It is true that many basketball players have jumped the highest vertical jump, but Michael Jordan is known to be the greatest in NBA history. His style of diving was a feast for the eyes. Mr. Jordan’s vertical jump has been tested in several competitions and he has always been able to jump 48 inches.
Michael Jordan completed the highest vertical jump in NBA history at 48 inches without any additional equipment or support. Additionally, there are other basketball players who have jumped high like Spud Webb at 48″, Julius Erving (Dr J) .at 48″ and Nate Robinson at 46″.
A vertical jump is the measurement of a player’s jump from a standing position. A large vertical jump usually results in a higher running jump. The higher the player can jump, the wilder and more spectacular his dunk will be.
There was only one player named “His Airness in NBA history,” and that’s Michael Jordan. He currently boasts the NBA’s highest vertical jump of the entire tournament, measuring 48 inches. That number comes with a rim hang time of 0.92 seconds.
With his height of 6ft 6in, we can calculate that Michael Jordan can jump 42in vertically. He is in a situation where he has a 10-foot vertical jump to the edge.
However, if you watch the video of Michael Jordan’s top 10 vertical jumps, you can see that his head is already inches off the edge. So we can say that Michael Jordan jumped more than 44 inches vertically. This number is even more significant.
Highest Vertical Jump in NBA Currently – 2022
| 1. | Kennedy Chandler | 41.50 |
| 2. | Kendall Brown | 41.00 |
| 3. | Christian Braun | 40.00 |
| 4. | Ochai Agbaji | 39.00 |
| 4. | Jalen Williams | 39.00 |
Highest Vertical Jump in NBA Currently – 2021
Keon Johnson currently holds the NBA record for the current highest vertical jump. He managed to jump 48 inches which is currently the highest jump in 2021. He plays for the Los Angeles Clippers in the NBA.
Players with the Highest Vertical Jump in NBA History
Michael Jordan- 48 inches (4.066 feet)
- Vertical Leap: 48 inches
- Height: 6 foot 6 inches
- Slam Dunk Titles: 1987, 1988
- Years Played: 1984 – 2003 (with two retirements in between)
- Teams: Chicago Bulls, Washington Wizards
Spud Webb – 48 inches (4.066 feet)
- Height: 5 foot 7 inches
- Vertical Leap: 46 inches
- Slam Dunk Titles: 1986
- Years Played: 1985 – 1998
- Teams: Atlanta Hawks, Sacramento Kings, Minnesota Timberwolves, Orlando Magic
- Major Achievements: Playing in the NBA at a height of 5 foot 7
Julius Erving (Dr. J) – 48 inches (4.066 feet)
- Vertical Leap: 41 inches
- Height: 6 ft 7
- Slam Dunk Titles: None
- Years Played: 1971 -1987
- Teams: New York Nets, Philadelphia 76ers
- Major Achievements 1 NBA championship, 1 MVP award, 1 of the 50 greatest players of all time, perennial all-star
Darrell Griffith – 48 inches (4.066 feet)
- Vertical Leap: 48 inches
- Height: 6 foot 4 inches
- Slam Dunk Titles: None
- Years Played: 1981 – 1993
- Teams: Utah Jazz
- Major Achievements: Rookie of the Year, Jazz retired his number
Wilt Chamberlain – 48 inches (4.066 feet)
Wilt Chamberlain made a vertical jump of 48 inches. In fact, he excelled competitively in the high jump in high school. Back then, they jumped over the bar without turning on their backs.
It just tells you how high his jumping ability is. At 48 inches tall, he is one of the tallest vertical jumpers in NBA history.
Keon Johnson – 48 inches (4.066 feet)
Jason Richardson – 46.5 inches (3.875)
Nate Robinson – 46 inches (3.8333 feet)
- Vertical leap: 43.5 inches
- Height: 5 ft. 9
- Slam Dunk Titles: 3 x champion 2006, 2009, 2010
- Years Played: 2005 – Present
- Teams: New York Knicks, Boston Celtics
- Major Achievements: Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award (2005)
James White – 46 inches (3.8333 feet)
James White tritt nicht oft in den NBA-Ligen auf. Tatsächlich spielt er oft im Ausland. Wir glauben jedoch, dass er immer noch berechtigt ist, diese Liste zu erstellen.
Die Portland Trail Blazers wählten ihn mit dem 31. Gesamtsieg im NBA-Draft 2006 aus.
Dann nutzten die San Antonio Spurs eine Chance. James trat in sechs Spielen auf, bevor er zu den Austin Toros wechselte. Dieses Team ist ihr D-League-Affiliate.
James Whites längster Lauf in der NBA geht auf die Saison 2012/13 zurück, in der er 57 Mal für die New York Knicks auftrat. James White machte einen vertikalen Sprung von 46 Zoll und konnte seinen Kopf 5 Zoll über die Kante bei 6 Fuß 7 heben.
Zach Lavine – 46 inches (3.8333 feet)
Initially, Zach LaVine’s vertical jump performance wasn’t all that great. It’s only about 41.5 inches. After that, however, he had some growth and his vertical jump was 46 inches.
At 6-foot-5, LaVine can rise 2 inches over the edge. Showing his tremendous dancing ability, he won the biennial dunk competition in 2015 and 2016.
In 2016, LaVine pulled off a few tricks as he jumped off the free throw line against worthy opponent Aaron Gordon. At that time they were undecided.
LaVine’s exceptional athletic ability was demonstrated when he was an integral part of the Chicago Bulls brand. He is having the best season of his career and continues to be the only light in what has been a lackluster season for the team.
The Best Verticals In NBA History
- Michael Jordan 48″
- Darrell Griffith 48″
- Wilt Chamberlain 47″
- Spud Webb 46.5″
- James White 46″
- Jason Richardson 46″
- Zach Lavine 46″
- Shannon Brown 45″
- David Thompson 44.5″
- Muggsy Bogues 44″
- Andrew Wiggins 44″
- Lebron James 44″
- Dee Brown 44″
- Harold Miner 44″
- Deshawn Stevenson 44″
- Nate Robinson 43.5″
- Vince Carter 43″
- Clyde Drexler 43″
- Steve Francis 43″
- Jamario Moon 43″
- Tracy McGrady 43″
- Speedy Claxton 42.5″
- Fred Jones 42″
- Dominique Wilkins 42″
- Shawn Kemp 41″
Tips for improving your Vertical Jump
- Always warm up before playing or even performing jumping drills. Most athletes use a jump rope to warm up the muscles and circulate blood throughout the body. Warming up is mandatory whether you play on indoor or outdoor courts.
- Perform slow, controlled toe jumps to prepare your ankles and feet for the perfect jump and landing.
- Progress slowly in the vertical jumps by performing lifts on the jump boxes.
- Train your legs, the most important part is to increase full load jumping level and leg power. Also, training your core is just as important as your legs. The core helps to stay in the air longer.
Conclusion
The highest vertical jump in the NBA belongs to Kobe Bryant with a record-breaking leap of 39 inches. With so much competition in the league, aspiring athletes should continue to train hard and aim to break these records.