France Got Game

September 25, 2000: The French national basketball team was in its final game in the Group "A" preliminary round of 2000 Sydney Olympics Basketball Tournament. France was sporting a 2-2 record, besting both China and New Zealand but losing to both Lithuania and Italy. And as luck would have it, though in a bad way, they were going up against the mighty Team USA, led by the likes of NBA superstars Jason Kidd, Kevin Garnett, Gary Payton and Ray Allen, who were carrying a perfect 4-0 record after obliterating their opponents. It was really a foregone conclusion that France would be their fifth victim in their quest for another basketball gold medal.

But it would only get worse. With just 16 minutes to go in the second half of what would be a 106-94 thumping of France, Team USA's Vince Carter, who just won the 2000 NBA Slam Dunk Contest seven months ago, stole a pass from almost the midcourt line. Going for a sure rim-rattling dunk, he was confronted by Frédéric Weis, a gangly, 7'2" Frenchman trying to hopelessly draw an offensive foul just a few feet from the basket. Carter dribbled once and leapt. He amazingly leapfrogged over Weis, scraping the Frenchman's head for balance, and viciously slammed the ball for two points. The whole Sydney SuperDome shook in awe. And though they eventually got the silver medal in the tournament, France was unabashedly posterized for the whole world to see.

But notwithstanding this unpleasant moment for the French flag, things stared to look up for basketball in France. It began with the 2001 NBA drafting of sensational point guard Tony Parker by the San Antonio Spurs, who then won a string of championships in 2003, 2005 and 2007. Parker was also adjudged the Finals MVP in 2007, wiping off the sour taste of that Weis debacle and paving the way for the NBA to fully recognize the wealth of talent coming in from France.

Boris Diaw of the Charlotte Bobcats, whose versatility was showcased while playing for the Phoenix Suns from 2005-2008; Ronny Turiaf of the Golden State Warriors, who took part in the 2008 NBA Finals playing for the Los Angeles Lakers; Mickaël Piétrus of the Orlando Magic, who helped the Magic reach the 2009 Finals; and Joachim Noah of the Chicago Bulls, who was instrumental in the Bulls' tough stand against the Boston Celtics in the first round of the 2009 Playoffs, are some of the notable players that elevated the French flag in terms of playing in the NBA. Not to be forgotten, though, Tariq Abdul-Wahad, born Olivier Michael Saint-Jean, was the first French-born player to ever play in the NBA, suiting up for the Sacramento Kings, Orlando Magic, Denver Nuggets and Dallas Mavericks from 1997-2005.

So, in surmising these players, it can be truly said that not only with their sheer talent but also with the passion they bring to the game, they are worthy enough of playing basketball at the highest possible level. And even with that "le dunk de la mort" almost a decade ago, France clearly got some serious game.

Pollux Parker is an adventurer who loves discovering secret island getaways in each country he visits. Pollux also likes to collect French Flag and buy French Flag.

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2000 NBA slam dunk contest part 2 of 5

Subscribe to my new channel gyu368 for more basketball videos in the future! www.youtube.com View my channel for the rest. Part 2 of 5



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Dwight Howard Dunk Or How to Increase Vertical Jump

Dwight Howard was a little bit disappointing in the 2009 NBA Slam Dunk Contest...At least we now know he can dunk on a 12 foot rim! Actually, he was more impressive in 2008 as he won with an arsenal of huge, never seen before dunks (including the sick superman-dunk).

By the way - did you know that Dwight can kiss the rim? And do you remember the 2007 Slam Dunk Contest where he completed an alley oop dunk from teammate Jameer Nelson and slapped a sticker onto the backboard which reached 12 ft 6 in?!

Here is another interesting fact: Did you know that the 23-year old Orlando Magic Center had the most dunks in the NBA the last three seasons? This season (2008-2009) he is already leading the league in dunks (127 till the All Star Break).

By now it should be clean the guy can jump - actually he has a 39-inch vertical.

So, what is his training about?

