Zion Williamson is now 6'7 285. + Other updated measurements.

[budwom]

Is it possible that the last 2 numbers were transposed in posting the roster, so that Zion weighs 258 rather than 285? That seems a lot more plausible to me, and would put him in the same zip code as Barkley (listed at 6-6, 252) and Larry Johnson (listed at 6-7, 250), two players to whom he is often compared.

Ha, I had wondered the same thing...I know it's no big deal, but I remain fixated on the notion that Williamson's 285 is a listing, not a measurement, and as a former banker, I know one must always remain alert for transpositions! He's undeniably huge and athletic...I'm just not buying 285 at all.

[OldPhiKap]

Ha, I had wondered the same thing...I know it's no big deal, but I remain fixated on the notion that Williamson's 285 is a listing, not a measurement, and as a former banker, I know one must always remain alert for transpositions! He's undeniably huge and athletic...I'm just not buying 285 at all.

For comparison, Elton Brand was listed as 6’8” or 6’9” and around 260 or less.


If Zion is sa hair shorter, a LOT bigger, AND has better hops — he would be a bigger freak than I imagine. (Meant in a great way, of course).

[jwillfan]

Cam Newton is 6'5" and 245#

let that sink in...

Aaron Judge is 6'8" 285 and steals bases, covers a lotta outfield. No idea what his vertical is but he's an athlete

[NSDukeFan]

Aaron Judge is 6'8" 285 and steals bases, covers a lotta outfield. No idea what his vertical is but he's an athlete

But I thought he played baseball? 😀

[HereBeforeCoachK]

For comparison, Elton Brand was listed as 6’8” or 6’9” and around 260 or less.


If Zion is sa hair shorter, a LOT bigger, AND has better hops — he would be a bigger freak than I imagine. (Meant in a great way, of course).

I think he is, he is, he does, and he is....

[UrinalCake]

Google tells me that the world record in the high jump is 8’ 1/4”, set in 1993. If you were to assume that David Thompson could jump the same height while keeping his body vertical (which would of course be impossible) then the midpoint of his body would be eight feet high. Then add half of his 6’5” body and the top of his head would be 11’2.5” off the ground (ignoring the extra 1/8” because I’m on my phone and drunk). Then you’d need to add the distance from the top of his head to the top of his outstretched arm. Google tells me that Mo Bamba’s standing reach is about 2’7” greater than his height without shoes. I doubt Thompson’s arms were as long as Bamba’s, but continuing this exercise that would mean his hand is 13’9.5” from the ground. So that would be enough to reach the top of the backboard.

So in summary, for Thompson to grab a quarter on the top of the backboard he would have to jump as high as the world record high jumper, while keeping his body upright, and have arms equaling the longest player ever recorded at the combine. Then he’d have to hang there long enough to leave change.

[OldPhiKap]

I think he is, he is, he does, and he is...

I have the giddy feeling that you might be right.

And if so — yikes!!!!

[CDu]

Here is an article on the subject from ESPN about a decade ago:

http://www.espn.com/blog/truehoop/po...a-jumping-myth

Summary: yeah, it is highly unlikely that anybody has touched the top of the backboard legitimately, let alone taken a quarter off the top, let alone left change.

They asked around amongst the best current leapers. LeBron said he couldn't. Dwight SAID he could, but wouldn't prove it. James White (considered by many to be the best dunker ever, including a between the legs dunk from the free throw line) said he could, and actually tried, but came up a few inches short on his best efforts on two different occasions.

Again, White (who is 6'7" and arguably the greatest dunker ever - seriously, his dunk highlights are silly) couldn't quite do it. Not saying it is impossible. But it's pretty close to impossible. And I'm pretty confident that David Thompson - who was unquestionably a great leaper - didn't do it either.

That's the thing: it's one of the most talked about myths out there, and is a myth that has been around for decades. If a guy could really do it, there would be legitimate video of him doing it by now.

