Well now, folks, if y’all been watchin’ basketball, y’all know there’s a whole lotta talk ‘bout vertical jumps. Seems like every year, some fella’s out there breakin’ records, jumpin’ higher than the last one. Now, if ya wanna know who’s got the highest vertical jump in the NBA, sit tight and I’ll tell ya all about it. Gonna be a good one, this is!
Now, first off, the highest jump ever recorded in the NBA belongs to a fella named Wilt Chamberlain. Yep, that’s right, the big ol’ Wilt “the Stilt” Chamberlain himself. They say ol’ Wilt had a vertical leap of about 48 inches, and that’s mighty impressive for a man who stood as tall as a barn door, 7 feet 1 inch. He was the kinda player that made folks just stop and stare, and when he jumped, well, folks probably thought he might just touch the sky! And let me tell ya, that record still stands strong today.
But hold up, it ain’t just Wilt who’s jumpin’ high. There’s another fella, Michael Jordan, that you might’ve heard of. They say Michael could leap up just as high as Wilt, and his vertical jump was also around 48 inches. If you ask any basketball fan, they’ll tell ya that Michael was one of the best to ever play the game. He could fly through the air like no one else, and that vertical leap of his sure helped him win all those championships.
Now, don’t go thinkin’ that it’s all about the old timers, cause there’s some fresh faces on the scene. Just look at Keon Johnson from the Brooklyn Nets. Back in 2021, he set a new record at the NBA draft combine with a 48-inch vertical jump. That’s right, 48 inches! Folks was talkin’ about it for weeks, ‘cause it’s a big ol’ number for someone so young. They say his jump was the best at that draft, even breakin’ records set by some of the greats. Now, Keon’s just a young’un, but if he keeps workin’ hard, who knows what he’ll be doin’ in a few years!
Of course, you got other players too that’ve got some mighty impressive hops. Take Dennis Smith Jr., for example. Back when he was a rookie, folks said his vertical leap was 48 inches, too. That’s what they measured at the combine, and it put him right up there with the likes of Wilt and Michael. It just goes to show that, even today, there’s players with some real bouncin’ ability.
But now, let’s get down to the real question: what’s the average vertical jump in the NBA? Well, according to the good folks over at World Metrics, the average vertical leap for an NBA player is about 28 inches. That’s a fair bit lower than the records we’re talkin’ about, but still, that’s higher than most folks in the regular world can jump! And depending on the position a player plays, some of ‘em can jump higher than others. For example, guards like Keon Johnson and Dennis Smith Jr. are often known for havin’ higher verticals than centers, just ‘cause of the way they play and their build.
So, to wrap it all up, the highest vertical jump in NBA history is tied between Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan, both of ‘em hittin’ 48 inches. But don’t forget about the young guns like Keon Johnson and Dennis Smith Jr., who are comin’ up with some mighty impressive jumps of their own. So next time you watch a game, pay close attention to those guys in the air—‘cause when they jump, they sure do look like they’re flyin’!
Tags：[NBA, vertical jump, Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan, Keon Johnson, Dennis Smith Jr., basketball, NBA history, highest vertical jump]
