How to dunk

Junior Chris Wright has recorded more dunks than any basketball player in Flyer history. Although many of them bring an excited, cheering crowd to its feet, Wright’s reaction is calmer: “If you told me I was UD’s jump shot record holder, I’d be more excited.”

Nevertheless, he agreed to share with our readers advice on the technique of dunking.

“First off,” he said, “it’s not as easy as it looks.”

1) Start early. “I’ve been dunking since I was 4 or 5,” Wright said. “Little rims, then the back of my door and now regular hoops.”

2) Leap at the right time and with the right trajectory. “You have to take off far enough out to get above the front of the rim,” he said. “Think of a jet taking off, not a helicopter. If you take off too late, you’re going to be under the rim. You might even hit your head.” [Editor’s note: Not a problem for some of us.]

3) Remember what goes up must come down. “After you dunk the ball, you are only halfway done. You better be worrying about your landing or someone’s going to get hurt.”

“It also helps,” Wright said, “if you had springs installed in your legs. I had mine put in when I was 2 or 3.” [Editor’s note: We think he’s kidding about that part. Maybe.]