[bedeviled]

It's one of the most talked about myths out there, and is a myth that has been around for decades. If a guy could really do it, there would be legitimate video of him doing it by now

Zion: "Hold my Powerade"

Perhaps there is variability not yet discussed. In addition to different styles of jumps, there are different body types forged in various sports (eg basketball, volleyball, high jump).
Basketball combine vs Football combine standing vertical records (NFL _only_ measures standing vertical; note that basketball players typically add 4-6 inches when allowed steps):
NBA
40" - DJ Stephens
39.5" - Nick Young, Kenny Gregory
38.5" - Dorian Finney-Smith, Alex Scales
38" - Justin Anderson, Harrison Barnes, Dwayne Mitchell
37.5" - Joel Bolomboy, Demetrius Jackson
NFL
47" - Willie Creear (at a regional combine)
46" - Gerald Sensabaugh
45.5" - Cameron Wake
45" - Chris Conley, Donald Washington, Chris McKenzie, Chris Chambers
44.5" - Byron Jones
44" - AJ Jefferson, Obi Melifonwu
43.5" - 8 players

Also, consider that power lifting is used in training for vertical jumps. Here's Olympic lifter Shane Hamman (on the right): IMG_7034.jpg
He's 5'9" and 360lbs. He can dunk from a standing position...can you? lol.
Lifter and WWF wrestler Mark "Sexual Chocolate" Henry can dunk, too. He's 6' 3"...but he was also 370lbs!

Is the NBA vs NFL disparity due to powerful/explosive physiology like muscle fibers, mass, or synchronization? Or, is it due to a difference in technique (2 vs 1 footed jumpers) or technical skill (practiced expertise for the combine)? Does the difference scale up for non-standing vertical jumps, too?

Robertas Javtokas (here), Michael Wilson (here), and Wilt Chamberlain are all reported to have dunked on a 12 foot rim. James White (reported in CDU's link above), Jeremy Evans (pic here) and Guillermo Diaz (reported here) all get a vertical reach around 12' 9". Dwight Howard looks to comfortably reach 12' 6", and I think even Shaq had a vertical reach of 12' 5". So, basketball players are approaching 13'. Could someone with a more explosive build, better technique, or practiced expertise do better? Could David Thompson have been that dude?

IDK. I'm just blabbering because I really, really, really want Zion to be the first myth buster on verified video record. Legend.

[David Bunkley]

Is anyone going to transpose these numbers into cinder blocks?

http://www.goduke.com/SportSelect.db...45&SPSID=22727

1 Zion Williamson F 6-7 285 Fr. Spartanburg, S.C. (Spartanburg Day School)
2 Cam Reddish F 6-8 218 Fr. Norristown, Pa. (Westtown School)
3 Tre Jones G 6-2 183 Fr. Apple Valley, Minn. (Apple Valley)
5 R.J. Barrett F 6-7 202 Fr. Mississauga, Ont. (Montverde Academy [Fla.])
12 Javin DeLaurier F 6-10 234 Jr. Shipman, Va. (Saint Anne's-Belfield)
13 Joey Baker F 6-7 200 Fr. Fayetteville, N.C. (Trinity Christian School)
14 Jordan Goldwire G 6-2 181 So. Norcross, Ga. (Norcross)
15 Alex O'Connell G 6-6 176 So. Roswell, Ga. (Milton)
20 Marques Bolden C 6-11 250 Jr. DeSoto, Texas (DeSoto)
30 Antonio Vrankovic C 7-0 269 Sr. Zagreb, Croatia (Pine Crest School [Fla.])
41 Jack White F 6-7 222 Jr. Traralgon, Victoria, Australia (Australian Institute of Sport)
50 Justin Robinson F 6-10 202 Jr. San Antonio, Texas (San Antonio Christian Academy)
51 Mike Buckmire G 6-2 173 So. Blue Bell, Pa. (Germantown Friends School)
53 Brennan Besser G 6-5 190 Sr. Chicago, Ill. (Latin School)

[devildeac]

Is anyone going to transpose these numbers into cinder blocks?

Should we ASSume standard US CMUs?


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concrete_masonry_unit

[tteettimes]

Is anyone going to transpose these numbers into cinder blocks?

Multiplier is 0.667....DIY 🤗🤗

[Acymetric]

Should we ASSume standard US CMUs?


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concrete_masonry_unit

Yes, except RJ Barrett will require use of the Canadian CMU (which is shared, of course, with New Zealand for obvious reasons).

[rsvman]

It occurs to me that probably the most accurate way to assess how high somebody actually jumped (not how high he/she REACHED, but how high he/she JUMPED) is by timing how long it is from when the feet leave the ground to when the land. Gravity don't lie. The only way to stay in the air longer is to jump higher.

If you had an accurate measurement, say down to the thousandth of a second, for example, you could definitely prove that one player could/could not jump higher than another.

Just a thought.

[Acymetric]

It occurs to me that probably the most accurate way to assess how high somebody actually jumped (not how high he/she REACHED, but how high he/she JUMPED) is by timing how long it is from when the feet leave the ground to when the land. Gravity don't lie. The only way to stay in the air longer is to jump higher.

