Can You Dunk?

I played basketball in HS and might have been able to play some college ball at small D3 schools, but played D1 baseball instead. I first dunked early in my sophomore year and was about 6'2", 175 at the time. Over the next couple years I was able to add a little flare to some dunks and could pull off a few decent dunks, a cheap 360 off one foot, two handed reverse off one foot. Kind of impressive at my small HS, but really nothing to brag about.

I'm 30 and only started running two years ago, PR's of 17:52, 38:56 and 3:06 marathon. I doubt I could dunk today, in fact I'd bet I can't. I'd guess that if any runners can, it would be off one foot, not two. The two footed jumpers are all fast twitch.

After I stopped playing baseball I got into lifting a little bit. I benched 225 once, but that was my max and if I had to guess, I'd say I might be able to get 175 up once.

I used to be able to back in the day.

When I was in high school, I dunked in a game. It was one of those ESPN-type highlight dunks where I crashed the boards, jumped, the ball came off the rim at just the right angle, and I put it down. I was about 6'1 and 145 pounds. The shock of doing that also rendered me useless the rest of the game.

After college with PRs of around 30 for the 10 and 14:40 for the 5, I could still dunk although I was running 70 mpw. I used to jump-rope after every run and play hoops whenever I had the chance. That kept the jumping muscles in shape, and I could dunk pretty much whenever I wanted. I could also stand flat-footed under the basket, jump, and hit the rim with both hands.

I later had knee surgery (broken kneecap) and was in a cast from my hip to my ankle for 3 months. I don't jump off the ball of my left foot very well anymore, and I haven't played ball in a while. My vertical leap is probably about 10 inches now.

Holy crap, you're almost 40? I thought for sure you were a college kid. No offense or anything.

I am 40, but I act like a college kid. Can you blame me?

Its funny how so many claim to be able to dunk. Ive been around running and basketball for a long time and I have never seen a distance runner throw one down. Most can barely dribble. I played last few yrs in a league, I know basketball and loved to mix it into my running (against the wishes of my coaches and ankles. Make sure your talking about a ten foot rim.

I used to be able to grab the rim but could not palm so never was able to throw down a dunk with a basketball.

Faster but less vertical strength 30 years later.

Still think about buying a pair of those 'plyo' shoes that 'the Jimmy' sold....

I'm sorry that you are short and/or hang around with short people, but yes, there are a few distance runners who can dunk. BTW, I am one of those that could barely dribble. I sucked at b-ball, HOWEVER, I could dunk on a standard height rim.

i am 6'....played alot of rec league ball, esp as an adult. could barely scrape the rim with my fingers when jumping, much to my displeasure. prs 153, 404 mile, 1409 5k, 29:56 10k.....too many 100 mile weeks all those years, didn't do much for my explosive springing ability...lol

I am 6'3"ish and in high school I could barely put down a volleyball and that was on a good day. Then I was running around 25 to 35 miles a week and had modest pr 4:33 and 10:20.

By the end of college and running 60 to 80 miles a week, I could barely get my finger tips high enough to grab a hold onto the rim with one hand. No I never broke 15 in the 5K.

Could dunk in highschool and college, 5'9 140lbs.

Havent tried for awhile, but if warmed up I still think I could...biggest problem was palming the ball. Oooping the ball was easier.

PR's 1:49, 3:45.

first was as a HS soph. 6 3 also. 18 now with 1:58 and 4:32 out of high school. college freshman now yet to race. i have thrown down with the basketball team though.

I could palm a basketball and dunk as a sophomore in HS. It doesn't hurt that my body proportions are freakishly lanky. I'm 6'4'' and my wingspan is close to 7', with monkey hands. So, dunking isn't very hard. PR's of 1:59, 4:40, 10:00, 17:05. I jump better when I run about 60-70mpw, than when I'm on a break from running.

I'm a 6'0" white man, but when I was 20-22 I could dunk a Soccer ball quite well. No luck with a basketball as I could not grip it in one hand.

Supposedly, Brian Oldfield could dunk a 16 lb. shotput!

Age:38 (I'll turn 39 on 1-15)

PR'S-200M-22.1

400M-48.4

600M-1:21.9

800M-1:51.8

5K-16:32

8K-27:30

I've been able to palm a basketball since middle school. Yes, I can still dunk.

my favorite letsrun poster... an honest mani didn't start running until i was 22 or so...i am only 5'10 but I played Div I volleyball (my father is a university coach so I was playing since I was old enough to stand up)... i was an outside hitterAt my best I could reach off of a two foot take-off 10'10"but that does not mean i could dunk a basketball, to truly dunk you really have to reach even above that if you are to use two handsi was a complete anomaly - a short DI hitter but I was generally considered a very good jumperin all my years around volleyball and basketball players (they practiced before us and we would fool around dunking various items) it was extraordinarly rare to find anyone under 6' who could dunk a basketballif you could, that means when you jumped people would stop what they were doing and say holy crap, did you just see that guy jump do that again - it is an unreal vertical leap6'4" - that is about where people start to be able to do it with some regularity, even then it is no guaranteea dunk is not grabbing the rim or getting high enough on a perfectly timed jump to lob in a volleyball or softballeven basketball players who are incredible athletes have trouble dunking that are around 6' - I think I remember bobby hurley from duke - a great athlete and could not dunk, he watched him once have someone try to toss the ball up and let him kind of push it downbut everyone on letsrun has done it - even those under 6'

I could in HS, but back then I was a 21 ft long jumper and decent sprinter. Since then I grew a few inches and got into LD running, now I'm not even close.

in fact a simple google search reveals this

Average Vertical Leap of NCAA Div. 1 Football player: 29-31 inches.

Average Vertical Leap of NCAA Div. 1 Basketball player: 27-30 inches.

now if I remember correctly a 5'10" guy can reach about 7'4" (maybe a little less memory is getting fuzzy)

so your average DIV I basketabll or football player who is 5'9" can reach 9'10"!!

and these are elite, fast twitch athelets

but again, somehow everyone on letsrun can do it

26 years old: 4:02 1500, 15:54 5k, 25:59 8k, 1:12 half-mara. - The last time I attempted to dunk was age 22 - I did it. Lacking coordination, I never dunked off of a dribble. However, I could take one lunge (a single large step forward) from inside the lane and dunk. [quote]the jerk wrote: