How HIGH did Michael Jordan Really JUMP? - The Last Dance 

No. He had the ability to shoot the ball just before landing.

On meeee

lol no one hang in the air longer…

facts

Me too. It’s so awesome. They make a shirt of it that I’ve been waiting to come back in stock and saw they just issued pre orders for it. It’s from grail brand and is awesome.

Or the ‘leaner dunk’

Yes also the "sidewinder".

Vertical and hang time go in hand, but if you're talking about his effortless control in the air then yeah MJ was just different.

@@Hobe23 Well he was also able to do a true free throw line dunk marking the line with tape, Zion could as well. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-KEpE4_ev1gY.html

He truly was different. He had the perfect body for what he did. Kind of lean, yet muscular. He was so smooth and fluid and he did seem to just hang in the air. He had good height, but was not too tall. It just doesn't look as good when the taller guys dunk. He was like long a strong ballet dancer. Also, the fact that he was handsome helped.

Dr. J could jump 43 inches David Thompson 44. But Dr. J did the foul line dunk first time in TV history. David Thompson from what I know could not do that. David Thompson was 6ft 4.

@@Johnkoth Dr. J did not dunk behind the foul line, or on it, it was well over it.

43"...and everyone else did drugs in the league. Except Wilkins

@@aaronwright1621 ok so Larry bird and magic Johnson were crack heads? Good to know. Clown...

@@whenisdinner2137 guarantee you he is a lebron fan lol

@@aaronwright1621 you do know the 48in is documented

Go hug your statue of him lmao

85-90** he was doing things in the air his rookie season no one had ever seen. Dude would jump then triple pump then shoot all while hanging in the air. I love watching his rookie highlights. Dude was quicker than everyone by a mile, all while jumping higher and averaging 28 on 50%

Yeah I would break those down into just 2. 85-93 Max vert still. Then once he came back you could still see it in 94-95. Wasn't until 96-97 you could see it less

@@ryandouglas8382 some say he had better hops in ‘98 than he did the season prior!

​@@hastensavoir7782why is that? I was watching a 1998 Bulls game on a RU-vid and a commentator pointed that out also

Aesthetic AF

He actually had to bend his neck to the side to avoid banging his head on that one. A couple of baseline alley-oops he did in his early years - it’d be great to see a rim-level camera shot of those. * Wasn’t that dunk called the the up-and-under? His best one was the ‘88 version - he HAD to do his best then - it was the legendary “Air Jordan” vs. “the Human Highlight Film” - His Airness vs. ‘Nique...

absolute beauty.

Yup me too man it’s an amazing poster too.

As far as I'm concerned, that dunk is impossible. I know I'm seeing it but I still don't believe it!!!

I have the official documentation, he was recorded at 48" in NC.

the goat of basketball wasnt even a full 6'5". thats crazy. obviously with basketball shoes 6'4.9" turns into 6'6".

@@xum0007 exactly which is why he was listed at 6'6" because the game is played in shoes

@@nymphopath9816where is this documentation?

@@nymphopath9816I would like to see that I know it’s 48 but would love to see it

You have to jump quickly to jump high. No one stays in the air for more than a second. It’s a matter of how far you travel vertically in that time. The increased motion tricks the brain into thinking he’s in the air longer, hence the “hangtime.”

Very true!

his wing span too

Thanks bro! Appreciate it!

Thanks! Appreciate it! Will do!

Bro but Indian men can jump

That’s not true its the hard work he did everyday. Cycling, jumping, doing his best in every moment. He had humility. He new that if he does not put in the work nothing will magically happen. That’s a growth mindset. I hope someday you‘ll understand.

He also took ballet classes. He was very athletic, but he trained like a madman. Don't kid yourself. Being incredibly athletic doesn't put someone in the NBA. There's lots of super athletes that don't get anywhere near that level.

I have to agree with mike. Look at MJ’s long legs and arms muscles. They stretch like Mister Fantastic. He was just born that way.

MJ's brother was 5'8 and still dunked like a madman. Of course it is the natural ability that is at play.

I noticed that his whole career.

I noticed that as well. Conserving energy, and the ball gets to the rim quicker without the big leap - he made a lot of dunks by being a split second ahead of the shot-blockers - like the dunk on Mutombo.

Very true also Jordan had around a 6’10 wingspan in one combine forum I found adding to that and in the famous vid of his brother dunking it wouldn’t surprise me if Larry easily had over a 6’2 up to 6’5 reach since his head is way below the basket when doing those dunks and is jumping far away too much like Spud Webb he looks to have a length advantage and doesn’t seem to be coming as high off the ground as you’d think he should.

