he could easily dunk it without jumping. I find that very hard to believe. Where'd you hear that?

Actually, it must be over 10', given his arm length. At 7'7, he'd need his hand to extend 29 inches above his head to touch 10'. I'm about 6'2 and can extend my hand 23-23.5 inches above my own head. Even if I replaced only my palm and fingers with Bol's ones, that would already give me a 2.5-3 inch advantage. So, imagine Bol's whole hand.

[JJ81]

LeBron wasn't close.

[RaininThrees]

Didn't bother going through all of the pages on this, but Truehoop had an article about this myth...

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/0-29-24/James-White-vs--a-Jumping-Myth.html

[RaininThrees]

It's obvious though that the backboard is smaller than normal. Or else, he should be like 7'7 tall.



It's also the angle the pictuure is taken at. An upward angle shot would make it look like his hand is above the rim. Take a picture at the right angle, you can be standing on the ground, and make it look like your hand is above the rim.

[utahjazzrock]

Dwight Howard seemed to dunk-not touch-but dunk a ball with ease on 12-feet.:bowdown:
Im sure he could at least touch 13 1/2(not dunk, not touch)

[Psileas]

He dunked with ease, because the basket wasn't at 12 feet.

[Toizumi]

i heard travis outlaw could

Yeah me too. It has always been rumoured that he can.. I've never seen a vid though. Might be true.

Best pic I could find, he still needs a few inches.. sick though.

http://img240.exs.cx/img240/2136/travisoutlaw4ya.jpg

[AznBBoyX]

Yeah me too. It has always been rumoured that he can.. I've never seen a vid though. Might be true.

Best pic I could find, he still needs a few inches.. sick though.

http://img240.exs.cx/img240/2136/travisoutlaw4ya.jpg

In that picture, Outlaw's head is below rim level. I saw him get over rim level many times on dunks so I think he can touch the top of the backboard. Did anyone ever see that dunk he totally missed because he was up too high? He actually overthrew it over the rim.

[FIXED]

In that picture, Outlaw's head is below rim level. I saw him get over rim level many times on dunks so I think he can touch the top of the backboard. Did anyone ever see that dunk he totally missed because he was up too high? He actually overthrew it over the rim.

he might be able to get it. It is close i think only him and james white have a chance because of there long arms.

[strifed169]

yao wearing jordans maybe