Top 10 Highest Vertical Jumps In NBA History 

To all the comments saying Wilt Chamberlain had a 48 inch vertical. This was never actually recorded or proven. Wilt said in an interview that in his prime his vertical jump was at least 46-48 inches. Because it's only speculation we chose to leave him off of this list.

Jordan literally have every basketball ability

I played street ball with Zach Levine 8 years ago. We could all dunk, and most of us played college ball or overseas..... but this dude was unbelievable! He was dominating in almost every way. We were speechless. Btw, he was playing with a friend/family member who had just as much hops.... forgot that guys’ name.

Honorable mention goes to non-NBA player Jordan Kilganon, the 6'1" Canadian dunk specialist. He has a 49.5 inch vertical and if you've never seen his dunk videos you need to check them out. They are insane.

I started to follow MJ since his first come back. For me, MJ is the fadeaway machine with extreme competitiveness and fundamental skills. I knew his ability to drive both on the court and in the air as one of top players in the era. Even, physicality has been the best ever. Truly amazing.

Michael Jordan - the hand - the speed and aesthetic moves - the fakes - the fades - the accuracy at inside /outside perimeter shots - the reverse layups - the aesthetic dunks - the airness supremacy - the shots fired on dying seconds of every major game. What else could u ask for if you possess all those gifts MJ has? Heck, even his perfect ball shaped head is what every man on this planet would be so happy to have. G O A T 💪💪💪♥️👍👍👍

I saw Mike in person his rookie year and when he left the floor it looked like puppet strings were picking him up off the floor.

me and my friends love your videos! We really want you to make a nfl top 10 vertical jumps

Griffith's name came to my mind before they listed him. One of the old-schoolers. David Thompson was the first player I remember as having his "vertical" measured. He played college ball when dunking wasn't allowed so he became famous for the "alley-oop" which was a point guard named Towe, I believe, lobbing the ball near the rim while Thompson went up and got it over guys like Bill Walton for the layup. Some of the other old school college ball jumpers that came to mind: Drexler, Montcrief, Worthy, Nance, Wilkins,

The shortest guy was the best for me. He's 5.6 tall. Damn!!

I saw David Thimoson (NC State) put both hands on the top of the backboard in a game once. It was a televised game so I know I wasn't the only person who saw it.

You forgot Vinsanity Vince Carter. Homeboy had the craziest hops! Also Shawn Kemp, one of the best dunkers of all-time. Good to see Jason Richardson was on the list.

How could jordan be so good in everything this is so insane

Zion hitting 45 is just insane. Honestly the most impressive thing on this list

I am not sure of the height but I much preferred the explosive and spectacular power dunks of Dominique Wilkins and fast break finishes by Orlando Woolridge to Jordan and everyone else on the list but Richardson and Griffith. Woolridge seemed to catch the ball at the top of the backboard and crush it down the hoop. Really amped up a crowd. Larry Kenon was also fantastic.

Wilt was the Winner in Phila. Public League Track Championships High jump contest in 1953 with a 5ft10 jump and in 1957 with a 6ft1 jump😄

David Thompson got lost somewhere in there. He had a 48" vertical leap, measured. Finished second to Dr. J in the first ever slam dunk contest. Yes, the ABA had the first ever slam dunk contest. The NBA didn't start having one until the following year.

"Dwyane Wade has been a great playmaker his entire career, and it's fair to say that we can add one more assist to his total tally" 😂😂💀💀 im dead

When Jordan went up for a dunk (with his 48" vert)... it always kind of looked like the ball was glued to his hand & that it would only detach from it until it was "scraped off" by the rim... But it was just that he had a "gloves" to handle the ball for dunks when the rest of us just have a hands to do it...

Gerald Green, his head was way above the rim. Very underrated

Vince Carter: proof you don’t have to have a top 10 recorded vertical jump to be the best dunker.

James White hops were incredible. Dude dunking ability is so underrated. I watched him do the windmill free-throw dunk years before Zach

How is Gerald Green not in this list. That’s crazy!!!! Dwight Howard and Lebron are two guys I’m surprised aren’t here. They had insane verticals in their prime.

It would be interesting to see highest vertical jumps for big men. I know that Shaq, at the beginning of his career, had really great jumping abilities for a man this size and weight.

It's amazing how our understanding of MJ has changed, we always knew he was a freak athlete and talented but now I think of him as 90% fundamentals. Look at all those other guys and how they couldn't hold his jock despite a similar ability to leap. Explains the greatness of Larry Bird as well. Leaping ability is fantastic, it's just not required to be elite to be an elite player.

