Good observations there. Ok, so let's say Yao's highest touch is 11' 6" based on that photo. That's still 10" less than Shaq's highest touch of 12' 4", even though Yao is 4" taller. So one way to look at it is Shaq compensates for, and exceeds by 10", the 4" height disadvantage. Practically all of this can be attributed to Shaq's higher vertical (the rest to his presumably longer arms). The other way to look at it is Yao nullifies his own 4" height advantage, and falls behind 10" more. Practically all of this is due to Yao's low vertical (the rest to his presumably shorter arms). If you can find a point in this post, congratulations, because I can't after reading through it again. Past my bedtime. Getting....slee.....py.....
Thanks. It's amazing Shaq has a vertical like that. That's about 80 cms for those British system challenged. A cross bred between an elephant and flea, huh?
355cm is about 11' 7.75 ". 1 cm = 0.3936 in. (355cm * 0.3936 in/cm) / (12in/ft) = 11.644 ft (about 11 ft 7.73 inches). I'm not trying to be an ass here.
After this we will discuss how many hotdogs Yao can eat in 12 mins. I hope he can beat this guy. If anyone still doesn't know, he's the world record holder: 50 hotdogs in 12 mins.
We don't want Yao to jump any higher than that. Otherwise his head is going to hit the backboard or basket and causing serious injuries.
wow i am hearing people say yao does not have a good vertical therefore he will never become the elite player we want? If and when yao wins us multiple championship titles I would like to see all the haters and doubters and nay sayers apologize for ever doubting yao. Dont be like those so called "experts" who said yao wouldnt last a second in the NBA and never retracted their claim , a$$holes like Dick Vitale . God I hate his voice and that stupid "baby" line he uses. Only time will tell, I for one will remain optimistc.
When it comes to real game, pure vertical is only part of the picture. Yao has about 6 to 7 inches of vertical advantages over other centers that he didnt need to jump for. IT IS A CONSTANT VERTICAL ADVANTAGE. He also has close to 315-320 lb of weight advantage that he could use to lean on others. One cant use his full vertical if someone else is leaning on you. We dont need Yao to improve his vertical, that might only increase his chance of injury despite how thick his legs are. What I would like to see is Yao improving his lateral movement, then he could be much more efficient in both defensive and offensive ends.
Speaking of verticals... the most amazing story I've heard was that of Wilt - he's 7-1 and has a vertical of 51". To put this all in perspective, Spud Webb, who's 5'7" and could do 360 degree dunks had a vertical of 44" and MJ had a vertical of 43" at his prime. So Wilt could put quarters on the top of the backboard... I saw a photo of him spiking a volleyball where his WAIST was above the 8 foot net... sheesh
That doesn't make any sense at all. He can't jump as high as you want, so he is somehow limited in potential? The guy is 7'-5" tall. All he needs is timing to block some shots. Karl Malone hardly ever leaves the ground and is considered one of the best players of all time.
I thought Steve's vertical was 40' inches?...but I'm a change the subject since we're on verticals. Does anyone know how much Earl Manigault's(spelling?) vertical was? because they said he could actually grab a coin off the top of a backboard.
I think your numbers are right. Since Yao's reach is 9'-8", his vertical is about 24" which is consistent with the pictures. I could also believe Shaq's highest touch (per the website) to be 12'-4 and a vertical of 32" in his college days. I seriouly doubt he jumped higher than 2 ft off the floor in the past 2 yrs.
People do not jump over backboard and shoot the ball downwards, if they do you can't block them that way otherwise it's a goaltender. Rebounds usually do not go that high either. As long as Yao can jump 1 feet high and dunk, that's pretty enough, isn't it?
I think the most important thing is the quickness of Yao's jump, not his vertical. The reason that Yao sometimes doesn't do jumpballs is because he can't jump quick enough. If you noticed how Tim Duncan got all those blocks in the finals it was because of his quick jump. A quicker jump will probably be more important than a higher vertical, seeing that he's already 7'5''.
Yao ming looks like he has about a 2 feet vertical, which is pretty good considering he is a very tall asian.