If you had an accurate measurement, say down to the thousandth of a second, for example, you could definitely prove that one player could/could not jump higher than another.

Just a thought.

An accurate measurement for me might BE a thousandth of a second

[JayZee]

Quick Google on the vertc - https://www.power-systems.com/shop/product/vertec - which states that it can measure up to 12'

Zion clearly went higher, so his vert reach was more like 12'2" or 12'3" which is pretty impressive (unreal) for someone of his height+weight

I also like his "ah, shucks" type attitude.

Zion: "Hold my Powerade"

Perhaps there is variability not yet discussed. In addition to different styles of jumps, there are different body types forged in various sports (eg basketball, volleyball, high jump).
Basketball combine vs Football combine standing vertical records (NFL _only_ measures standing vertical; note that basketball players typically add 4-6 inches when allowed steps):
NBA
40" - DJ Stephens
39.5" - Nick Young, Kenny Gregory
38.5" - Dorian Finney-Smith, Alex Scales
38" - Justin Anderson, Harrison Barnes, Dwayne Mitchell
37.5" - Joel Bolomboy, Demetrius Jackson
NFL
47" - Willie Creear (at a regional combine)
46" - Gerald Sensabaugh
45.5" - Cameron Wake
45" - Chris Conley, Donald Washington, Chris McKenzie, Chris Chambers
44.5" - Byron Jones
44" - AJ Jefferson, Obi Melifonwu
43.5" - 8 players

Also, consider that power lifting is used in training for vertical jumps. Here's Olympic lifter Shane Hamman (on the right): IMG_7034.jpg
He's 5'9" and 360lbs. He can dunk from a standing position...can you? lol.
Lifter and WWF wrestler Mark "Sexual Chocolate" Henry can dunk, too. He's 6' 3"...but he was also 370lbs!

Is the NBA vs NFL disparity due to powerful/explosive physiology like muscle fibers, mass, or synchronization? Or, is it due to a difference in technique (2 vs 1 footed jumpers) or technical skill (practiced expertise for the combine)? Does the difference scale up for non-standing vertical jumps, too?

Robertas Javtokas (here), Michael Wilson (here), and Wilt Chamberlain are all reported to have dunked on a 12 foot rim. James White (reported in CDU's link above), Jeremy Evans (pic here) and Guillermo Diaz (reported here) all get a vertical reach around 12' 9". Dwight Howard looks to comfortably reach 12' 6", and I think even Shaq had a vertical reach of 12' 5". So, basketball players are approaching 13'. Could someone with a more explosive build, better technique, or practiced expertise do better? Could David Thompson have been that dude?

IDK. I'm just blabbering because I really, really, really want Zion to be the first myth buster on verified video record. Legend.

[sagegrouse]

It occurs to me that probably the most accurate way to assess how high somebody actually jumped (not how high he/she REACHED, but how high he/she JUMPED) is by timing how long it is from when the feet leave the ground to when the land. Gravity don't lie. The only way to stay in the air longer is to jump higher.

If you had an accurate measurement, say down to the thousandth of a second, for example, you could definitely prove that one player could/could not jump higher than another.

Just a thought.

Except that one can stay in the air longer by pulling one's legs up and landing feet and butt at the same time. Long jumpers do a variant of this to get greater distance.

[jimsumner]

It occurs to me that probably the most accurate way to assess how high somebody actually jumped (not how high he/she REACHED, but how high he/she JUMPED) is by timing how long it is from when the feet leave the ground to when the land. Gravity don't lie. The only way to stay in the air longer is to jump higher.

You never saw Elgin Baylor play.

I know it was an optical illusion. But it sure seemed like he could just hang in the air until the defenders just went away.

[drummerdevil]

It occurs to me that probably the most accurate way to assess how high somebody actually jumped (not how high he/she REACHED, but how high he/she JUMPED) is by timing how long it is from when the feet leave the ground to when the land. Gravity don't lie. The only way to stay in the air longer is to jump higher.

If you had an accurate measurement, say down to the thousandth of a second, for example, you could definitely prove that one player could/could not jump higher than another.

Just a thought.

Just to put this out there: I’m gonna get a lot of hang time if I jump off a cliff, whether or not I have any vertical.

[TruBlu]

Just to put this out there: I’m gonna get a lot of hang time if I jump off a cliff, whether or not I have any vertical.

Just once.