His Airness was just different. seeing him fly over everyone on the court with his level of skill and dedication to the sport. GREATNESS

Para mi Spud webb debiera estar en el numero 1 debido a la relación de su altura respecto a su rechazo para ejercer el salto y llegar al aro.

There is footage on YT with Wilt doing the high jump and triple jump. His supposed vertical was 50"...which is insane for a guy his size...or anyone of any size. Bill Russell was a tremendous athlete too...but to me, the greatest athlete in NBA history (in terms of athletic feats) was Wilt. Maybe the strongest guy in the league ever and was talented in nearly all sports he played (including volleyball).

Somehow I believe Vince could get more than 43”, just sayin

How about Gerald Green?

Fantastic video 😊😊

GREAT VIDEO BRO !!! 😬👍👹

All those vertical jumps are not true vertical jumps. They are running jumps. True vertical jump tests require no steps

David Thompson with the Nuggets had a standing 44" vertical. Thompson was one of the best NBA player's of his era.

I always heard Dominique had a 48" vertical too. Also, what about Dr J's vertical?

You know how great Jordan is when he is in almost every conversations 🤣

David Thompson was a monster leaper, should be on this list!

love the video keep it up my guy

For those saying Wilt Chamberlain should be on this list: *Wilt also said he benched pressed 600 pounds RAW (without a bench press shirt)*. That would have been the *World's Record at the time* when Wilt claimed that he accomplished the feat. Take a look at the build of some of the strongest men in history during the peak of their StrongMan Careers. *Bill Kazmaier, Mark Henry, Brian Shaw, Zydrunas Savickas* and others. Look at how massive these guys were in terms of weight per inch of height. There is 0% chance that Wilt could bench press 600 pounds just like there is 0 chance he had a 48 inch vertical. Given that Wilt had a standing reach of 9'6", a 48 inch vertical means *Wilt could touch 6 inches over the top of the backboard* NOT HAPPENING

Bill Willoughby of Dwight Morrow HS, Englewood, NJ. Had a serious vertical. Don't remember how long he was in the league but he should be on the list.

Dr. J!!! When Dr. J was at UMass he was 6' 3" and had a 46" vertical . I had his coach, Jack Lehman in a basketball coaching class then, and he told us. Likely jumped higher as he grew to 6' 6" as a pro.

You couldve included some of Jordans better dunks in his section. Most of those were like aging Jordan clips from his final stints with the Bulls.

i saw jason richardson do a 360 dunk in game one time i was at a warriors game back in the day

You missed Wilt! His vert was insane for a big man, easily over 40 inches in his prime. There's many in person tales of Wilt grabbing items from atop the backboard for show before games. For a comparison, Shaq was the same height and had a 32 inch vertical.

That's so disrespectful for Gerald Green guys!!

For me the most impressive dunker was/still is Spud Webb. But all of these jumping "machines" have my utmost respect. Now if those measurements are true or not I don't care, because they all deserve to be in this video.

You guys should do a video on the nicest jumpshots ever

Spud Webb is unreal. Standing at 5'6 and got vert jump 46 inches. It's just crazy.

Crazy that Griffith dude looked like he was goated 😭 sad to hear about injuries

Wait wait wait your telling me flight has a 46 inch vert???? Oh man he's gonna dunk on everyone on June...

I am so glad, cause i had a chance to watch jordan live. Absolutely king

A fan favorite high flyer of mine is 5,3 muggsy bogues. He reportedly had a 44 inch vertical but sadly never dunked in the NBA but did so In college was but never recorded!

0:40 My favorite part about this video lmao

7:28 Damn Jordan’s brother was 5’8” with a 44 inch vertical

I've not seen this yet but Spud web was a font shorter than anyone and got as high I'm curious what his is

Also Wilt chamberlain had a 48 inch vert but loved the video keep it upl

Crazy that Muggsy Bogues (5’3) had a 44’ vertical.

That explains MJ's hang-time time shots is beautiful to watch.

The other Jordan too... Larry.. has very impressive leaping ability 😱

We need a 2024 version of this video!!!. we got guys hitting their heads on rims

Man i miss shanon brown :( he used to be the underdog highflyer on the team

No Shawn Kemp? I know that dude in his prime could do 48-50 inches. Also Dr J.

i had a 42 inch vert @ 6'2.. first dunk 7th grade.. only played a year @ university though 👍🏿

I didn't read through all 5,000 comments, LOL, but in case this player was not mentioned: Ollie Taylor, from the University of Houston, 6'-2" guard for the Nets in the early 1970s. Saw him throw down a two-handed tomahawk over Artis Gilmore on a fast break. Reported to have a 48" vertical. 👌

during the 90's MJ rarely jump to the max because he carries the NBA on his shoulder.