People tend to discount his less explosive later years, thinking he’s lost athleticism. He is more understanding of the toll on his body and being mindful of longevity. Landing from jumping and slowing down from sprinting puts stress on your joints that an older body doesn’t recover from as well as a prime body.

@@jasminetomca i was at that game, behind the backboard :)

That’s like another foot

If 42” was hitting the rim at his height I presume he hit somewhere between 43”- 45”. It is hard to tell exactly because he ducks his head.

@@isaiah3950 there is literally not a single clip of MJ having his head at the rim

1988 dunk contest where Jordan's head is 2 inch above the rim on his final 50 point dunk

@@TH-cx2yx Lol did you watch the video.

Yes true not everyone has big hands like MJ

well, you probably will never see it again, its a combination of so many things.

Dr. J did it, but better (imo).

@@phillipschuman4307 lol. I respect your opinion, I just laughed right after reading it. Dr. J was different, too.

@@phillipschuman4307 No he didn't! Dr.J qas 1 foot jumper, could never been able to do it.

It is quite obvious that he never had a 48 inch vert, and him self claiming to have tested it as 48 is not a valid source whatsoever

@@TH-cx2yx If he had a MAX vert of 48 inches, do you think he is going to reach it with a ball in his hands, while having to dribble, controlling the ball in the air, and worrying about his shot not being blocked?? No. His 48 inch vertical would be reached in the most optimal situation. Meaning no ball so he can get the most efficient arm swing and body movements and so that the ball won’t hold him down.

​@@TH-cx2yx It is quite obvious you dont have any common sense😂 how couldn't he reach another 3 inches if he was officially recorded at 45 nearly 46 inches

@@TH-cx2yx ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-2MAOJywNGi4.html jason richardson measured at 46.5 inch vertical, compare his head and distance from the rim in his dunks. note that mj is dribbling witht he ball on his dunks whereas most of jrs is he tosses it up and catches them. jr is 6'6" as well, so all you doubters of 48" just needs to compare and stop hating

​@@TH-cx2yxJordan never claimed to have a 48 inch verticle. That was the measurement for the Olympics. Separate from NBA. You stopped responding after being called out. Which happens too often by people hiding behind computer screens

Thanks! Will do! Appreciate it bro!

10k now bro

I appreciate that! Thank you!

facts

For sure, I think you are correct.

With techs of today he would definitely be better but his shoes has the same technology still use today and his later models still has better tech and quality than most basketball shoes use today

Probably; if he wanted to focus on that! Or, he could just laugh and say: how high you jump doesn't matter. What you can do with it does:)

That's a key distinction. MJ clearly jumped higher without a ball, as seen in his head/shoulder hit on the backboard in North Carolina. Even with a ball, he could easily get his elbow above the rim while spinning his body in the air...

Todays steriods also

Thanks bro! You too!

I'm dying for you to read.this reply. I know I'm a complete stranger, but I was dunking at 5'9...with two hands off of two feet. Even throwing down alley-oop dunks. All you need is a leg press machine. Use the heaviest weight that will allow you to perform thirty toe press reps. That exercise will burn your calves. In between sets, perform the standard leg press (Do not lock your knees at the top of the movement) for sixty seconds. Rest for another thirty seconds and start your next set. Do at least ten sets every other day. Depending on where you're currently at, you'll be dunking in no time. I weighed 160 pounds and started with 170 pounds of weight. Started the workout in early June and just under seven weeks later, I was flying. Continue hooping like you normally do. Trust me my friend, it works!

@@williamparks1503 hey thx so much for reaching out man! for sure, i might have to wait until gyms clear a bit more in my area with covid but ill definitely try that workout out. God bless you homie, stay safe and keep grinding!

Agreed.

That’s at least 48

@@abbyik7357 You don't know how to measure if you think that. No offense. It's not easy if you don't understand 3D space in 2D and angles.

@@CuriusOdus11 The backboard is about 112in, his head is about 78in. Just touching his head to the bottom of the backboard is 34in. Getting his shoulder blades there is undoubtedly at least 48in. Unless you're telling me the distance from the top of his head to his shoulder blades is less than 14in? That 3d, 2d b.s. might make you feel smart, but it's really just common sense and knowing heights

@@abbyik7357 It's nothing to do with making me feel smart. It's simple perception. Your calcs are completely off by the way. It is incredible how people deny video evidence to keep their mythological fantasies alive. There is detailed video analysis of all this. I suggest you find it.

