Everybody knows about Vince Carter vertical jump abilities as he prominently showcased it in the 2000 NBA Slam Dunk Contest during All-Start Weekend.
And, I must say, his dunks then were revolutionary at the time. Today, many of the dunk highlights during the more recent dunk contests also feature his under the leg move that he introduced before anyone else did.
Carter is also considered one of the best in-game dunkers in NBA history, which is something not many people are able to do.
In fact, if his most jaw-dropping dunk for me was during the 2000 Sydney Olympics when he jumped over 7’2” French center Frederic Weis.
If you’ve never had the chance to see that, check out the video below. Trust me, it’ll be worth your time.
Vince Carter Vertical Jump Stats
Wow, right?
That was made possible by Vince Carter’s vertical jump of 43 inches!
And that’s what happens when you can incorporate that kind of leaping ability with the rest of your game.
One of the best thins about Vince Carter was that he wasn’t a “one trick pony”. That is, some high leapers as just that, high jumpers. But, they focus so much on their ability to jump high and try to beat opponents with it.
Unfortunately, while that can work in high school and maybe college, it doesn’t cut it in the NBA. As a result, they end up languishing in other aspects of the game.
On the other hand, Carter used that jumping ability to improve his game. And, towards the end of the it when his leaping ability began to slow down due to age, he became a reliable outside shooter and defender. This allowed him to extend his career to 22 years. Only having retired in 2020.
To give you an idea, 11 of his 22 years, he averaged over 20 points a game. And, it was only during his last 6 season when he played fewer minutes did he average under 10 points. By then he wasn’t jumping as high anymore.
One of the things you’ll notice above Vince Carter’s vertical jump is that he is a two-footed jumper, which is very similar to Dominique Wilkins. From experience, these guys seem to be more explosive and pack more dunking power.
In contrast, single footed jumpers like Michael Jordan and Zach Levine create more elegance and finesse.
That said, how your jumping ability develops is more genetic that anything else.
From experience, I’ve noticed that some people just do better with a two foot takeout rather than single leg jumping, and vice versa.
However, while that’s your strength, make sure to work on the other one as well since both are very functional at different parts of the game.
For example, single leg jumping is great for driving in the lane as well as fast break dunks. On the other hand, two-legged jumping lets you rebound better, block shots, do tip in or follow up dunks as well.
The latter is also what you’ll rely on when doing fade away turnarounds or post moves as you try to outjump your opponent or create some space to get your shot free.
Finally, don’t forget to work on your off leg. If you’re right handed, this will often be your right leg since take off on layups is done with your left leg. That means it gets more training over the years.
If you’re a leftie, work on single jumping with the left leg as well.
This will let you go up strong on off-hand layups and drives so you can protect the ball from taller defenders or those with long arms.
After all, we all can’t be like Vince Carter and just outjump our opponents.
Vince Carter Vertical Jump Workout
If you’re looking for Vince Carter’s vertical jump workout to achieve his ability, you’re out of luck. Like many NBA players, they’ve developed this since they were 5 or so years old playing in junior leagues. Also, they’ve been hitting the weight room ever since high school since that’s a norm now for most serious young athletes.
And, I believe that the biggest source of Vince Carter’s jumping ability is his genetics. Even in the NBA, which is a group of about 400-500 genetic freaks, he still stood out by a mile when it came to vertical jump ability, much like Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins.
That said, they all honed this jumping ability with years of training as well. So, don’t believe that it’s all genetic.
The good news is, you can achieve amazing results that will help you achieve close if not as high as Vince Carter’s vertical leap ability. All you need is proper training. If you’re looking for the best jump training program I’ve found to be effective, check it out here. It will let you gain between 10 to 15 inches in your vertical jump within a span of 8 weeks as long as you follow the program to a “T”. It was created by someone with a 50-inch vertical jump. So, he knows what he’s talking about.
Final Thoughts
Vince Carter’s vertical jump is his greatest asset as a ball player. And, while I believe that much of it is God-given, he’s put in a lot of work to achieve the height and hang time.
If you want to learn how to jump higher and who knows maybe get over 40 inches (which is just 3 inches shy of Carter’s), it’s important to pick the right kind of jump training program.
The best one I’ve found is this one. It doesn’t require weights (although you can augment it to get stronger overall). And, it takes 8 weeks to improve your vertical.
