European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 19, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse Adrian Dantley 6-foot-4, and then with Detroit and Cleveland s Phil Hubbard 6-foot-8, were the Only front court starters to go through the season Dunkless. In our my Seurat of hoop flight there is a special Wing for the charter members the dinosaurs of Dunk. No. 1 in everyone s heart and myths is jumping Jackie Jackson also known As Sidecar Jackson. He was born in Nev a Bern n.c., grew up in the Brooklyn attended Virginia Union and played for several years for the Harlem globetrotters and in the old Eastern league. The globes listed him at 6-foot-5, but Sonny Hill swears Jackie was 6-foot-3, tops. There s the Story of Jackie pounding Down the floor on a fast break in an Eastern league game. An opponent takes a defensive stance at the foul line. Jackie jumps Over the Man s head and dunks the Ball. Another Oft told legend has Jackie on defense. His Man takes him into the key gives a head fake and sends Jackie skyward. Up and up he goes. The Man Waits and Waits for Jackie to Start coming Down but Waits too Long. Jackie stays in the air and the ref Calls a 3-second violation. Many of the legendary leapers of that Era did t play Aba Ball because All they could do was leap. One dunking Dinosaur who could Fly and play was Gus Johnson a 6-foot-8 hipster Forward who had a Gold Star implanted in a front tooth. Gus was a colourful Thunder Dunker a breaker of backboards. He played nine seasons for the Baltimore bullets beginning in 63, and he died last year. In the Aba a player who is a poor leaper is jokingly said to have White Man s in the six years of the Aba s slam Dunk contest Only one White player has been invited to compete 6-foot-10 Tom Chambers in 1986. He finished Well out of the running. But there have been and Are very Good White jumpers. Jerry West could get up. Billy Cunningham was t nicknamed the Kangaroo kid because he had a Pouch. Bobby Jones could swoop and soar. Stanford s 6-4 Todd Lichti is a big time leaper. In the 1970s, Wilt Chamberlain was impressed by Herb White a 6-foot-2 reservist for Atlanta. He never got off the Bench but in warmups he could Dunk better than anyone i be Ever seen Chamberlain says. White went from High school stardom to Georgia where he was a so so Power Forward. Before his senior year at Georgia however White happened to work out with some Atlanta Hawks players and they went to coach Richie Guerin with tales of an amazing leaper. Herb was not drafted but was invited to the Hawks Camp after his senior year and he made the 1970-71 team As a Point guard backup and Road Roommate of another Rookie Pete Maravich. White started five games but was mostly a mop up Guy and later he was injured. He finished his career in a pro league in Mexico. White also known As the elevator from Decatur made the Aba All time All Warmup team that one season. Pregame warmups were his Showtime. He would perform a reverse Dunk Dunk with two balls. He would toss the Ball off the backboard and then slam it Home. In Madison Square Garden he got a standing ovation for his Warmup dunks. If the land of leap had a National Holiday it would be feb. 8, the anniversary of the legendary 1976 Aba ail Star game s first and last slam Dunk contest. The Aba had no such contest at the time. That feb. 8 the Aba trotted out its five Best slammers. Arts a train Gilmore George ice Gervin and Larry big cat Kenon All dunked admirably. But the final came Down to David Thompson is. Julius Erving Skywalker is. The doctor. The Doc won it with a Long run a leap from two inches inside the free throw line and a dramatic powerful Windmill slam. Thompson As a Consolation prize was the map in the All Star game. The Aba folded after that season but the slam off was such a hit with the Media that the concept was eventually ripped off by the Aba. And that performance in Denver was the National coming out party for or. A the godfather of Dunk. He was discovered. If we were to Honor dunkers As we Honor actors Doc would be Given a Statuette for his body of work. With the exception of Chamberlain or. J was the first Julius Erving reaches up and in for two Points. Portland s Clyde Drex or shows his form. Atlanta s Spud Webb is Short but has Spring. Sunday february 19, 1989 super leaper who was also a superstar Aba player and the first big time player to exploit the Dunk As an Art form at the pro level. Thompson was on a Par with Erving but after five great Aba seasons his career hit a Quick decline caused in part by cocaine problems. Thompson now does Community relations work for the hornets. In the museum of leap Wilt the big dipper Chamberlain has his own Wing. Whom would he share a Wing with we should be glad he does t demand his own separate museum. Very tall players Are Seldom recognized As great leapers. If they play the game far above the rim it is because they Are tall. That s the popular Assumption. What s unfortunate is that most people regard the great leapers As being Only the Short Guys who could Dunk says the 7-foot-1 Chamberlain. My standing jump measurement was higher than Jordan s. When i went to Kansas they had a 12-foot Basket in the gym because or. Prog Allen was advocating the 12-foot Basket. I used to Dunk on that Basket. It was an Effort but i could do the greatest jumper today if you give Bonus Points for obscurity and mystery it would be Joey Johnson younger brother of celtic guard Dennis Johnson. Dennis never was much of a leaper. Joey he can t quite jump out of the gym but he has come close. Joey is 6-foot-3, with average length arms and legs and incredibly Una verage Spring. Joey was a Good player in High school and spent two years at the College of Southern Idaho a Junior College. Then he transferred to Arizona state clashed with then coach Steve Patterson and wound up quitting the team. Now he s red shirting at Asu. Joe Clarke founder and president of the South Central los Angeles athletic club has worked with most of the City s great prep stars of the last two decades. When Joey Johnson was a High school senior Clarke took his Watts magicians to Mesa ariz., for a prep tournament. Joey made the trip but was nursing a hip Pointer so he could t suit up. He was in the gym in Mesa one afternoon in Street clothes and basketball shoes. Some of the Guys started dunking. Joey did t even have his shoes laced Clarke said. He had a baseball Cap on and he turned the Bill sideways. He stood below the Basket no run just jumped straight up with his arms at his sides flipped his head sideways and dunked his at Southern Idaho the legend grew. As a freshman he went out for the track team worked out a total of 10 hours then High jumped 7-3%. As a Sophomore with As Little work he improved to 7-5%. There is a tavern called the Corner club in Moscow Idaho. It is near the University of Idaho Campus where the legendary Gus Johnson once played. In 1962, Johnson jumped and touched a spot High on the Wall and a Nail was driven into the spot to commemorate the unbelievable leap. Fred Trenkle Southern Idaho s coach had heard of the Gus Johnson Nail so when the Southern Idaho team was passing through Moscow on a trip he ordered the bus Driver to Stop outside the Corner club and he took Joey inside. We d been on the bus eight hours by then Trenkle said. Joey walked up to the Wall one foot planted no rocking jumped up and missed the Nail. He said he was afraid he would Cut himself. So he tried it again grabbed the Nail and Bent it straight Down. They drove a new Nail in for Joey measured it at 11-71/2. My Mother has a bar Here in Southern Idaho and she s got a Nail where Joey touched at 11-91/2." but can he play the game Joey averaged 19.5 Points at Southern Idaho and led the team to a National Junior College title. He was an incredible shot Blocker. In the Junior College championship game an opponent fired a jump shot at the Buzzer. Joey standing about eight feet from the shooter leaped and slapped the shot away. He dunked 11 times in one game. Said Trenkle he can take the Ball with his right hand go up put it Between his legs and Dunk it behind his head with his left hand. Effortless absolutely the stars and stripes Page 17
