Favorite Cal dunker of all time

8,946 Views | 44 Replies | Last: 5 yr ago by Civil Bear
HoopDreams
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BeachedBear said:

Devon Hardin . . .

One of the most athletic big guys.
One of the nicest players I've met.
Probably also has the Cal record for most missed dunks.

Like many, his overall work did not translate to in-game situations that well (similar to many shooters).


For in-game, clutch moment dunking, I'd go with Lamond Murray. Probably because he seemed so calm and unassuming at other times. Roy Fisher is up there as well IMHO. Also Billy Dreher had more good dunking moments than expected (more than a few against bigger, taller defenders - who then looked dumbfounded).
I knew someone would bring up his missed dunks. Yeah, a couple were catapulted into the stands.

But I remember his thunder dunks and how it would ignite Haas

And when a top post player in the conference was asked who was the toughest player he ever went up against, he said it was Devon Harden
HoopDreams
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HoopDreams said:

BeachedBear said:

Devon Hardin . . .

One of the most athletic big guys.
One of the nicest players I've met.
Probably also has the Cal record for most missed dunks.

Like many, his overall work did not translate to in-game situations that well (similar to many shooters).


For in-game, clutch moment dunking, I'd go with Lamond Murray. Probably because he seemed so calm and unassuming at other times. Roy Fisher is up there as well IMHO. Also Billy Dreher had more good dunking moments than expected (more than a few against bigger, taller defenders - who then looked dumbfounded).
I knew someone would bring up his missed dunks. Yeah, a couple were catapulted into the stands.

But I remember his thunder dunks and how it would ignite Haas

And when a top post player in the conference was asked who was the toughest player he ever went up against, he said it was Devon Harden

Yogi58
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HoopDreams said:

the most ferocious jams ever in a Cal uniform, and it ain't close ....




Most ferocious jams ever in Cal uniform.

(shows video of guy not in Cal uniform)
HoopDreams
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Dude being posterized in picture above might agree with me


Yogi Bear said:

HoopDreams said:

the most ferocious jams ever in a Cal uniform, and it ain't close ....




Most ferocious jams ever in Cal uniform.

(shows video of guy not in Cal uniform)
roqmoq
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SFCityBear said:

I don't have a favorite Cal dunker. Maybe Bob Presley. In 1957, I saw Bay Area basketball legend, 5'-8" Joe Gardere of McClymonds (and later St. Marys) during warmups before a game. He was standing under the basket rebounding free throws for his teammates. When there was a missed shot, Gardere would leap from a standing postion, up above the rim and slam the missed shot down with a dunk. Shot after shot.

A dunk should be worth 1 point. Or the basket should be raised 2 feet. The dunk requires only impressive leaping ability, and requires less skill than any shot in basketball. If a Cal player misses a dunk, he should be benched for at least 10 minutes to think about it. Devon Hardin had the worst and most missed dunks in Cal history. If any Cal player cost Cal a victory by missing a dunk, or injured himself while dunking, maybe he should be dismissed from the team (just kidding about the last part.)

I also remember Gardere when he was on the St. Mary's team with Meschery and LaRoy Doss. The Gaels were playing Cal at Harmon when the Gaels finished up their warmup with all the tall players dunking and then only Gardere left at the top of the key. For those of us who did not know of his prowess, we thought that there was no way that this 5'8" guy could finish with a dunk. Well, he surprised us all. A great moment for us vertically challenged guys.




sp4149
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HearstMining said:

Charles (Charlie) Johnson. The dunk was banned at the time, so he could only do it in warmups, but he was the first 6-footer I remember dunking. And I wonder if he really was 6-foot.
I'm 5'11" and he was shorter. He had the flattest jump shot from the top of the key I ever saw, seldom blocked, hyper quick release.
sp4149
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"Tree' Johnson, perhaps the greatest leaper n Cal BB history.
yes you couldn't dunk in games back then but he could fly.
Will never forget a block in a UCLA game at Harmon. Presley
(a huge center) was close guarding Alcindor when the UCLA
center went up for a "sky hook" . Presley went up with a great effort
but the ball cleared his fingers by an inch. Johnson, behind Presley,
skied and swatted the ball away before It started down. In many ways
perhaps the greatest basketball play I ever saw.

Consider, Alcindor was 7'3", Johnson was 6'5", and the ball wasn't
deflected it was rejected. Once in a lifetime moment.
joe amos yaks
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Clarence "Tree" Johnson?
Seven foot high jumper and basketball player.
"Those who say don't know, and those who know don't say." - LT
cubzwin
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Agree with the Thurminator. When he got the ball close in there was a never any doubt that he would flush it down hard.
sosheezy
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I definitely remember him getting a breakaway and throwing down a pretty big reverse dunk, complete with a bit a finishing pull up on the rim, maybe his sophomore year. He never really dunked in games as much as his freshman year "Late Night with Cal" out of nowhere display.
Civil Bear
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sosheezy said:

I definitely remember him getting a breakaway and throwing down a pretty big reverse dunk, complete with a bit a finishing pull up on the rim, maybe his sophomore year. He never really dunked in games as much as his freshman year "Late Night with Cal" out of nowhere display.
IIRC, Duck injured his ankle after attempting to block a breakaway layup against the backboard and played it pretty safe after that.
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