Michael Jordan ran a 4.3 40 yard dash, and had a 48" vertical!

[andgar923]

Ok, now to end this argument with Science since photographic/video proof is not conclusive enough for certain people. From an advanced motion study conducted at the University of North Carolina to test Michael Jordan's maximum vertical leap, 1983:

[COLOR="Blue"]Abstract:

MICHAEL JORDAN=92S VERTICAL JUMP. =20
Krugh J, LeVeau B. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel =
Hill, NC.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study, which was part of an advanced =
master=92s motion analysis class project in 1983, was to determine =
Michael Jordan=92s maximum vertical jump.
=20
SUBJECT: Michael Jordan=20

METHODS: Surface markers: Left lateral malleolus, left femoral =
epicondyle, left greater trochanter, left pelvic crest, and right distal =
phalanges of digits 2 and 3 of the hand.

Tasks (in order) were:=20
Vertical reach while standing flat-footed - baseline
Vertical reach during a jump from standing
Vertical reach during a jump from running
Vertical reach during a 1 hand dunk=20
Vertical reach during a 2 hand dunk

All tasks, except baseline vertical reach were done with free swing of =
the upper limb(s). Equipment / instrumentation: Camera, lighting, =
markers, meter stick, and standard basketball. Location: Fetzer =
Gymnasium, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

DATA ANALYSIS:
Distance measurements were analyzed by comparison to a meter stick in =
view of the camera. Displacement measurements of reach (pelvis) involved =
measurement of vertical height to the tip of fingers 2 and 3 (pelvis) =
during a task minus vertical height to the tip of fingers 2 and 3 =
(pelvis) during bilateral flat-footed stance. Velocity measurements were =
analyzed by dividing vertical height distance traveled divided by time =
taken for the tasks. A VanGuard Motion Analyzer was used to analyze =
motion frame by frame.

RESULTS:=20
Maximum measurements:=20
Vertical reach while standing flat-footed 93.67 in.
Floor to pelvic crest while standing 49.00 in.
Vertical reach displacement during a jump from standing 35.93 in.
Vertical displacement of the pelvis during a jump from running 38.07 in.
Vertical velocity during a jump from running 701.00 o/sec.=20
Vertical reach displacement during a jump from running 45.76 in.
Vertical reach displacement during a 1 hand dunk 41.70 in.
Vertical reach displacement during a 2 hand dunk 40.93 in.

During the vertical reach from standing, push from the floor was with =
both feet. During the vertical reach during a jump from running, push =
from the floor was with one foot and momentum of the body, two upper =
limbs, and one lower limb was used to the maximum.=20

CONCLUSION / CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Maximum displacement for vertical reach =
was achieved with a jump from a running start, a 2 hand dunk, a 1 hand =
dunk, and a jump from standing, respectively. This is consistent with =
use of momentum of the body and limbs to assist with the vertical =
displacement. Michael Jordan=92s vertical jump ability during several =
tasks provides a standard with which athletic achievement by others can =
be compared.[/COLOR]

So standing flat-footed without a running start, Jordan's vertical was 36". Using the NBA draft/combine running start w/o a ball in hand, his vertical measured at 46". This was during either his Sophmore or Junior year in College.

And some superfluous (but still cool) scientific musings about his pro vertical and hangtime...

[COLOR="Blue"]JORDAN'S HANGTIME : HOW LONG DOES MICHAEL JORDAN HANG IN THE AIR !

Hanging with Mr. Jordan
What is hangtime? It's how long a bro' stays up in the air before his feet touches the ground. You ask why is Jordan so good at hanging ? Well, it's all an illusion. When Michael went for his freethrow dunk at the slam dunk contest in 84-85, 86-87 and 87-88, it seems that Michael flew all the way to the rim. His flight follows a parabolic motion (like a rainbow).

There are two forces at work, the vertical and horizontal component of the parabolic motion. What determines hang time is your vertical component of the leap. The higher you jump, the longer you stay up. The horizontal component of you leap does zippo to your hang time. All the horizontal component does is determine how far away you land after taking off.

Applying motion equations to the vertical component, we can calculate the time Michael is in the air. At the peak of the parabola, vertical speed is zero. Assume gravitational acceleration is constant 9.8 ms-2. Assume Michael's vertical is 48 inches (approx 1.20m).

