Wilt Chamberlain free throw dunks:

[QUOTE=plowking]The claim is he could do it in 3 steps, within the free throw circle area. Which is impossible.

There are claims that Bruce Lee, a 135lbs man could hold a 120lbs dumbbell in front of himself inline with the ground for 10 seconds. There are eyewitnesses, etc. I really couldn't care if 15 people say they saw it, I still wouldn't believe it. Why? Because its not possible. You have the strongest men of today who can't do it. Same logic applies to Wilt. Wilt isn't far and away better than every athlete that's ever stepped foot on the planet, and yet we have no one close that can dunk from the free throw line with 3 steps, all inside the free throw circle.

Its common sense. Nearly everything back then was romanticized to extremes and made out to seem legendary to beyond belief. If they toned it down slightly, we may even believe it today. Though they went too far with it.[/QUOTE]
Taking three steps and dunking from the stripe? I knew jlauber was full of shit but it seems like the pile is big enough for the rest of the flies to feed on :biggums: :biggums: :biggums: :biggums: :biggums:

Dunking from the free throw line's not some extraordinary feat, so that an athlete known for extraordinary feats can pull it off on a routine basis shouldn't surprise anyone.

[QUOTE=BoutPractice]Dunking from the free throw line's not some extraordinary feat, so that an athlete known for extraordinary feats can pull it off on a routine basis shouldn't surprise anyone.[/QUOTE]

Have you seen anyone do it in 3 steps?

Depends how big the steps are :lol
Okay, there must have been a level of exaggeration on that aspect, as always with eyewitnesses (then again if anyone could do it it would be Wilt Chamberlain, the definition of an "outlier" with his height, jumping ability and long arms). But the fact that he took off behind the free throw line is more likely to be true than false, as well as the fact that it was a dunk and not a layup.

[QUOTE=plowking]Have you seen anyone do it in 3 steps?[/QUOTE]
I don't mean to start an argument or anything, but why would that VERY reputable source that I posted claim that he did it, if he didnt? Why would he change the rules if it never happened? Although highly unlikely and damn near impossible for most, I think wilt having the hops and being as LONG as he was (97.5 standing reach in shoes, 7'8 wingspan) makes it within reason...You'd have to be long as hell and a freak athletically which wilt was especially in the early years in college when he was lighter. If it wasn't for his length especially, id say no way. But Im not trying to say I know everything and I'm right, i could easily be wrong...and tex winter COULD be fibbing but what reason does he have to fib? I'm sure he wouldnt go to the people who implement rules and just do it for the lulz... Would you see it as being possible if it was something like this ?


[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7uOU3AHCrc[/url]


Close but more of a throw in than a dunk

[QUOTE=BoutPractice]Depends how big the steps are :lol
Okay, there must have been a level of exaggeration on that aspect, as always with eyewitnesses (then again if anyone could do it it would be Wilt Chamberlain, the definition of an "outlier" with his height, jumping ability and long arms). But the fact that he took off behind the free throw line is more likely to be true than false, as well as the fact that it was a dunk and not a layup.[/QUOTE]
It wasn't in reply to you but what do you think of what I just posted?

[QUOTE=plowking][B]The claim is he could do it in 3 steps, within the free throw circle area. Which is impossible. [/B]

There are claims that Bruce Lee, a 135lbs man could hold a 120lbs dumbbell in front of himself inline with the ground for 10 seconds. There are eyewitnesses, etc. I really couldn't care if 15 people say they saw it, I still wouldn't believe it. Why? Because its not possible. You have the strongest men of today who can't do it. Same logic applies to Wilt. Wilt isn't far and away better than every athlete that's ever stepped foot on the planet, and yet we have no one close that can dunk from the free throw line with 3 steps, all inside the free throw circle.

Its common sense. Nearly everything back then was romanticized to extremes and made out to seem legendary to beyond belief. If they toned it down slightly, we may even believe it today. Though they went too far with it.[/QUOTE]
I think those are two seperate claims. Wilt substantially after the fact said from within the free throw circle. Three steps seems to be Tex's claim.

I'm not sure anyone on here believes he did a dunk that simultaneously fit both criteria. CavsFTW seems to believe the the 3 steps but that that was perhaps from the center circle.

