In basketball, why can't white players jump as high as black players?

Question

Some of the best black athletes have 40 inch plus vertical leaps! No white player has ever come close to jumping that high, why is that? I would like an honest opinion, and please no smart a** or racist replies.

Answer 1

I am a collegiate high jumper! I am white.

A white guy won the last olympics in high jump!

I have a 39.5" inch vertical, done the way they do it in the nfl combine, my uncle held the White Sox vertical record (after Jordan played for the Birmingham Barrons - Jordan's was 38.5 or39) my uncle had a 42 inch vert.

Also, everyone stating that all of these people have 40+ inch verticles please check your numbers. Only a slight few of the nfl players have a 40+ inch verical (taken the correct way) and I think other than mens volleyball no mainstream sport has a high percentage of people over 40 inch verticals.

In college a main majority of all-american high jumpers are white. Last year there were 6 out of the 9 all americans were white. The truth is - blacks don't necesarilly jump higher or farther than whites but it is true that blacks are statistically faster than whites so that coupled with more control at takeoff in a sport like basketball or football would incinuate that more blacks jump higher than whites.

It really is not a race thing, you know it is more of a genetic thing. Therefore, blacks or African Americans are genetically predisposed to being more athletically gifted, though. However, I will go out on a limb and say that the highest concentration a person will find of high verticals is in Men's volleyball and most of those guys are white. I have heard that to get on the men's U.S. national team a person must have at least a 48" vert. Now, I know my vert is high at 39.5" but there is no physicall way I can add 9.5 inches to my vert and that is just being realistic so also don't by into these jumpsoles and stuff, just do powercleans or powersquats - preferably powercleans help more.

So to get a legit 4-6 inches on your vertical work on power cleans and plyometrics for a few YEARS! Otherwise I hope genetically you were born with good jumping ability. I dunked in the 8th grade and my brother (is a sophmore in high school) can do some rediculous dunks - a windmill and a 360. But, I can do a 360 windmill and he is almost 6'6" and I am 6'4" - that was just the training part that helped me. But really, it has 90% to do with genetics.

Answer 2

I'm not even playing when I say that I heard that it was a scientific fact that Black people have an extra calf muscle in their leg. Maybe that's why?

Answer 3

Vertical Jump Higher Stepbystep Manual : http://JumpHigher.NaturallyGo.com

Answer 4

Please cite your source of information. That is, cite a reputable reference which concludes that black athletes have an intinsically higher vertical jump than white athletes.

I have not been able to find one. I doubt that one exists.

If there are more black than white athletes in basketball, then I expect to find more black athletes that can jump higher than whites.

BTW, football athletes jump higher than basketball athletes - see the article at http://www.seacoastonline.com/news/yorkstar/09072006/cressey0907.html

The point is not to make racial conclusions based upon anecdotal or presumed data. That is, technically, racist.

Answer 5

Maybe if you had some actuall statistics from every white and black player ever you could make that argument. Otherwise you are dumb. There is no answer for this question.

Answer 6

Actually there are alot of white guys that have a vertical more than 40.. And i really dont have a answer to this question because there is no right or wrong answer

Answer 7

Black people jump so high because their Knee Grows...

Answer 8

1

Answer 9

There are 2 types of muscle fibers. Slow twitch, and fast twich. Fast twitch helps you jump, and black people are generally born with more.

Answer 10

Ask Michael Richards