Vertical speed at the apex of jump = v = 0ms-1
gravitational acceleration = a = 9.8ms-2
vertical leap height = s = 1.20ms-1

v2 = u2 + 2as
0=u2 + 2 (9.8)1.2
u2 = 23.52 ms-1
u = 4.85 ms-1
Fast-twitch muscle power
Michael's powerful hips, quadriceps and hamstrings and calf muscles pushes his lean, skinny body into the air with ease. He's black too and that helps because black people genetically have higher ratios of fast-twitch muscle fibres to slow-twitch. Fast-twitch muscles provide that explosive power but it runs out of energy (creatinine) very quickly. Lactic acid builds up and the fibers need time to get rid of it. But Michael doesn't tire easily because his leaness and high aerobic fitness assists in getting rid of unwanted lactic acid. In other words to be a good jumper, you need to be lean and aerobically fit. For basketballers, being able to run the mile in under 5 minutes is important. Guys like Jordan and Iverson can do it because they are lean and have big lungs and heart.
His high center of gravity also means that he doesn't need to jump high to get most of his weight off the ground.

Michael initial vertical takeoff speed should be at least 4.85ms-1. World record 100m sprinter, Tim Montgomery ran an average 100m / 9.78s = 10.22ms-1. Michael has to generate half that speed in the vertical direction in order to go up 48 inches (or 1.20 metres).
HANGTIME calculations :

v = u + 1/2at2
0 = 4.85 + 1/2(9.8)t2
t2 = 4.85
t = 0.49 seconds
Total time going up, then down = t X 2 = 0.49 X 2 = 0.98 seconds

Michael's estimated hang time is 0.98 seconds. But by moving his arms and bending his legs, he probably could stretch that to 1.50 seconds, sometimes 2.00 seconds. The additional upward momentum from pumping his arms and ball could provide that extra 0.50 seconds. Hand touching the rim could slow down his descent for about 0.15 seconds.


Jordan's hangtime is 0.98 second
Superman has entered the building.
Michael's jumping and leaping ability amazes many. When the tongue sticks out and then the femto-second explosion to the basket, ending with a dunk on some poor white-ass 7 foot center is a fearsome sight to behold. Skill, speed, and physics seems to allow Jordan to do the impossible. His powerful hip, thigh and calf muscles launch him 48 inches up into the stratosphere. See him pull off acrobatic reverse layups and jams, each one with that unique Jordan flair that no b-baller could ever hope to copy.
Poetry in Motion
Range of motion (ROM) of the joints = elasticity. Stretching to increase the ROM provides extra inches in vertical leap.

Have body will fly
At 6-6, Jordan's center of gravity is higher than that of the average person and his aerial acrobatics cause it to rise even higher during a jump. The terrific force he exerts on the floor gives him a quick takeoff and longer time in the air. Biomechanical researchers have concluded that a good jumper produces an average force of about two to three times his weight pushing off the ground.


Michael in orbit
Based on Jordan's 32,000 career total points, and about 16,000 jumps, we can estimate that Jordan has been airborne for approximately for 4 1/2 hours. That's like a flight from New York to LA or three low-altitude orbit around the earth in the space shuttle.

Jumping to the max...
On any given leap, Jordan, who weighs about 200 pounds is exerting 400 to 600 pounds of force on the floor. Compare that to Atlanta's Spud Webb, who at 5-7 and 135, jumps 42 inches vertically and exerts 270 to 400 pounds of force.

Moon Jumping
Since an object on the moon weighs one-sixth of what they do on earth, a jumper can rise six times higher and remain in flight six times longer than on earth. So weighing a hefty 33 pounds, Jordan would perform vertical leaps of 24 feet and hang in the air for 6 seconds. That's like jumping over a small two-story building in a single leap.[/COLOR]

So I think it's pretty safe to say that he had AT LEAST a 46" vertical from a running start, 36" standing still and jumping flat-footed.

/Thread
/Argument

good stuff... where'd you get this from?

[DonDadda59]

good stuff... where'd you get this from?

Good old fashioned detective work. The UNC study was recorded in a scientific research journal/publication. Doesn't matter though, just waiting for the inevitable homer response trying to dispute the facts. I'm interested in seeing how they try to weasel around this one.