Anyway my take which probably hasn't changed
[url]http://insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=6949722&postcount=188[/url]
[QUOTE=Owl]I'm too not sure that I'd endorse Wilt's character with regard to honesty. And I haven't read through the whole thread, but in "Wilt: Just another ..." his first book (his autobigography, written at the end of his career, rather than his later books which were more opinion/musing based and which included claims of 50" vertical and 20,000 women) he claims to have run up from around center court (could dig up the quote if anyone really cares) for his free throw dunks. No mention of 3 steps (which I don't personally believe, but Wilt did have very long lengs so would cover greater disances in fewer strides). I tend to doubt 3 strides and don't know whether or not he was breaking the plane of the ft line (as I vaguely seem to recall Dr J doing for his free throw line dunk), to me it's not really that relevant. Wilt was a tremendous athlete and anyone who thinks he was only good because he was playing in an predominantly white league doesn't know their history.[/QUOTE]

Originally Posted by Owl
I'm too not sure that I'd endorse Wilt's character with regard to honesty. And I haven't read through the whole thread, but in "Wilt: Just another ..." his first book (his autobigography, written at the end of his career, rather than his later books which were more opinion/musing based and which included claims of 50" vertical and 20,000 women) he claims to have run up from around center court (could dig up the quote if anyone really cares) for his free throw dunks. No mention of 3 steps (which I don't personally believe, but Wilt did have very long lengs so would cover greater disances in fewer strides). I tend to doubt 3 strides and don't know whether or not he was breaking the plane of the ft line (as I vaguely seem to recall Dr J doing for his free throw line dunk), to me it's not really that relevant. [B]Wilt was a tremendous athlete and anyone who thinks he was only good because he was playing in an predominantly white league doesn't know their history.[/B]

:applause:


if you have the time, checkout a few highlights I made and let me know what you think

[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEGabY6DMMw[/url]

jongib369 > Well, the Howard dunk is an interesting case. It's an alley-oop, making it more difficult, and it's clear that Howard is capable of completing an actual dunk on this play instead of throwing it in, he just didn't do it perfectly under pressure.

Howard and Wilt have very different bodies though. But if someone were to tell me JaVale McGee would sometimes dunk his free throws in high school, I would believe them (and not just because of the whole brain issue). What he pulled off at the dunk contest was crazy, and he's a poor man's Wilt athletically (even disregarding strength).

I literally got nervous when I read the articles. It's scary to think a guy cold dunk from the FT line off his own rebound. :eek:

[QUOTE=millwad]Are you retarded?
I challenged the nonsense your buttyboy Jlauber put up on here regarding the 3 small step dunk from the FT-line.

Ibaka can dunk from the FT-line but he's an athletic freak and he needed a full court run to do it, the nonsense about the 3 small step dunk from the FT-line is obvious BS.

If Ibaka could maybe Wilt could as well, I never challenged that..[/QUOTE]

I believe Wilt was a high jumper...so him taking three steps was probably enough for him to get there( I doubt they were baby steps/small steps)...and it probably wasn't a monster dunk at that...he was probably stretched out like a mofo.....hell look at his reach.

[QUOTE=Calabis]I believe Wilt was a high jumper...so him taking three steps was probably enough for him to get there( I doubt they were baby steps/small steps)...and it probably wasn't a monster dunk at that...he was probably stretched out like a mofo.....hell look at his reach.[/QUOTE]I'd be curious to see how close to the rim other bigs could have gotten on short run ups from the free throw line. Like, could Shaquille O'Neal at least have given himself a very make-able finger roll from that distance?

[QUOTE=Rake2204]I'd be curious to see how close to the rim other bigs could have gotten on short run ups from the free throw line. Like, could Shaquille O'Neal at least have given himself a very make-able finger roll from that distance?[/QUOTE]
[URL="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8gfOGYuPM0"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8gfOGYuPM0[/URL]
Mcgee is pretty close to Wilt and he made this (inside the ft line) dunk look super easy. Add a couple more inches to his reach and vertical and a past high/long jump training history and it becomes even easier.
[URL="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-rGGJ-hjlojU/UIJLYAPdzBI/AAAAAAAADrE/wa-NbN-L5QI/s0/(Wilt%20Javale%20Dwight%20Scale).jpg"]https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-rGGJ-hjlojU/UIJLYAPdzBI/AAAAAAAADrE/wa-NbN-L5QI/s0/(Wilt%20Javale%20Dwight%20Scale).jpg[/URL]

[QUOTE=Jakeh008][URL="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8gfOGYuPM0"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8gfOGYuPM0[/URL]
Mcgee is pretty close to Wilt and he made this (inside the ft line) dunk look super easy. Add a couple more inches to his reach and vertical and a past high/long jump training history and it becomes even easier.
[URL="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-rGGJ-hjlojU/UIJLYAPdzBI/AAAAAAAADrE/wa-NbN-L5QI/s0/(Wilt%20Javale%20Dwight%20Scale).jpg"]https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-rGGJ-hjlojU/UIJLYAPdzBI/AAAAAAAADrE/wa-NbN-L5QI/s0/(Wilt%20Javale%20Dwight%20Scale).jpg[/URL][/QUOTE]Good stuff. Thanks. Now I'm kind of wondering how close players could get off the limited step run-up I've heard mentioned (i.e. non-sprinting start).

[QUOTE=Rake2204]I'd be curious to see how close to the rim other bigs could have gotten on short run ups from the free throw line. Like, could Shaquille O'Neal at least have given himself a very make-able finger roll from that distance?[/QUOTE]

Especially young Shaq when he could jump.....hell Wilt was an elite jumper as well so that only helps his case.