Louisville Cardinals great and also from Louisville, Kentucky my hometown.

Griffith out jumped Mike

@@ithajean 😆

So True.

He Did What?!!! Omg That's A Hard Dunk To Pull Off!!

I agree.

46 not 48

@@casualgamer4898 recorded by Dean Smith the fall of his junior year running a 40yrd dash in 4.3 seconds and recorded during NBA draft combine with a 48 inch vertical leap in 1984.

@@powerman1993tk sure

@@casualgamer4898 yeah the 46 inches has been a narrative Lebron James fan created in the past 17 years. I grew up watching the NBA since 1982 as a kid. Thats the Lakers, Celtics and Bulls. I didn't start liking Jordan till 1987 after his first slam dunk contest. It was very well known through the 80's and 90's how this guy could jump and so much higher then the rest except maybe Dominique Wilkins in the 80's. Jordan was even on a show called the Deon Sanders special 1 time and they talk about Jordans 48 inch vertical leap. My opinion from 1990 to 1993 Jordan probably had a 44 to 46 inch vertical leap. From 1996 to 1998 much much lower. But from 1984 to 1989 his jumping abilities was unreal. Watch some Bulls games from like 1986 to 1989. Jordan blocks everyone including most centers. But like I said I grew up watching the NBA and a fanatic till around 2006. Then all of a sudden internet exploded and everyone started throwing out false narratives on all time greats in all sports. Kind of like trying to change the history of sports. But you can believe what you want.

this, he was measured in college, 48. Only one or two other guys had that high of a vertical. It doesnt mean MJ kept that 48 through all his seasons of course.

@@davidca96 its true about jumping high but no Basquetball skills like derrick jones jr who also jump 46 but no Sucess in The NBA...Jordan was a Total package...in Offense and in Defense...and The most sounded Fundamental player.plus His Basquetball iQ was Second to NOBODY.....Without a Doubt The G🏀AT....yesterday, Now, and Forever.

ja morants vertical isnt even 48 and he can ACTUALLY hit his head at the rim, unlike MJ. and hes like at least 4 inches shorter

@@TH-cx2yx You must have missed part of the video. MJ did a one handed reverse dunk floating to the rim and still had to duck his head to keep from hitting the rim. You do know the rim is made of steel and will bust your melon wide open, don't you? You also must have missed the dunk when he was in college and floated past the rim and hit his head on the backboard. Not the top of his head either. The top of his head was rim height and he was floating so high and far that he hit the back of his head on the backboard. You doubters kill me bringing up other people as if they are more superior than MJ...LOL That just shows how much of a hater you all really are...lol The hate is so bad that your mind is playing tricks on your eyes...lol You can't even be honest about what we all saw in this video. Do you think we are are foolish enough to agree with you after seeing MJ jump time after time just in this video alone? Magic Johnson said he saw the greatest dunk he has ever seen in his life during practice with the dream team. He said MJ did a 360, brought the ball down while still in the air and 360ed again and dunked the ball. After he hit his head the first time he made sure to not jump so high when at the rim to keep from injuring himself. That's much smarter than trying to show he can hit his head on the rim and getting his skull cracked to appease an audience...😃

Thanks!

48"= 4 feet...Mj was 6'6"+shoe=6'7+the 4 feet you claim...is 10'7...is his head 7" over the rim? No sir. Maybe twice was it level...but most the time it was way under...I say his true very was 43"

Exactly. Poor analysis. He was already on his way down too at the point the backboard hits his head after it first makes contact with his shoulder blades.

For a genius a test is nothing

Nah

Nope. Mj jumped wayyyyyy lower during games, in order to preserve energy.

@@SumboodyNao you didn't watch Jordan play then. He said himself that he gives it everything he has every game and he certainly didn't try to preserve energy on defense. Playing conservative was not the way he played. In fact you can hear him out of breath during interviews while on the court 😂😂😂

@@issajoke2437 he’s lying obviously. What kind of competitor would he look like if he didn’t say that? Anyways, if Jordan actually tried, he’d average like 40.

Yup, there should be on amazon!

😂😂

Facts.

