Bill Russell Vertical Leap

[PistonsFan#21]

These folks believe that Nate Robinson and Spud Webb could outjump Wilt and Russell.
Look, Kblaze, you have too much common sense for this forum. You obviously research your posts thoroughly, and with back up your arguments with facts and logic. Unfortunately, there are those here who will dispute them no matter what evidence you present. And even if you could produce VIDEO footage, you can be sure that they would question who took the footage, and perhaps even suggest that it was edited.

You may have noticed but there is a clear anti-Wilt agenda by a select few on this forum, and now it is carrying over to Russell, as well. These posters will do consistently disparage what Chamberlain accomplished...no matter just how overwhelming the facts were.

You are truly dumb if you think they couldnt...

[jlauber]

Except, 7 footers, even the most athletic ones don't have verticals like Carter, White, Jordan ect. Not Robinson, young Shaq, not Garnett ect. So why should I believe Wilt could jump so much higher than them?

How many of those you mentioned were world-class high-jumpers?

[ShaqAttack3234]

How many of those you mentioned were world-class high-jumpers?

Who said Wilt was a world class high jumper? Didn't he compete in high school? And I highly doubt high jumpers in the 60's were jumping like high jumpers in the 90's/00's and did any of the big men I mentioned show an interest in high jumping so how can you use that against them?

[jlauber]

Who said Wilt was a world class high jumper? Didn't he compete in high school? And I highly doubt high jumpers in the 60's were jumping like high jumpers in the 90's/00's and did any of the big men I mentioned show an interest in high jumping so how can you use that against them?

Bill Russell most certainly was. And Wilt was a Big-8 high jump champ. And you are right, the high jumpers of the 90's and 00's (James White one of them) were doing basically the same technique that was pioneered by Dick Fosbury in 1968...and well after Russell and Wilt's heyday. And, as that article mentioned, that TECHNIQUE brought about jumps with as much as a 25% difference.

Wilt was also a competitive LONG JUMPER, and a SPRINTER as well. Given the fact that he was at least 7-1, and had a KNOWN wingspan of 7-8...well 13 ft is a GIVEN. The real question, what was his MAXIMUM?

[Fatal9]

winning the high jump competition in the Big Eight track and field championships, clearing the bar at 6-6."

I think people overlook the fact that from his feet to his waist, Wilt was freakishly long. He was ~ 4.5 feet tall at his waist. High jump is all about getting the lower half of your body over the bar (ie. getting your waist over) and the rest of your body will follow, especially the way the old schoolers jumped.

What he lacked for in his vertical jump, he makes up easily with his long legs. Wilt essentially had a foot higher head start over your typical high jumper because of this. He needs to jump only about 2 feet to get his waist level with the bar. Measuring purely the vertical part of his jump, he needs to jump about ~ 2.5 feet to clear the bar with his waist and then time his legs to cross as well. Notice here, it's all about getting his waist about half a foot over the bar:



It's great coordination for a man his size, but the freakishly long lower half of his body is what make him a great high jumper, not his vertical (which is quite average). The fact his highest jump was 6'6, only further confirms that his vertical was in the 30-33 inch range, because that's exactly the height you'd expect him to max out at.

LOL @ 42+ inches. Yea, I'm sure Wilt had a higher vertical than MJ and Vince. Makes me wonder how these people function in real life with such little common sense. Nothing worse than stans who go out of their way to exaggerate their favorite athlete's feats. There's no doubt in my mind Russell had a higher vertical leap, he cleared 6'8 while being much shorter and would routinely win jumpballs against him.

[jlauber]

I think people overlook the fact that from his feet to his waist, Wilt was freakishly long. He was ~ 4.5 feet tall at his waist. High jump is all about getting the lower half of your body over the bar (ie. getting your waist over) and the rest of your body will follow, especially the way the old schoolers jumped.

What he lacked for in his vertical jump, he makes up easily with his long legs. Wilt essentially had a foot higher head start over your typical high jumper because of this. He needs to jump only about 2 feet to get his waist level with the bar. Measuring purely the vertical part of his jump, he needs to jump about ~ 2.5 feet to clear the bar with his waist and then time his legs to cross as well. Notice here, it's all about getting his waist about half a foot over the bar:



It's great coordination for a man his size, but the freakishly long lower half of his body is what make him a great high jumper, not his vertical (which is quite average). The fact his highest jump was 6'6, only further confirms that his vertical was in the 30-33 inch range, because that's exactly the height you'd expect him to max out at.

LOL @ 42+ inches. Yea, I'm sure Wilt had a higher vertical than MJ and Vince. Makes me wonder how these people function in real life with such little common sense. Nothing worse than stans who go out of their way to exaggerate their favorite athlete's feats. There's no doubt in my mind Russell had a higher vertical leap, he cleared 6'8 while being much shorter and would routinely win jumpballs against him.

I was waiting for the premier "anti-Wilt" poster to pop in with another copy-and-paste.

And, BTW, he was a PART-TIME high-jumper who happened to be a CHAMPION.