First of all, Dwight is a Rebounding Machine. And battling for rebounds takes more than great ups. First and foremost you need strong lower-back muscles to explode to the ball. That's why The Beast includes back extensions or single-leg deadlifts in every workout. But besides these exercises, Dwight also uses some special, plyometric exercises to improve his vertical:

Tuck Jump:

Starting position: half-squat position with your hips back, knees over toes, and shoulders over your knees. Keep your hands out in front of you for balance.
Then jump up as high as you can and bring your knees to your chest at the top of the jump. Land with hips back and shoulders over your knees. Hold this position for 2 seconds and repeat the jump.

Squat Jump:

Starting position: squat position with hands touching the ground in front of your toes with your feet shoulder-width apart. Your knees should be bent at 90 degrees. Then, jump as high as you can and land with your hips back, knees over your toes in the starting position. Immediately repeat the jump for 15 seconds.

Besides weight training, what does the 6'11'' Center do to gain his inhuman strength?
"Every night I play a boxing video game (Fight Night Round 2). In between each round I do 20 to 40 push-ups." - Dwight Howard

Dwight averages about 10 matches a night, at anywhere from two rounds to 12. His estimate: 400 push-ups a night.

For more exercises and crucial things to know about vertical jump (f.e. why often what you "don't" do is more important then what you "do" do) please take a look at this page I strongly recommend:

http://www.howtodunk.org

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How to Do a Slam Dunk - Basketball Skills

So, you want to learn how to do a slam dunk, do you? Become the star basketball player on your team? Get more airtime than Jordan? More hang time? Win the Slam Dunk Contest at the NBA All-Star Game your rookie year?

Well, alright. All of this is possible, but not without being consistent in your training and working hard on, as well as off, the court. It is probably more important to consistently work hard off the court.

To learn how to do a slam dunk is easy, really. At least it is easy to learn what you need to do in order to do the slam dunk successfully. I mean, doing a slam dunk just means jumping up to the basket, stuffing the ball into the net, hanging for your fans a while (so that they can all take pictures with their cell phone cameras, of course), then dropping to the ground. The hardest part of all that is getting some air.

If you are one of those countless people out there who are thinking and hoping that there are some kind of special exercises or moves that will suddenly make you into a slam dunkin' maniac, guess again. The only thing that is going to turn you into a slam dunkin' maniac, is proper exercise, time, and a huge, heapin' helpin' of three major ingredients - the secret formula for all-star slam dunking.

Blood. Sweat. And Tears.

Giving you the lowdown on which exercises work best to help you in developing your slam dunking style is easy for me to do. The other piece of the puzzle can only come from you. Only you can motivate you enough to follow through with what I am about to share with you. But I promise you this: stick with this program, follow through with it, and the next time Air Jordan is sailing toward the basket, he will have to look UP and see you sailing past. Can the old guy still grab air time? Who knows, but you get the idea.

The key components to perfect hang time are running faster and jumping higher. Therefore, your goal of how to do a slam dunk lies in learning to do both of these things better, stronger and faster than anyone else. To increase speed and height, there are certain exercises you will need to learn to do, that will get your legs to carry you faster and your leg muscles to get you airborne.

The first question on your mind should be this. Do the exercises that I will be doing help me run faster or jump higher or both? Both skills are joined at the hip - literally. The muscles you will be using to run faster are almost the same muscles that you will be using to leap higher. So these exercises will help you in both areas. Here is something to think about. Ever see a runner who can't jump worth a hill of beans? How about someone who is good at the high jump who is slower than growing grass? I think I've made my point.

So, start there. Exercises that help you learn how to run faster and jump higher will help you learn how to do a slam dunk.

