What height should everyone be able to dunk?

[u/Traditional_Cry751]

[u/SweetInvestigator915]

If you’re 6’10 & can’t dunk God damn

[u/Ezerton21 → u/SweetInvestigator915]

That my cousin - but he’s 400lb, runs a hotdog stand in New Orleans, and can operate most video game based space crafts.

[u/SweetInvestigator915 → u/Ezerton21]

If he slims down he’s dunking effortlessly

[u/justanormaldude_ → u/SweetInvestigator915]

Anything above 6’2 honestly

[u/SweetInvestigator915 → u/justanormaldude_]

At 6’2 you need hops to dunk. Atleast a 30 inch vert. The average 6’2 guy isn’t dunking.

[u/SmokyMetal060 → u/SweetInvestigator915]

For sure. It takes specialized training. I never played organized basketball growing up, but I'd hoop with my friends and could only ever pull off rim grazers despite being 6'2 with a long ass wingspan and good general athleticism from the other sports I'd play.

[u/SweetInvestigator915 → u/SmokyMetal060]

Same here. I’m 6’0 been training all summer but can only rim graze. I actually posted my best effort dunk attempt on this sub a few days ago 😭

[u/Jpettinato]

I’ve always heard 6’5” is the mathematical answer.

[u/misterpoopybutthole5 → u/Jpettinato]

I think 6'5" is probably the height where anyone who makes it a goal and puts in a reasonable amount of work to do it should be able to. It's not like the next random 6'5" guy you pass on the street should be able to dunk, but if you're a dude who hoops on a weekly basis and makes mediocre efforts to stay fit, then yeah not dunking means you probably have terrible coordination or stump arms

[u/Capital-Youth-8508 → u/Jpettinato]

But from the percentages it’s that I think 50% of people under 6‘10 can’t dunk. So Like over 50% of people 6‘9 can’t dunk 

[u/Savings_Inflation_29 → u/Capital-Youth-8508]

So wrong

[u/Capital-Youth-8508 → u/Savings_Inflation_29]

Nah I do think Thats Right Bro.

[u/DeAZNguy]

Height isnt a good use here, Standing reach is more accurate. I'm 5'9.5 ft but guys 5'6 at gym & my dad whose alsp 5'6 has a higher standing reach than me.

[u/Hairy-Visual9664 → u/DeAZNguy]

yeah but thats not the point, nobody goes around asking people for their standing reach IRL 😂

[u/DeAZNguy → u/Hairy-Visual9664]

Not fair cuz some guys my height act as if dunking is easy but they actually have like a 5 inch reach advantage over me. Might as well be 6ft+ with that reach.

[u/Warm_Clothes_1524 → u/Hairy-Visual9664]

It is valid point though, because it determines exactly how high you need to jump to be able to dunk.

[u/StatisticianWhich681]

6’5” never dunked except in a reoccurring dream I occasionally have.

Can you palm a ball? Can you do it with strength or are you pinning it to your forearm? You’ll loose gain several inches depending.

Wing span matters, composition matters, drive, focus, consistency all matter.

I can’t palm, my hand span is too small, I am mostly torso but only slightly so, my wing span sucks finger tip to finger tip just over 6 feet.

Great for measuring spans of cord or rope but I seem to not have scored most genetic tall man bonuses.

Longer feet are probably better, I wear 12 (US) but thats for expansion, running, athletics. I can fit 11 maybe squeeze into a 10.5.

Weight and build. Ive always carry some fat think Tyson Fury ish. Muscular yet slim vs others compositions. Think about the people who don’t train pull-ups but can rack off 10 back in gym class.

Consistency I had untreated ADHD growing up and I could never stay focused over days and week to even work on technic or plyometrics. Bet I never did more than 2 days in a row.

I am in my 50’s now, wouldn’t mind dunking. Yet there are many fun things to do and work on whatever your age.

[u/LorcasOFFICIAL → u/StatisticianWhich681]

Super cope, you absolutely do not need to palm a ball to dunk

[u/No-Mistake-1925 → u/LorcasOFFICIAL]

Lmao leave bro alone. He’s literally 50 years old. Nobody is jumping out the gym at that age 

[u/ObanKenobi → u/No-Mistake-1925]

6'5" never dunked. He's 50 now, but at one point he was 6'5" in his physical prime and still couldn't dunk. And is somehow convinced that not being able to palm the ball is what stopped him

[u/Jazzlike-Basket-6388 → u/ObanKenobi]

I feel like that was the difference for me, but I'm 5'6" or 5'7". In my prime, I could dunk a mini ball. But I would have needed to go both hands with a regulation ball.