It's an indictment to leave Gerald Green out of this.

What about David Thompson? Think he played for the Denver Nuggets. I remember his vertical was up around 48" too.

I was expecting to see VC aka half man half amazing make the list.

The other amazing thing about jordan is not only did he have that 48 inch vertical he was around 6 feet 6 tall too. So he sort of had it all.

Also Shawn Kemp. Dude had a 48" Vert and was 6-10

I don't know what numbers they/some-idot gave Shawn Kemp on the vertical but I seen that man go up to the top of the backboard. His 'ups' were MAJOR!

Rob Williams,Sampson Jakarr,Gerald Green,Christian Wood,Keneth Faried, Wilson Chandrel,Gerald Green.

Wondering if guys like Dr J, Dominique Wilkins and David "Skywalker" Thompson didn't have an "official" measurement because those guys sure seemed like they were up there with this group. One guy who never made the NBA, but his leaping is legendary - Joey Johnson. He was Dennis Johnson's little brother and had a reported vertical of 52 inches. Played one year at ASU.

Zion is the definition of a beast! Also demn spud webb can fly!!

You should do how good was spud webb

Shaedon Sharpe recorded a 49 inch vertical at the nba combine which is the new record!

MJ was really gifted. With 3 decades after his era, Its hard to find player with the same ability.

Jordan to this day is the most graceful looking dunker of all time. It just look so damn smooth. I don't care much about power dunking. Shit, they usually come over 6'5 in the NBA. Jordan had style, hang time and grace. I haven't seen anything since. The kiss the rim dunk is a thing of beauty.

Westbrook vertical must be insane too. His head even reached the rim one time, being 6'3.

If you've seen Zion in person it's unreal he can jump that high

Cool video. I remember reading in the late '80s that Clyde Drexler had a 48" vertical (also had dunked on over-high rims), and that Chamberlain liked to put coins on the top of backboards. Regardless of what's exactly true, it's all amazing! I had a 32" vertical once :(

Yo, You are missing out big names: -Scottie Pippen -Kobe Bryant -Tracy McGrady -Clyde Drexler -Jerome Kersey -Gerald Green -Cedric Ceballos -Nate Robinson -Dwight Howard -Blake Griffin -Shawn Kemp -Julius Erving -Dominique Wilkins -Aaron Gordon -Darryl Dawkins -Desmond Mason -Josh Smith -Dee Brown -Terrence Ross There is no order, whoever came to my mind, I just wrote it. I can give for each person on the list a memorable dunk that for sure will prove his high leaping ability.

Jordan sure was destined to be the GOAT and a Global Icon !!

I think if they measured Gerald Green's windmill ally-oop when he was in New Jersey, it would have measured over 50".

Michael never really had to focus on his 3pnts cause it wasn't widely used during that time. But he was spot on when it came to contested 2pnt percentage.

Wilt was a shotput thrower, a champion high jumper, a track star and a triple jumper back in college. The guy was rumored to have a 54 inch vertical (and indeed was). There's a famous pic of him while he was a track star in college, showing him jumping straight up next to a high-jump bar. He was about 54 inches off the ground when the photo was taken (it won the photographer an award). Wilt wasn't sure if he was on the way up or on the way down. Even when he was playing volleyball, he'd often be photographed spiking the ball, and his waist would be over the net. Wilt is described by Sports Illustrated as the finest athletic construction made of flesh and blood. The Nets were seriously considering adding him to the roster in the 80's, when he was already in his 50's.

Darrel Griffith "Dr. Dunkenstein" as he was nicknamed also had a 48" vert.

Louisville is in the building lol thanks for putting one of our hometown heroes on the list

Zion is more impressive given his weight

imagine being the heaviest player in the league with a 45 in vertical

I want to see a video on longest hang time

David Thompson, 48 inches, and the only opposing player that Wooden would refer to by name and not by number, the ultimate compliment from the Wizard of Westwood.

Also Pat Connaughton - 44 inch recorded at the NBA draft combine

I was reading something that when they measured David Thompson’s vertical, that the 44 inch was just a standing leap, they didn’t get his max running vert. Idk it was just something I saw🤷‍♂️

It’s so nuts that Spud Webb’s vertical was only 20 inches off his height

I have not seen Antonio McDyes guys. Could you please do your research about him

Jordan has the same hands size as someone that is 7’9

David Thompson has to be one of the greatest leapers can't believe he's not on this list!

I got a 28 vert which I worked pretty hard for, but I don't understand the entire foot gap and more that people can have on that. It's just mesmerizing

is vince carter included in this list? his dunk over an opposing player (who was like over 7ft) in 2000 olympics is legendary