If you want to put 8 inches on your vertical jump quickly and easily you should check out the Jump Experts. For more information on learning to Slam Dunk with the Jump-Experts Click Here

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Lakers guard Shannon Brown on 2010 Slam Dunk Contest

Lakers guard Shannon Brown on 2010 Slam Dunk Contest



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Steve Francis Dunks or How to Increase Vertical Jump

Did you see Steve Francis in the 2000 Slam Dunk Contest? Then he finished as the runner-up to Vince Carter with some sick dunks. Actually, he had a 44-inch vertical at that time! That’s right, 44 inches! Besides Vince Carter (45-inch vertical) Stevie Franchise had the highest vertical in the league at that time! And in case you didn’t know - the guy is only 6’ 3’’!

”I never dunked on Shaq or Mutombo. But I got 'Zo. Never got C-Webb. I got Patrick Ewing, Vin Baker. I remember those dunks because those guys are always saying, "You ain't going to dunk on me," and things like that. But I got them!”
- Steve Francis

So, how do you get such a sick vertical? As a start, it’s important to know that being able to jump high is the result of a combination of these things:
- Natural ability

- Leg strength

- Explosive power

- Overall athleticism

That means, if it's not in your genes, you probably won't ever be able to jump like Steve Francis. Then again, none of us can. But no matter what your vertical leap is now, you can always make it better. For motivation, just take a look at Steve Francis’ workout back in the days – it’s a

4 days a week, one hour a day workout (running and playing basketball not included, = additional 3 hours a day). Every day consists of different exercises, only certain exercises like jump rope are done every time.

Day 1 (Monday):

- Jump rope (300 jumps)

- DynaDisc figure eight Step onto a pair of discs (they look like deflated dodge balls) holding a ten-pound medicine ball. (15 figure eights in each direction)

- Seated reverse crunch Sit on a flat bench with your legs sticking straight out over the end. Supporting yourself with your arms, lean back until your upper body is at a 45-degree angle to the bench and slowly bring your knees up to your chest, keeping your upper body stable. Slowly return them to the start position to complete the move. (2 sets of 15)

- High knee-raise sprint Sprint the length of a basketball court staying on your toes and lifting your knees as high as possible. (20 sprints)

- Leg curl (2 sets of 15)

- Seated leg extension (2 sets of 15)

- Hip abduction (2 sets of 10)

- Hip adduction (2 sets of 10)

- Stability-ball dumbbell chest press Like a standard chest press but while lying with your back on the ball to get in a little more work on the core. (2 sets of 10)

- Dumbbell front raise You're now getting into the part of the workout designed to really carve up the shoulders. Making sure your arms remain just outside of shoulder width, raise first one, then the other, for one rep. (2 sets of 15)

- Dumbbell lateral raise To work the outside of the shoulder, stand bending slightly at the waist, holding a weight in each hand, your palms facing each other. Raise your arms to the sides until they're parallel to the ground, then return. (2 sets of 15)

- Rear deltoid dumbbell raise Lie face down on a bench set to a 45-degree incline with weights in each hand, your arms hanging off the bench and slightly bent. Keeping that same elbow bend, raise your arms to the sides until they are parallel to the ground, then return. (2 sets of 10)

- Single-arm dumbbell row Now for the back of the shoulders, hold a weight in your right hand, lean over, and place your left hand and knee on a bench for support. Keeping your back slightly arched and your shoulders parallel to the ground, draw the weight-bearing elbow up toward the ceiling, then return. (2 sets of 10, then switch sides and repeat)

- Stationary bike (25 minutes)

As for the vertical jump exercises, besides the common exercises like jump rope and calf raises, Steve used some special, very effective exercises.

Here is an example:

Stand straight up, and jump as high as you possibly can without bending your knees (your knees will bend slightly). As soon as you hit the ground, jump back up gain, and repeat this motion a number of times. This exercise is extremely effective at strengthening your lower leg muscles.

Keep in mind that vertical leap is part leg strength and part explosiveness. In fact, the explosiveness part is the more important of the two. It's not about the size of your leg muscles, or how much weight you can put up in the gym. It's about your athletic ability, coordination, and your ability to explode up and off the ground.

For the rest of the jumping exercises and crucial things to know about vertical jump (f.e. why often what you “don’t” do is more important then what you “do” do) please take a look at this page I strongly recommend:

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