[Fatal9]

AT LEAST 46" when his maximum recorded (without a ball in his hand) was 45.7? Would love to hear the reason behind this little theory

[DonDadda59]

AT LEAST 46" when his maximum recorded (without a ball in his hand) was 45.7? Would love to hear the reason behind this little theory

Hmmm, well try this one out for size- do you think he was at his full athletic facilities and capabilities when he was 19 or 20 and before he started weight training and professional workouts? Doubt his maximum vertical and overall physical capabilities tapped out when he was a Sophomore in college. Good enough reason?

[Fatal9]

Hmmm, well try this one out for size- do you think he was at his full athletic facilities and capabilities when he was 19 or 20 and before he started weight training and professional workouts? Doubt his maximum vertical and overall physical capabilities tapped out when he was a Sophomore in college. Good enough reason?

The best jumping years are usually around 20. With the Bulls his max running vertical was always reported to be 42".

I'm also slightly skeptic considering this study was done by UNC. There may have been a bias to amplify the stats (perhaps to impress scouts?).

I would also love to see this posted in a journal or on some sort of paper instead of you copying/pasting the "article" from whatever other forum you found it at. It is very possible this "study" is floating around the internet because some Jordan fanatic had way too much time on their hands.

[DonDadda59]

The best jumping years are usually around 20. With the Bulls his max running vertical was always reported to be 42".

I'm also slightly skeptic considering this study was done by UNC. There may have been a bias to amplify the stats (perhaps to impress scouts?).

I would also love to see this posted in a journal or on some sort of paper instead of you copying/pasting the "article" from whatever other forum you found it at.

Yup, conspiracy by the Advanced Master Motions Analysis class (no connection to Athletics Department) of UNC and myself to make Jordan look better than he really was. It's all smoke and mirrors, Jordan was actually 5'4" but the angle of the camera during games and post game interviews made him look much taller than he was. And the moon landing was filmed in a studio in Hollywood. It's all one big conspiracy.

[gibbo3000]

So his vertical leap is 36 inches
His running jump off one foot (not what we're discussing) is 46 inches

I'm pretty sure I've been saying all the long that his standing vertical leap is not 48 inches, and others have been arguing the contrary

At the draft camp they do two vertical tests, one the same as the one that jordan got 36 on
the other is a max vertical leap off two feet, the highest last year was Pattrick Ewing Junior with 42 inches, the third highest in NBA history

[Fatal9]

Yup, conspiracy by the Advanced Master Motions Analysis class (no connection to Athletics Department) of UNC and myself to make Jordan look better than he really was. It's all smoke and mirrors, Jordan was actually 5'4" but the angle of the camera during games and post game interviews made him look much taller than he was. And the moon landing was filmed in a studio in Hollywood. It's all one big conspiracy.

You ripped this off some forum. Find me a journal, a paper or anything that would tell me this isn't cooked up. This is about the least organized and most poorly written "scientific" report/experiment I have ever encountered.

Right now the only place on the net where you can find this is on a couple of forums.

[plowking]

So what people are saying is, Jordan could create a gap of 120cm from the floor to the bottom of his feet without his kness bent in the air?

Do you realize how big 1.2m is? There is no way in hell Jordan could get up that high, or anyone for that matter.

[vinsane01]

Damn, some people are really stupid.. do some fcking research before posting stupid sh*t. Not because you cant do it, or nba players these days cant do it doesnt mean nobody has done it. sheesh..

[OldSchoolBBall]

The best jumping years are usually around 20.

That's simply not true. For example, Kobe wasn't anywhere near the leaper in 1998 or 1999 that he was in 2002 or 2003. Ditto for Lebron -- he didn't get as high 3 years ago as he does now. I'd say it peaks between 23-25. Jordan was also still growing until his third year in the league.

[lefthook00]

That's simply not true. For example, Kobe wasn't anywhere near the leaper in 1998 or 1999 that he was in 2002 or 2003. Ditto for Lebron -- he didn't get as high 3 years ago as he does now. I'd say it peaks between 23-25. Jordan was also still growing until his third year in the league.

True...I'd say 19-25 though...

[asd]

Dont know if this pic was snapped at the apex of the jump. Nonetheless, a sick pic of an incredible leap

[bleedinpurpleTwo]

Is it true that Jordan could shoot lightening bolts out his arse?
and change the weather with a mere waive of his hand?

[KenneBell]

Is it true that Jordan could shoot lightening bolts out his arse?
and change the weather with a mere waive of his hand?

It wouldn't surprise me.