Underrated comment.. I agree with you

those old college backboards extend 12 inches below the lower rim, rather then 8 like the current ones do.. even if his head was 8 inches above the bottom edge of the backboard, he still is 4 inches off from the rim, aka 38 inches off the ground... the dunk in 88...way to use big words to spin a bunch of bullshit lol...plenty of guys can acheive their max vert while doing reverse 360s and other dunks much more intricate then that lol....that is easily the highest jordan has gotten in any video footage ...he's 39" off the ground and that's as good as it gets for him...none of his jumps were his "foot position on take off" was more optimal did he get higher than that EVER in 15 years, so save it.....the weight of the ball? are you kidding? as a general rule for a 200 pound man, 7 pounds of added weight will reduce ones vertical by 1 inch...a 1.2 pound ball will reduce ones vertical by about 1/7th of an inch lol... jordan fans are something lmao..

@@godzillahogpiece3913 MJ is 6'6". He legit had to duck the rim on that reverse dunk. The difference between 6'6" and 10' is 42". This isn't difficult math. General rule for a 200lb man blah blah blah. Which feces-filled orifice did you pull THAT one out of? You're saying that 7 pounds reduces vertical by 1"? So then 14lbs by two inches? How about 21lbs? Is that a 3" reduction? First of all, the variability in mechanics makes that an impossible generalization. Secondly, if it was to be an accurate generalization, it would be framed in terms of PERCENTAGE reduction, not an absolute value. Ultimately, the amount that any particular weight impacts lift is a function of DISTRIBUTION. Distance from the center of gravity and axes plays a huge role in how momentum gets transferred. The ball isn't strapped to the body - it is held away from the body, using what is essentially a lever. I don't care enough to get into the nuances of the math, I'll just tell you that you should've paid more attention in school. Secondly, regarding rotation and foot placement, I wasn't exactly asking your opinion on the mechanics. It is physically IMPOSSIBLE to achieve maximum lift while diverting energy into rotation. That's simple, basic physics. Thirdly - yes, the bottom of NCAA regulation backboards extend 12" below the rim. What's your point? Go back and actually watch that footage. His head and shoulders are bent forward when the back of his head/neck contact the backboard. He was also already on his way DOWN. From the reverse angle you can see that his shoulder is level with the backboard when he rejects the ball, and the only reason that it's not his shoulder that impacts the backboard is because his body has rotated during the jump. This isn't speculation or interpretation either - the video record is available for all to see. If his shoulder was able to reach the backboard, then the additional length of his neck and head at the angle of impact would extend roughly 6"-8" above the bottom of the backboard. Here's the thing... his head was bent DOWN, meaning his head and neck were not at full extension. From a raised shoulder, base of the neck to crown of the head is anywhere from 10"-14" in most adult males. Also, when I pointed out the point of impact on his skull as being between 5" and 6" down the vertical plan measurement of his skull, I wasn't saying that his skull impacted the backboard 5"-6" from the bottom - skulls are CURVED, which means the point of impact would have been HIGHER than the bottom of the backboard, considering the footage shows clearly that the back of his neck comes into alignment with it. That 5"-6" impact point he's holding ice against would have impacted the glass roughly 4"-6" from the bottom, depending on how long his neck is and the exact angle of impact. Even a modest reconstruction, WITHOUT extending his head and neck to a fully upright position, places the apex of this jump at 3" under the rim, and with full extension, right AT the rim. There is ample footage of MJ with his head at the rim, even in GAME situations, and to be frank, his 48" vertical is well documented as the 2nd highest in NBA history. The fact that you didn't understand the "big words" doesn't make them bullshit. Stay in school.

