OJ Mayo dunks in the NBA? Not so much. Actually, the 21-year old Memphis Grizzlies guard had "only" 26 dunks till the 3.9.2009. Even the Utah Jazz guard CJ Miles, who plays only 23 minutes per game (Mayo: 38 mpg.) recorded more dunks (39) than Mayo.
Nonetheless, Mayo had some nice dunks in his first NBA season so far. His fast break alley-oop dunk against the Clippers was impressive. In case you didn't know: the 6-foot-4 guard has a 41-inch vertical! In fact, only one player (Patrick Ewing Jr.) posted a higher max vertical than OJ Mayo at the 2008 pre-Draft camp in Orlando.
But unlike so many great jumpers (for example Jason Richardson who claims he never really worked on his vertical, or Nate Robinson, who was able to dunk at the age of 14), Mayo wasn't always a great leaper. But he always had an outstanding work ethic. And that's the reason, why here is where he is now. As some many great NBA players, he 3rd overall 2008 NBA Draft Pick is a real gym rat. And when it comes to increasing your vertical, it's all about work.
The interesting thing here is that it's actually not about the amount of time per session, or the amount of repetitions that will boost your jumping ability. It's not really about how much or often you jump - you even can overtrain and damage your muscles.
It's all about the right exercises and proper execution. You probably already know about exercises like squats, lunges and calf raises. Maybe you already have tried quite effective exercises like burnouts, step ups, depth jumps or leap ups. There is no doubt: these exercises will improve your vertical.
But it's crucial to know how exactly you need to perform these exercises and how often. I personally can recommend the brand-new Jump Manual, as you will find videos and pictures inside that will guarantee a proper execution of the exercises.
P.S. Check out what Kobe Bryant has to say about OJ Mayo: "I think he's extremely talented. He has a great overall game that a lot of young players don't have in terms of skills. He can handle, he can shoot, he can pass, he's fast, he's quick, so that's the whole package."
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