15 NBA Stars With Crazy 40-Inch Combine Verticals Since 2000

Perhaps dunking wasn't Barnes' calling card throughout his NBA career, as he was more well-known for his tenacity and toughness to the extent that, when each member of the Clippers' 2012-2013 bench was compared to a superhero on NBA.com, Barnes was paired with Wolverine.

Still, he used that 40-inch vertical, which was the highest at his draft class's combine, to his advantage on a number of occasions, including in this posterization of Dirk Nowitzki.

Timmy Bowers actually had a more impressive leaping display at the 2004 NBA Draft combine, tying Robinson's 43.5 inches and recording a more impressive standing vertical leap of 37 inches to Robinson's 35.5. However, while Bowers went undrafted, Robinson became one of the most prolific dunkers of all time, though I find his dunk contest displays to be a tad overrated.

His vertical, though, is undeniably impressive. He needed it to compensate for his 5'9" frame and to become a fan favorite for the Knicks, peaking in the 2008-09 season with an average of 17.2 points per game. His vertical at age 32 may have even outdone his 43.5-inch reading as a young prospect.

A steady presence in the nightly top 10 plays throughout the late 2000s and early 2010s, Gay's bounce combined with his strength to make for a devastating, rim-rattling presence. Though a large portion of his highlight jams may have come from his days in Memphis, don't be fooled: this 33-year-old still has some serious fuel in the tank.

We'll never know if Roy would still be flying high like Gay, his 2006 draft class mate who was taken two picks later, after injuries derailed his career. But while he was at full health, Roy was one of the most exciting players in the league, capable of hitting clutch shots with the best of the league and skying for the occasional poster.

One of the few guys on this list that you'll rarely, if ever, see dunking in an NBA game -- he did have one against the Sixers that I remember from a few years back -- this crazy vertical comes as less of a surprise if you're familiar with Conley's family background. His father, Mike Conley Sr., was an Olympic gold medalist in the triple jump and, more importantly for the purposes of this article, a multiple-time winner of the Foot Locker Slam Fest.

Still, all this background info doesn't stop Conley's teammates from acting as if they've seen a miracle after he throws done the elusive practice jam.

Mayo has been competing in various basketball leagues around the globe, including in Puerto Rico, Taiwan and China, since the NBA banned him for two years in 2016 for another drug violation and he never made a return. But throughout his NBA career, he was a high-flying, explosive scorer who played a meaningful role for each team he played with (Memphis, Dallas, Milwaukee). He never quite lived up to his extremely lofty expectations, though, considering he was one of the best high school players in the country and went third overall in 2008.

Doesn't it feel like another Gordon should be on this list? This Gordon has made a name for himself in the NBA as a deadly three-point shooter, not as a high-flying slam dunk artist. But his vertical, which fell in right behind Mayo out of those who were recorded in the 2008 combine, tells a different story and was higher than Aaron Gordon's was at his respective combine. It's not like we haven't seen any evidence of EG's hops, though.

With some of the dunks we've seen from D-Rose, I wouldn't be surprised if he's reached somewhere in the 44- to 46-inch range at some point in his NBA career. He defies gravity at times, contorting his body to finish signature layups or, better yet, destroying the rim atop a much larger defender.

Going back even further reveals some more of his insane springiness.

5'9" Isaiah Thomas's vertical at his combine was just 3.5 inches less than Nate Robinson's, yet I'll be damned if I've ever seen him dunk in an NBA game. Practice? That's a different story.

Nik DeCosta-Klipa of Boston.com does a terrific job tracking Thomas's dunk history throughout his career, and the little man definitely has some hops.

Oladipo's career has been plagued by injuries in recent years, including one to his right knee that kept him out for more than half of the 2018-19 season and the majority of this year. He won't return in the Orlando playoff bubble, either, which really hurts the Pacers' chances to be a dark horse in the playoffs.

However, the early portion of his career was filled with impressive aerial attacks on the rim that earned him an appearance in the 2015 Slam Dunk Contest. Unfortunately, he didn't break out this insane jam that was luckily captured behind-the-scenes.

41.5? That's it? I would have guessed it was 50. This guy soars like no other, so much so that he's widely considered one of the greatest dunkers of all time despite a relatively brief NBA career up to this point. He brought the dunk contest back to life in 2015 alongside Oladipo, taking home the crown, and put up an even more impressive performance the following year.

The effortless essence he gives off makes the dunks that much more impressive.

When Connaughton wasn't busy throwing 90-plus mph fastballs at Notre Dame, he was working on his hops and honing his skills in what would eventually become the game he'd play professionally. It's seriously unfair that one human was gifted with that arm strength and that leg strength... but that happens to be the case with the Bucks' exciting role player.

Though five members of the 2017 draft class out-leaped Mitchell at the combine, including 2019 Dunk Contest winner Hamidou Diallo (44.5-inch vertical), Mitchell is far and away the most accomplished player of the group, making an All-Star team in just his third season and becoming one of the league's most devastating scoring options. His dunks are just as special as his scoring ability, be it in a lax exhibition or in the fourth quarter of a playoff game.

DiVincenzo, similarly to Connaughton, is really starting to come around as a meaningful role player for the powerhouse Milwaukee Bucks. But his best days -- and his best dunks -- came during his three-year stretch at Villanova.

While we're still waiting for his NBA posters to come out, we've got his college and even high school ones to enjoy for the time being.

First of all... how sweet is this picture? That's some impeccable timing and poise from the Gonzaga alum, who has far outplayed his draft value so far in his rookie season for the young and dynamic Grizzlies. It really didn't take long for him to make his NBA impact. And it really didn't take him long to absolutely demolish the rim -- and a defender in the process.