​@@robjames4160lmao..calm down jimmy neutron...the fact is the weight of a ball will negligibly effect vertical...unless your an overly pedantic dweeb who thinks 0.05 inches is significant ...name some instances where he got his head at the rim...i'd love to pick them apart individually... copy of my posts from comment section- According to the study you cited at 9:30, Jordan's standing vertical reach was measured at just under 94 inches/ 7 foot 10....LMAO. A prototypical 6'6 player would have a standing reach of anywhere from 102" to 106"/8'6 to 8'10. A common source of overstating vertical jump measurements is where the practitioner isn't stringent about the subject reaching maximally while measuring standing reach. There is a bracket of about 5-8 inches between loosely putting your hand straight up, and then stretching as far as possible, and clearly this was a factor in this study done on Jordan. They understated his standing reach by a great deal, which in turn greatly overstated his alleged vertical (46"). Evidence of this is the fact that according to the Pelvic landmark they used in the study, which is a much more reliable landmark, and eliminates much room for human error, Jordan's max displacement is just over 38", aka....he moved his body 38" off the ground during a max jump...aka his max vert tested in that study was 38" lmao... There has never been an athlete with more video footage available than Jordan, and even on his best jumps, he still gets 2-3" below the rim. This is in line with his real vertical being about 40" maybe 41" MAX..... which is still extremely impressive. 48" (lmao tim grover) is complete bs, so is 46", even 43 is pushing it. Anyone who buys anything over 43" is delusional lol. He's a great leaper but this fairy-tale conjecture about his vert needs to stop lmao. As for the kiss the rim dunks in 87 and 88, tilting your head front to back, or side to side, does NOT decrease apparant height, due to the nature of the neck joint. Go to the mirror and tilt your head any way possible while keeping the same posture, your height will remain unchanged. Jordan was not "clearly capable" of hitting his head on the rim lol.... he was 3-4 inches off, which is congruent with his vertical being 39-40ish". JORDAN HAD A 39-40 INCH VERTICAL....DEAL WITH IT This is some of the most delusional stuff i've ever seen lmao. never in his career has he ever been more than 39 inches off the floor in a game...yet you say with a "great degree of certainty" he had a 45+ inch vert? and then somehow it became 48? Loll...The relevant thing to look at in the motion analysis study is the vertical displacement using the PELVIC POINT as a landmark...he got 38 INCHES off the ground.... which is eerily similar to how high he gets in his best jumps in a game... COINCIDENCE? lmao at "46"... they fucked up measuring his standing reach...in the study it was 7 foot 10 which is shorter than IVERSON's lmao...no 6-6 guy is going to have a shorter standing reach then 8 foot 4...MINIMUM...and they'd have to have really short arms lmao....in the 88 dunk contest he was 3.5-4 inches off, tilting ones head back WILL NOT reduce apparant height due to the nature of the neck joint...go try in the mirror.....in the goaltend at unc the backboard extended 14* inches below the rim (the current ones extend 8 inches below), so even if 11 INCHES of his head were above the bottom edge of the backboard (if his head and neck would have been in an upright posture), he still was 4 inches off loll.. 20+ years worth of jordan footage and noone can provide a clip with his head at the rim...yet they throw around numbers like 45,46,48......sigh.. this big fish conjecture about jordan's good but not great vertical is really pissing me off....nice video tho

LOL..I WAS WRONG...upon further research, the backboards in the earlys 80s extended 14 INCHES below the rim... NOT 12.

yes, we are lucky to watch his games live when he was a player. So many dramatic wins he made. Check out my squirrel jump challenge MJ video :) ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-I8OjrhHBUDQ.html

wow i thought i had short arms

@@fleet7121 How tall are you.

@@vergil2067 oh you just edited it from 6'11 to 7'1 buy yeah im 5'6.4"

It depends on what you're going for, but yes I do also have an upper workout routine. Mostly focusing on power and overall strength.

Zach Lavine has 46 inch Max vert

@@Raghuveer2798 on combine it was 43

@@damedolla85 yea but he increased it while in the nba and later on it was confirmed at 46 inches

No, as i know combine allows only 15 ft approach and 1 foot jumpers need more space than that. Later after combine zach's vert was measured at lakers workout where they allowed as much approach as you wanted. So zach got 46 inch vert. Actually scottie pippen dunked from free throw line

Wow. And those guys probably never took the incentive to dunk. If only they did. (If your info is credible. I haven't the incentive to verify the claims.)

Hey, really appreciate the comment! Haven't dunked on a proper 10 footer. Still working at it!

Oh, well keep working at it, I thought I saw you dunk on one of your vids. Well I am looking forward to seeing that!

the backboard extended 14 inches below the rim in 84, so that would put him at 9 ft 8, aka 38 inches off the ground.

Absolutely not...I give that to Gerald Green 💯

I agree 100%.

@@Hobe23 Sorry I should have watched your whole video before I replied :)

Great point! But, to travel a certain distance you do require hang time. And, hang time is a good indicator for vert assuming you don't contort your body in the air.

No wonder he is called 'his airness' 😊

@@Hobe23 I mean he’s still not going straight up he’s posing...idk it doesn’t seem too accurate to me. I don’t see players doing the vert test and hitting the tandem from the free throw line while doing the Jordan pose at the same height as they would jumping normal. Heck I’ve seen people rarely get close to the rim while dunking and go above it on putbacks and alley oop attempts