While vertical jumping might appear to be an easy task, it involves various factors. A person’s genetics, techniques used to get the extra inches, and the form used when jumping are some of the major influences of the exercise. However, several individuals have mastered all these, earning the highest vertical jump world record titles.
People with the highest vertical jump titles have been athletes with prior training to improve their strength, speed, and explosiveness. Unfortunately, since jumping is not sufficiently big enough to be categorized as a sport, finding the best score gets a little messy.
What's the highest vertical jump world record?
The vertical jump test calculates the difference between a straight-up jump off both feet and the height reached. The result is independent of a person’s height because the measurements entail how high the feet get off the ground. Here is a look at the highest jump according to Sports Keeda:
1. Michael Jordan
- Highest jump: 48 inches
- Team: Chicago Bulls
- Position: Shooting guard
- Height: 6’ 6’’
Who holds the record for the highest vertical jump in the world? Michael Jordan has the highest jump at 48 inches, with a reported hang time of 0.92 seconds.
The jump took place during the 1998 All-Star Weekend Slam Dunk Competition. He received a perfect 50 score from the free throw line from the judges.
2. Darrell Griffith
- Highest jump: 48 inches
- Team: Utah Jazz
- Position: Shooting guard
- Height: 6’ 4’’
Darrell Griffith is a retired professional basketball player. After playing for the University of Louisville, he spent his professional career with the NBA's Utah Jazz.
He has the highest vertical jump in the NBA, with a record of 48 inches. He could easily elevate his head roughly 4 inches above the rim. Even though he had an impressive NBA career, he did not win any Dunk Contests.
3. Wilt Chamberlain
- Highest jump: 48 inches
- Team: Harlem Globetrotter
- Position: Center
- Height: 7’ 1’’
Wilt Chamberlin was an American professional basketball player. He had the highest vertical jump in the NBA at 48 inches. He claimed his vertical was between 46 and 48 inches in his prime.
He played in an era where the testing and training methods were still in infancy. Also, the footage's quality wasn't good enough to determine the validity of his claims.
4. Jason Richardson
- Highest jump: 46.5 inches
- Team: Golden State Warriors
- Position: Shooting guard
- Height: 6’ 6’’
Jason is an American former professional basketball player. He played 14 seasons in the NBA, earning the record for the highest vertical jump in cm.
Initially, his vertical leap during the Draft Combine was 39.5 inches, but later, he attained an impressive 46.5 inches. He won the All-Star Weekend Slam Dunk Challenges in 2002 and 2003.
5. Zach LaVine
- Highest jump: 46
- Team: Chicago Bulls
- Position: Guard/forward
- Height: 6’ 5’’
Zach LaVine is an American professional basketball player. He was chosen as the 6th overall pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves during the 2014 NBA draft.
Even though his Draft Combine numbers were low, achieving a 41.5-inch vertical jump record, later, he achieved a vertical jump recorded at 46 inches, earning him a slot on the list of the highest vertical jump world record.
6. Anthony Spud Webb
- Highest jump: 46 inches
- Team: Atlanta Hawks
- Position: Point guards
- Height: 5’ 6’’
Spud Webb has a vertical jump record of 46 inches. He is famous for his 1986 Slam Dunk Contest victory as a rookie. At the peak of his iconic jump, Anthony’s head was only 5 inches below the rim. Also, he is one of the few basketballers who could dunk without being able to play basketball.
7. James White
- Highest jump: 46 inches
- Team: New York Knicks
- Position: Small and power forwards
- Height: 6’ 7’’
James is an American professional basketball player and coach from Washington, DC. His vertical jump of 46 inches enabled him to raise his head 5 inches above the basketball rim.
Even though he had a relatively short NBA career, marked with spells in the NBA and overseas, his excellent jumping ability earned him this vertical jump record.
8. Shannon Brown
- Highest jump: 44.5 inches
- Team: Delaware Blue Coats
- Position: Shooting guard
- Height: 6’ 3’’
Shannon is an American former professional NBA player. The Cleveland Cavaliers selected him with the 25th overall pick during the 2006 NBA draft.
His highest vertical jump has been recorded at 44.5 inches. He showcased his ability to raise his head above the rim during an in-dunk match against the Dallas Mavericks.
9. LeBron James
- Highest jump: 44 inches
- Team: Los Angeles Lakers
- Position: Forward
- Height: 6’ 4’’
LeBron James is an American professional basketballer from Akron, Ohio. Apart from being one of the greatest players in NBA history, he also holds the highest vertical jump world record at 44 inches. His incredible NBA career accomplishments result from his rare combination of speed, strength, skills, and size.
10. Andrew Wiggins
- Highest jump: 44 inches
- Team: Golden State Warriors
- Position: Forward
- Height: 6’ 7’’
Andrew Wiggins is an acclaimed Canadian basketballer for the Golden State Warriors of the NBA. After one year of college basketball with the Kansas Jayhawks, the Cleveland Cavaliers chose him as the 1st overall pick during the 2014 NBA draft.
He holds one of the highest vertical leaps at 44 inches. He can raise his head four inches above the rim. Despite his impressive record, he missed the Slam Dunk Contest.
Frequently asked questions
- Does anyone have a 60-inch vertical? No one has a 60-inch vertical jump. The crazy jumps exceeding 60 inches, such as Jordan Kilganon’s, are known as box jumps.
- What is the highest vertical jump world record in track and field? The highest record is 96 inches. Javier Sotomayor holds the record, but jumping over a bar differs from vertical jumps.
- What is the highest vertical jump in football? The vertical jump test at the National Football League combine record is held by Gerald Sensabaugh. Despite no video evidence of this jump, he achieved an amazing height of 46 inches.
- What is Christian Ronaldo’s highest jump? Ronaldo's vertical jump is almost 41.7 inches, while his highest record regular jump is 115.3 inches.
- Who is the highest jumper in the world? Javier Sotomayer is the highest jumper with a record of 2.45m on 27th July 1993 in Salamanca, Spain.
- What is the highest vertical jump in NBA history? The highest vertical jump in NBA history is 48 inches, held by Michael Jordan, Darrell Griffith, and Wilt Chamberlain.
- Who has the highest vertical jump at the National Basketball Combine? Keon Johnson, a professional basketballer for the Brooklyn Nets, has a maximum vertical jump of 48 inches and a standing vertical leap of 41.5 inches.
Final word
The above personalities have undergone rigorous training by blending weight training and plyometric exercise to achieve and sustain the highest vertical jump. These individuals have shattered a world record in jumping through discipline, resilience, and determination.
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