[Kblaze8855]

Except, 7 footers, even the most athletic ones don't have verticals like Carter, White, Jordan ect. Not Robinson, young Shaq, not Garnett ect. So why should I believe Wilt could jump so much higher than them?

You ever hear me say Wilt could jump higher than Vince carter?

Wilt had a 9'6'' and change standing reach.



Ive seen him palm a basketball and touch it to the rim flat footed. With his reach he would only have to have a 42 inch vertical to touch the top of a backboard. People dont generally have 40+ standing verts but a lot of people can get there on the move. Id have no trouble accepting Dwight, Nance, Kemp, Wilt, Dawkins, Marcus Haislip and a few other bigmen getting up like that on the move.

And id be shocked if Vince in his prime couldnt get higher.


As for all this talk of Spuid and Nate...

Wilt and Russell jumping higher? Id need to see what was said about that to comment. Might go back and look.

[jlauber]

You ever hear me say Wilt could just higher than Vince carter?

Wilt had a 9'6'' and changestanding reach.



Ive seen him palm a basketball and touch it to the rim flat footed. With his reach he he would only have to have a 42 inch vertical to touch the top of a backboard. People dont generally have 40+ standing verts but a lot of people can get there on the move. Id have no trouble accepting Dwight, Nance, Kemp, Wilt, Robinson, Dawkins, Marcus Haislip and a few other bigmen getting up like that on the move.

And id be shocked if Vince in his prime couldnt get higher.


As for all this talk of Spuid and Nate...

Wilt and Russell jumping higher? Id need to see what was said about that to comment. Might go back and look.

Nate and Spud were such great leapers that they consistently led the NBA in rebounding. Neither of those two could come anywhere near the heights that Russell and Wilt attained.

Incidently your estimate of 42" by Wilt is probably very close. George Kisida, a sportswriter who covered Wilt for much of his career, measured a leap by Wilt, in a hospital, at 42".

[Kblaze8855]

We talking feet off the ground high or hands in the air high? Clearly very different things...

[ShaqAttack3234]

You ever hear me say Wilt could jump higher than Vince carter?

Wilt had a 9'6'' and change standing reach.



Ive seen him palm a basketball and touch it to the rim flat footed. With his reach he would only have to have a 42 inch vertical to touch the top of a backboard. People dont generally have 40+ standing verts but a lot of people can get there on the move. Id have no trouble accepting Dwight, Nance, Kemp, Wilt, Dawkins, Marcus Haislip and a few other bigmen getting up like that on the move.

And id be shocked if Vince in his prime couldnt get higher.


As for all this talk of Spuid and Nate...

Wilt and Russell jumping higher? Id need to see what was said about that to comment. Might go back and look.

A 42" vert for Wilt is ridiculous. Carter had a 43" vert and he could get up like this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMwYZ-WegYk

I'd bet any amount of money that Wilt's vert wasn't only 1" less than Carter's.

[jlauber]

We talking feet off the ground high or hands in the air high? Clearly very different things...

Robinson and Webb MAY have had higher verticals...although I am not convinced of that...but NEITHER could COME CLOSE to how high that Russell and Wilt reached.

[jlauber]

A 42" vert for Wilt is ridiculous. Carter had a 43" vert and he could get up like this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMwYZ-WegYk

I'd bet any amount of money that Wilt's vert wasn't only 1" less than Carter's.

Here again...Carter was a high jump champ?

Get that crap outta here.

[ShaqAttack3234]

Here again...Carter was a high jump champ?

Get that crap outta here.

What the hell? Carter is a basketball player! Not EVERYONE who jumps high in the NBA has to compete as a high jumper!!! God damnitt. What the fuck? Did you even watch the video? Can you imagine Wilt getting off the ground like that? Now you watched Wilt from '64 on, did you ever see Wilt get off the ground like that?

Oh...I forgot, everyone who can jump high has to compete as a high jumper.

[Fl]

I've read most of the thread, I'd just like to say one thing. How does having done high jump back up an argument that a guy can jump higher than everyone else? So what? Basketball is a game of jumping and working on that too, with weights, programs, etc. You maximize your leaping ability in basketball, at least you would if you were a pro. If Vince Carter/Jason Richardson/LeBron James in his prime had been a track star (namely high jump) too, are you saying he would have been able to jump so much higher?

[Fatal9]

You ever hear me say Wilt could jump higher than Vince carter?

You realize Vince maxed out at 43" right (slightly above MJ who was 42" but could have been as high as 44")? If you think Wilt was jumping as high as this guy, which is what you're implying with the 42" claim then sorry, you're delusional. This really doesn't even need to be argued...

By all the REAL evidence we have (Wilt's max high jump, the hours and hours of footage we have available of him in his athletic prime etc), there is nothing that implies Wilt could leap higher than 31-33". Quit exaggerating the fukk out of this guy, just brings more hate on him. Look at his body, you think a guy with such a high center of gravity is jumping 42+ inches? WTF.