White Men Can't Jump?

[Schmidty]

After seeing this amazing video, I was forced to rethink my position:

Wow (http://www.basketballjones.ca/videoclips/dunkcomp2003.html)

About a quarter of the way through, the show begins. The kid, Henry Bekkering, is supposedly only 5'10". He has some of the most amazing hops I've ever seen.

[Ben E Lou]

I know a white kid currently in high school who has phenomenal ups as well. I only got to see him play one JV game in his freshman year, and I was impressed, but not overwhelmed. Well, we were at camp the summer after his freshman year, and I was playing basketball with him and some of my guys. Imagine my utter shock when this 5'9", 15-year-old very skinny white kid goes up and throws down a reverse dunk on a fast break! Wes is now a 5'11" rising Senior, and can do a large variety of trick dunks.

What makes him even more of an oddity is that he's no raised-in-the-hood-with-the-bruthas Eminem type. He is from what probably is the wealthiest family in the entire school. Their home would definitely sell for well over $1M, and that is in a town with relatively low property values.

[Anrhydeddu]

Wes is now a 5'11" rising Senior, and can do a large variety of trick dunks.

But can he play basketball or is he aiming for the Harlem Globetrotters?

[GrantDawg]

Originally posted by Anrhydeddu
But can he play basketball or is he aiming for the Harlem Globetrotters?

Is there a difference anymore?

[Ben E Lou]

Originally posted by Anrhydeddu
But can he play basketball or is he aiming for the Harlem Globetrotters? He'll start for perenniel state power Lakeside.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally posted by Anrhydeddu
But can he play basketball or is he aiming for the Harlem Globetrotters? And by the way, no need to attempt to threadjack and whine about people not playing basketball the way you like to see it played. This thread was not a discussion of basketball skills. It was a discussion of white guys' vertical leap.

[mtolson]

Execpt he is 6'6", not 5'10". Big difference.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally posted by mtolson
Execpt he is 6'6", not 5'10". Big difference. LOL. Makes my man Wes look more impressive then. ;)

[korme]

My freshman year, a 5'7" white senior guy (Dave) threw down a one hander, the first time he had ever dunked a regulation-sized ball, and was so surprised that he had done it, promptly fell from the hoop and landed awkwardly, breaking his right wrist.

[Schmidty]

Originally posted by mtolson
Execpt he is 6'6", not 5'10". Big difference.

Really? My bad.

His jumping ability is still amazing. From what I saw on that video clip, the kid could come close to winning the NBA Slam Dunk competition.

[kcchief19]

I was going to say, there's not way that kid is 5-10. 6-6 is more like it. I'm also not sure that was a regulation height rim. It looked like it was a bit low. Back in my school, our coaches would lower the rims every once in a while so we could have a dunking contest. Granted, the kid looks like he has hops, but something looks out of whack.

[sabotai]

"My freshman year, a 5'7" white senior guy (Dave) threw down a one hander, the first time he had ever dunked a regulation-sized ball, and was so surprised that he had done it, promptly fell from the hoop and landed awkwardly, breaking his right wrist."

For some reason, this made me laugh out loud.

[tucker342]

for some reason, me to sabotai...

[mckerney]

Originally posted by SkyDog
And by the way, no need to attempt to threadjack and whine about people not playing basketball the way you like to see it played. This thread was not a discussion of basketball skills. It was a discussion of white guys' vertical leap.

Hmm... I'd actually thought that was a legitamite question regarding whether the kid was a good basketball player or just someone who had good ups and could throw down. I'd kinda wondered the same thing on reading that and it has nothing to do about how I'd like to see the game played.

[MIJB#19]

I can jump that high, though I'm "just" 6'2", which means I wouldn't reach that high... :rolleyes:

[Anrhydeddu]

Originally posted by mckerney
Hmm... I'd actually thought that was a legitamite question regarding whether the kid was a good basketball player or just someone who had good ups and could throw down. I'd kinda wondered the same thing on reading that and it has nothing to do about how I'd like to see the game played.

