Somewhereinamerica
October 1, 2013 4:32 PM Subscribe
This post was deleted for the following reason: Poster's Request -- loup
One of the MFA students at Cal State Long Beach in the late '90s did this for his thesis piece.
He trained all semester, and then set up a regulation height hoop in the gallery. For the opening, and at prescribed times during his show's run, he'd attempt to dunk it.
As far as I know, he never did.
posted by notyou at 5:27 PM on October 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
He trained all semester, and then set up a regulation height hoop in the gallery. For the opening, and at prescribed times during his show's run, he'd attempt to dunk it.
As far as I know, he never did.
posted by notyou at 5:27 PM on October 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
That's the shortest synopsis for A Prayer for Owen Meany that i'v ever read.
posted by CitoyenK at 5:29 PM on October 1, 2013 [4 favorites]
posted by CitoyenK at 5:29 PM on October 1, 2013 [4 favorites]
At 5'9", and yeah, overweight, it's something that's utterly beyond me. Not that I don't long to be able to do it. I distinctly remember dreaming about it. I had the ball, in a game, and I drove to the basket. I jumped, and at one point, I realized I was coming back down, and in the dream, I chose not to. I just kept going up, forever, and dunked. It was one of the greatest feelings I'd ever had, and even though it was a dream, when I woke up, I felt the deepest feeling of happiness. The whole day, I just felt great.
I mean, usually, if something that wonderful, that real, happens in a dream, and I wake up and know it didn't really happen, it's a bit crushing. Not that time. It was perfect.
posted by Ghidorah at 5:54 PM on October 1, 2013 [6 favorites]
I mean, usually, if something that wonderful, that real, happens in a dream, and I wake up and know it didn't really happen, it's a bit crushing. Not that time. It was perfect.
posted by Ghidorah at 5:54 PM on October 1, 2013 [6 favorites]
Excellent interview, good edit, well shot, shit music. Bet this was a lot better with the EITS temp track I'd stake my life on it was originally cut to.
posted by nathancaswell at 6:01 PM on October 1, 2013
posted by nathancaswell at 6:01 PM on October 1, 2013
Music aside, I really enjoyed it. Definitely a well filmed and edited story.
posted by anya32 at 6:03 PM on October 1, 2013
posted by anya32 at 6:03 PM on October 1, 2013
Yeah, I'm being a giant grumpy dick. But you can license good music people, it's totally possible! You just have to try, rather than hiring someone to knock off the track you have demo love for. It will be worth it, I promise.
posted by nathancaswell at 6:05 PM on October 1, 2013
posted by nathancaswell at 6:05 PM on October 1, 2013
Really wish I had seen this when I was 13.
Really glad that some 13 year olds will be able to see this.
posted by dogwalker at 6:14 PM on October 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
Really glad that some 13 year olds will be able to see this.
posted by dogwalker at 6:14 PM on October 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
Article says he gained 85 pounds of muscle!?! Something's not right there.
posted by rbellon at 6:32 PM on October 1, 2013
posted by rbellon at 6:32 PM on October 1, 2013
Article says he gained 85 pounds of muscle!?! Something's not right there.
Going from a beanpole 5'5" - 117 lbs he says, I think? - to 202 is totally achievable clean. Not overnight, for sure, but an old-school Soviet powerlifter's regimen will do that for you.
posted by mhoye at 7:12 PM on October 1, 2013
Going from a beanpole 5'5" - 117 lbs he says, I think? - to 202 is totally achievable clean. Not overnight, for sure, but an old-school Soviet powerlifter's regimen will do that for you.
posted by mhoye at 7:12 PM on October 1, 2013
Inspiring and, yes, uplifting. Thanks for the post hal_c_on.
posted by nickyskye at 8:03 PM on October 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by nickyskye at 8:03 PM on October 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
Inspiring story. Thanks for the post.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 8:30 PM on October 1, 2013
posted by JohnnyGunn at 8:30 PM on October 1, 2013
I have a similar story. I'm 5'10 and 3/4s and I have been training my entire life to dunk.
Oreos.
posted by srboisvert at 8:38 PM on October 1, 2013 [6 favorites]
Oreos.
posted by srboisvert at 8:38 PM on October 1, 2013 [6 favorites]
Music aside, I really enjoyed it.
Needed more Skee-Lo.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 2:50 AM on October 2, 2013 [4 favorites]
Needed more Skee-Lo.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 2:50 AM on October 2, 2013 [4 favorites]
He actually had a second difficulty besides his height that impacted his quest to dunk a ball - his relatively small hands! They only show a still frame of him trying to dunk the ball one-handed, but they never showed a video of it. He probably has difficulty controlling the ball one-handed for a dunk, so he had to get enough vertical to do it two-handed, which requires more lift. You can stretch out your torso and angle one shoulder higher than the other if you go one-handed.
Great video!
posted by Slothrop at 6:12 AM on October 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
Great video!
posted by Slothrop at 6:12 AM on October 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
Awesome! Always wondered if this was possible, just purely through training....
posted by ph00dz at 7:09 AM on October 2, 2013
posted by ph00dz at 7:09 AM on October 2, 2013
Wow 2 inches shorter than Spud Webb (5'7").
Hey, but check out Spud dunking at age 47: YouTube
posted by surplus at 11:51 AM on October 2, 2013 [2 favorites]
Hey, but check out Spud dunking at age 47: YouTube
posted by surplus at 11:51 AM on October 2, 2013 [2 favorites]
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posted by AwkwardPause at 5:23 PM on October 1, 2013