[u/johnniesSac → u/StatisticianWhich681]

Tyson Fury would have a stroke trying to dunk

[u/Longjumping-Place-47]

I was also told 5’8” if they were active as kids. I don’t believe it’s as simple as that. I have seen people 5’7”-5’8” dunk relatively easy. 360, windmills off vert. That is the exception though and not the rule. I’m 5’9” and could dunk 10 years and 30 pounds ago. The last time I dunked I was 35. I have no straight answer. I’ve seen plenty of people under 6’ dunk. It isn’t uncommon at all. At least where I’m at. I can’t speak for other locations

[u/Bara_Chat]

From personal experience I've rarely seen a guy who is playing basketball on some competitive level at a prime age (say between 18 and 25) not being able to dunk if he's over 6 feet.

If you're talking a random dude off the street who looks in OK shape and under 35 years old... 6'6 maybe?

[u/Whiteshovel66 → u/Bara_Chat]

We have plenty of kids 6-6'3 who can't dunk.

6'6 should be easy though I agree. But anything before 6'4 is going to require athleticism. Not everyone is going to have that. Will also depend on arm and hand size.

[u/inertiatic_espn → u/Bara_Chat]

If you're talking a random dude off the street who looks in OK shape and under 35 years old... 6'6 maybe?

Lol, me but I'm 42.

[u/WillIndependent7466]

there isn't a height where everyone should be able to dunk. standing reach, wingspan, bodyweight and jump training matter way more than height alone. two people who are both 6'2 can need very different verticals to get the ball over the rim.

[u/MakeMovesTraining]

I think Muresan could dunk without jumping so, about 7'7".

[u/LogicOverEmotion0]

5'4

[u/jaded-thunder]

Im 5’9 and can dunk Ive met Asian and Mexican people shorter than me that can dunk. So if I had to out a number on it I would say anyone that is 6 foot should b able to dunk.

[u/ricketycricket1995]

I am 200cm and could dunk ofc, but the amount of people who are shorter and think they are just few cm away is astounding. I knew people 190cm tall that could barely touch the rim with full sprint thinking they just need a couple more. You need to be well above the rim, be able to dribble the ball on the approach and have timing and technique to put it in if you want to have a chance to dunk in game.

[u/NavyVetRasmussen]

i plan on being a 92 form an 83 with 2 caps but even at 6'2 with an 83 dunk and an 80 vert, I can get there.

[u/giddeyaboutdort]

6'4"

[u/_el_tigre]

I’m 6’1 have dunked a few times in game but mostly in practice

[u/Ok-Pop8065]

4'18"

[u/poop_tits]

If you played competitive basketball at a high level, I would say anyone over 6’ should be able to dunk.

[u/CheesecakePretend553]

Quick math using info from google. We'll say you gotta at get 5 inches above the rim. So the goal is 10'5. Average vertical jump for an untrained adult is 16-20 inches. We'll go with 18 to make it easy. Standing reach would need to be 8'9. On average for a standing reach of that height you need to be 6'6-6'7. So assuming average athleticism and no training 6'6 would need to be the height. Most likely if you're playing basketball more often your vertical is probably better than the average person though so it's probably why we think more people can dunk than reality.

[u/Inevitable_Badger641]

10'

[u/egfdzgdfgsfdvzdvc]

I’d say 6’4 and up.

[u/Feeling-Special-269 → u/egfdzgdfgsfdvzdvc]

na its like 6'7-6'8 where you can go out with no training just be a healthy bodyweight and dunk, 6'4 have to still in better shape then most people

[u/cdracula16]

Almost any male with early enough and proper amount of training, 6ft7 avg wingspan if it’s a random in solid shape with little basketball training.

[u/MedievalFightClub]

I first did it somewhere around 5’9” to 6’.

[u/igotnocandyforyou]

19 year old male whose played sports his whole life, was never injured, and has a lean build, plus has been trying to dunk for a couple years - 6 feet?