SkyDog seems to be sensitive of things like this. :)

If we (as sports fans) want to reverse the post-modern trend of "no teamwork basketball" and "one-on-one jam it to the hoop" play (as many seems to want), then it has to be taught and encouraged early on that tricky dunks should not be tolerated at the expense of learning floor movements and working for more shots that are not in the paint or out by center court.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally posted by Anrhydeddu
SkyDog seems to be sensitive of things like this. :)

If we (as sports fans) want to reverse the post-modern trend of "no teamwork basketball" and "one-on-one jam it to the hoop" play (as many seems to want), then it has to be taught and encouraged early on that tricky dunks should not be tolerated at the expense of learning floor movements and working for more shots that are not in the paint or out by center court. Not sensitive, I just know when I see hidden agenda. The comment had nothing to do with caring about whether or not the kid was any good, it was part of B.A.'s continually lamenting that sports are changing and evolving and he doesn't like it. The "grumpy old man" schtick is getting old.

At any rate, I couldn't possibly care less about reversing a trend. The bottom line of basketball is to score more points than one's opponent. If a team can acheive that by having high-flying trick-dunkers, then more power to them. I enjoy watching guys who acheive succes in the game, whether it is Shaq mugging his way into the paint, Jordan in his heyday flying over the opposition, Rodman in his heyday scoring 4 points and getting 19 rebounds, Iverson taking all the shots and scoring all the points, etc. etc. etc. The bottom line is that all those guys help/helped their team win.

[Anrhydeddu]

SD, would you not speak up against the DH in baseball and if the opportunity ever comes that it might be dropped, would you encourage that? Likewise, if you witness a trend to more liberal politicians and policies, would you not speak up against that, hoping to affect change? If you witness kids becoming more influenced by sexuality and drugs, would you not speak loudly against that? Now you can argue that the enjoyment of sports is no where near the importance of other issues but there are common standards that can apply. I suspect that you have spent considerable time in your ministry in promoting teamwork and selflessness. Why not promote the same thing in sports?

[Ben E Lou]

Originally posted by Anrhydeddu
I suspect that you have spent considerable time in your ministry in promoting teamwork and selflessness.My contention is that in sports the two are not mutually exclusive. If it gives the team the best chance of winning for one player to take the huge majority of the shots (remember the Hawks in the '80s with 'Nique?), then my contention is that the player isn't being selfish--that is just plain good strategy. "Teamwork" (working the ball around for the "best" shot) may be the WORST possible strategy in some situations. If Kobe were injured, what would the Lakers' best strategy??? Of course, you get the ball inside to Shaq about every time you can, and let him bull his way to the basket for a dunk or layup, because he can get away with offensive fouls like no other. Is it pretty? No. Is it "teamwork?" Well, depends on your definition. If "teamwork" means that everyone on the team is working together toward the common goal of winning, then the answer is "Yes!" I'd be VERY careful about trying to draw lessons in morality from an institution in which the object is to defeat the opposition.

[mckerney]

Personally, I was just curious because I know people who can get up and dunk but when it comes to the actual game aren't all that special, and I also know people who are good basketball players without big ups.

I've learned that being a good athlete and a good ball player can be two very different things. If anyone remembers Dusty Rychart, he could barely dunk, and he was 6'7". Wasn't quick enough to play defense, though he did somehow manage to get in the way to stop people. Almost nothing in the way of what we'd call talent, though he was still a statistical leader on the Gophers for three years (three years of NCAA sanctions, though impressive nonetheless) and it wasn't too surprising for him to put up a double-double.

Then, of course, there's players who seem to have quite a bit of 'talent', but when the take it on the floor it's quite a dissappointment.

Now, I wasn't implying that the kid you know was of the latter group, just wondering what he had to go along with the ups.

[Ben E Lou]

Wes isn't overly quick, but plays good D and has a nice jumper. As I said, he's from a very wealthy family, and he's had the very best coaching and training equipment from childhood
His workout routine, crafted by a personal trainer, is undoubtedly a BIG reason for his vertical leap. (Both his brother and his father play basketball, and all three look very much alike, but neither dad nor brother are anything special in the vertical leap department) He's played SO much ball, though, that he's starting to get burned out. The reality is that without having special quickness, he's not going to be able play basketball for a major school. I don't see him having the "passion for the game" left to go to a small college to play basketball, and obviously he doesn't need a scholarship. He'll probably end up wowing 'em in the intramural leagues at Auburn or Georgia.