Can Blanka Vlasic dunk??

chikin wrote:

I have doubts that Vlasic can dunk based on the incredibly low #'s of actual female dunkers, especially among basketball players. You would think they would be the one's actually trying to dunk considering it's part of their game. Some in this thread think there are more non basketball players who can dunk than there are in the world of basketball. It doesn't add up.

Thats because you have artificially lowered the number of women that you think can dunk. "Dunking" as the average American would think of it is vastly different from "dunking in a WNBA game." I 100% doubt that Vlasic can dunk in a WNBA game, or even off a dribble. But far more than 4 women in the entire world can grab a ball, run up to a 10' hoop, and slam the ball into the hoop.

chikin wrote:

I have doubts that Vlasic can dunk based on the incredibly low #'s of actual female dunkers, especially among basketball players. You would think they would be the one's actually trying to dunk considering it's part of their game. Some in this thread think there are more non basketball players who can dunk than there are in the world of basketball. It doesn't add up.

You keep throwing this out there. Newsflash:

****Dunking in a game is WAY harder than dunking in "practice."****

It's not hard to grasp. It's a hell of a lot easier to dribble up (or not at all) and dunk when unguarded than it is with 2-3 people collapsing on you while you try to time it and not travel. It's not even in the same world of difficulty for a marginal dunker, which nearly every woman is.

chikin wrote:

To think that a female, non basketball player can accomplish a difficult basketball skill that the vast majority of female basketball players can't accomplish, is stupid.

Therein lies your flaw in reason. Dunking a basketball outside of a game setting without dribbling isn't a basketball skill at all.

LVD wrote:

I bet Rebecca Lobo never dunked in her life, in or out of a game.)

Of course she couldn't. Comparing the jumping ability of Rebecca Lobo to Blanka Vlasic is mind-boggling.

Only 2 women have dunked in a WNBA game (Parker, Leslie), 2 in college (Parker, Griner, Snow). That's 4. There are 4 in the WNBA who have dunked period (not sure who the other 2 are) period. That makes 6. One chick on youtube by herself, Lynette Woodard, the Harlem Globetrotter, in practice. 8 documented female dunkers.

With so few documented female dunkers and the notoriety/recruiting attention one would gain, you expect me to believe that Britney Griner, a high school girl from KC, and Amy Acuff are the only 3 who would put up a video of themselves dunking?

Sylvia Fowles and Michelle Snow are the other two to dunk in the WNBA. Georgeann Wells dunked in 84'.

So the number is still only 8 recorded women to dunk in a game (Griner, Parker, Fowles, Snow, Wells) OR out of a game/in a practice (Woodard, girl from KC, Acuff). And I'm not entirely convinced that Acuff's is a legitimate 10'0".

Any proof other than that? I'm not trying to be antagonistic. I just think the definitive evidence points to the likelihood that Vlasic can't dunk. If there were more women dunking there would records (video or other concrete evidence) or even more so, unsubstantiated, anecdotal accounts of those who have seen a woman dunk. But there isn't any such evidence. So until it is documented, the odds are against her. Now, I'll agree that her high jump ability is an indicator that she may have the ability BUT it's by no means a "sure thing".

Donuts, yes.

1st, if there was so much attention to be grabbed you would see a lot of BS youtube videos on 9' rims. Its not that well documented because it doesnt really mean that much.

Second, of course this is all speculation and your take on the facts is that Vlasic probably cant dunk. The only facts we have to go on are Acuff can dunk, Vlasic is taller, Vlasic is a better higher jumper, therefore Vlasic can probably dunk. the only way of refuting that is to say that Acuff didnt dunk on a 10' rim. Given that we know Acuff's height, we could probably determine the height of the basket in that video, but Acuff is an honest person and we would have no reason to doubt her.

There is of course, a big difference between dunking in a game setting and just being on a gym floor and running up and dunking. I'm 5'11" and could do the latter but could never manage the former. I'm sure there are a bunch of other WNBA people, like Lauren Jackson, who's 6'5", who could do the latter as well.

Why would Bolt be able to run under 10 seconds for 100 yards on grass with pads? The top football players can hardly do it, and running straight to the endzone is the best way to score.

Jesus.

Another person says based on his practice days with college basketball players, women jump poorly in general. Blanka obviously does not fit this category. Technique helps; it's not an identical activity to a dunk, but you don't become the 2nd best of all time without being a hell of a leaper.

JJ redick can 2 hand dunk. She'll be fine.

So can Paul Thompson and he's only 5'4. No, not really but his words might make you believe so. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lE8jWxmvddY

See my earlier post in this thread about Corissa Yasen. A 4 time All-American high jumper and NCAA heptathlon winner from Purdue who was drafted into the WNBA and dunked (during college; probably not in a WNBA game). She beat Amy Acuff until she began to focus on the heptathlon.

Wendell Gee wrote:

You keep throwing this out there. Newsflash:

****Dunking in a game is WAY harder than dunking in "practice."****

It's not hard to grasp. It's a hell of a lot easier to dribble up (or not at all) and dunk when unguarded than it is with 2-3 people collapsing on you while you try to time it and not travel. It's not even in the same world of difficulty for a marginal dunker, which nearly every woman is.

This.

I'm pretty sure only two guys on my college's basketball team dunked in a game this year, so by chikin's logic they're the only ones who can and therefore 87% of collegiate men's basketball players are incapable of dunking. Except for the fact that, according to guys on the team, there's only one team member who can't do it in practice.

No no, because if all of them could do it they would surely be putting youtube videos of themselves up doing it to attract all the sorority sisters and live the big life on campus.

I'm not saying they haven't dunked in practice. I'm saying there is no proof. Has anyone seen a woman dunk a basketball outside of the 8 I already mentioned? Is there any practice evidence (video like the high school girl from KC), any stories of women dunking easily and on a regular basis, or anything that would suggest that a woman dunking is as commonplace as you are suggesting?

It's extremely rare for a girl to dunk. Period. I played basketball for 25 years (Tiffani Johnson of the Vols and have coached girl's basketball at the middle school and high school level for 12 years. I haven't seen a girl so much as slap the backboard convincingly on a layup. This is why I have doubts about Vlasic dunking.

The only reason you know Acuff dunked is the video you saw on youtube. Otherwise....

deraylicious wrote:

No no, because if all of them could do it they would surely be putting youtube videos of themselves up doing it to attract all the sorority sisters and live the big life on campus.

Have any of those girls high jumped 6'9"? I coach high school track and rare is the girl that goes over 5'0". Blanka Vlasic is a special athlete and deserves some respect. You still have no way of refuting that Vlasic can probably do it given that Acuff has.

If Yasen dunked in a game for Purdue in 96-97', it would have been all over the news and there would be either video or some other evidence. Fowles, Snow, Parker were all on Sportscenter and in the paper. Why no mention of Yasen?