What NBA Player Has the Highest Vertical?
A vertical jump is the highest point an athlete can reach into the air. The best NBA players have some of the highest verticals in the league. So, who has the highest vertical in the NBA?
Introduction
In the world of basketball, there is always debate surrounding who the best players are. While there are many factors that go into determining who the best player is, one metric that is often used is vertical jump. Simply put, vertical jump is a measure of how high a player can jump.
While vertical jump is not the only measure of a player’s ability, it is often used as an indicator of explosiveness and athleticism. As such, many fans and experts alike are interested in finding out who the NBA player with the highest vertical is.
So, who holds this distinction? Read on to find out!
Russell Westbrook
Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder has the highest vertical in the NBA. He was recorded at 46 inches during the 2015 All-Star Slam Dunk Contest.
Zion Williamson
Zion Williamson, the number one pick in the 2019 NBA draft, is widely considered to be one of the most physically gifted players in the league. Standing at 6’7″, Williamson weighs in at 285 pounds and has a wingspan of 7’3″. His physical stature and explosiveness are unprecedented, and Zion’s vertical leap is no exception.
In May of 2019, prior to the NBA draft, Zion Williamson jumped an impressive 44.5 inches (113 cm) in the vertical leap test at the NBA Draft Combine. This mark was not only a combine record, but it was also the highest vertical leap ever recorded by an NBA player.
To put Zion’s 44.5 inch vertical leap into perspective, consider that the average vertical jump for an NBA player is 28 inches (71 cm). Zion’s vertical jump is over 16 inches (41 cm) higher than the average NBA player!
LeBron James
LeBron James, small forward for the Cleveland Cavaliers, is widely considered one of the best athletes in the NBA. He is also one of the tallest players in the league, standing at 6’8″. But what many people don’t know is that LeBron James also has one of the highest vertical leaps in the NBA.
LeBron’s vertical leap was measured by ESPN’s Sport Science back in 2008, and they found that he could jump an amazing 41.5 inches from a standing start. That’s almost four feet! To put that into perspective, the average person’s vertical leap is only about 16 inches.
There have been some other players who have been measured to have higher verticals than LeBron James, but most of them are much shorter than him. For example, Nate Robinson, who is only 5’9″, has a vertical leap of 46 inches. And Kobe Bryant, who is 6’6″, has a vertical leap of 38 inches. So LeBron James definitely has one of the highest vertical leaps among NBA players today.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Giannis Antetokounmpo, small forward for the Milwaukee Bucks, has the highest vertical in the NBA. At 6’11”, he has a wingspan of 7’3″ and can jump 44 inches.
Conclusion
After researching the subject, we have come to the conclusion that there is no definitive answer to this question. While there are a number of players who are rumored to have very high verticals, there is no official record of any player’s vertical jump.
However, we can narrow down the field to a few likely contenders. Players such as Tracy McGrady, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James are all known for their incredible athleticism, and it stands to reason that they would also have very high verticals. In addition, players who are particularly tall or who play positions that require a lot of jumping (such as power forwards and centers) are also likely to have high verticals.
If we had to choose one player as the NBA’s “true” highest jumper, our best guess would be McGrady. He was an exceptionally gifted athlete who was known for his highlight-reel dunks. In addition, he was also 6’8″, which gives him a bit of an advantage over shorter players like Bryant and James. However, McGrady’s career was cut short by injuries, so we may never know for sure how high he could really jump.
