The Highest Vertical Jump Ever Recorded: The Leaders List
The biggest verticals in basketball and football, from officially measured combine records to the vertical jump world record and the legends people argue about. We label every figure so you can tell a tested number from a tall tale.
The highest officially measured vertical at a basketball combine is Keon Johnson's 48-inch max at the 2021 NBA Draft Combine. The NFL Combine record is Gerald Sensabaugh's 46 inches from 2005. Famous legend figures like Michael Jordan's "48 inches" were never officially measured, which is why this list marks each number as either measured or reported.
- NBA Draft Combine record
48 in · Keon Johnson, 2021 (measured) - NFL Combine record
46 in · Gerald Sensabaugh, 2005 (measured) - Highest standing jump (Guinness)
66.9 in · Christopher Spell, 2021 (platform jump) - The Jordan myth
48 in · widely cited, never officially measured
| Athlete | Vertical | Type | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loading the vertical jump leaders... | ||||
Think you can jump like the pros?
Most measured combine verticals here land between 35 and 48 inches. Enter your reach and jump-touch height to see where your own number lands, and whether you can dunk.
Test my verticalFrequently asked
Who has the highest vertical jump ever recorded?
Christopher Spell holds the Guinness World Record for the highest standing jump at 1.70 m (about 67 inches), set in 2021, though that is a platform jump rather than a combine reach-vertical. Among basketball combines, Keon Johnson's 48-inch max vertical at the 2021 NBA Draft Combine is the official record.
What was Michael Jordan's vertical jump?
Jordan is famously credited with a 48-inch vertical, but he said himself that it was never officially measured. The NBA only began combine vertical testing in 2000, after his prime, so realistic estimates put his running leap around 42 to 46 inches.
What is the NFL Combine vertical jump record?
Gerald Sensabaugh holds the NFL Scouting Combine vertical jump record at 46 inches, set in 2005. It has stood for two decades and is officially measured.
What is the highest NBA Draft Combine vertical jump?
Keon Johnson set the NBA Draft Combine record with a 48-inch max vertical in 2021, breaking Kenny Gregory's 45.5-inch mark from 2001.
Are these vertical jump numbers accurate?
Each number is labeled either Measured, meaning officially recorded at the NFL or NBA combine, or Reported, meaning an estimate, a legend, or a non-combine figure. Pre-2000 figures and viral claims are estimates and should be treated with caution.
Who has the highest vertical jump in the NBA?
By official testing, Keon Johnson holds the highest NBA Draft Combine vertical at 48 inches, set in 2021. That is a pre-draft measurement rather than an in-game number, since the NBA does not test verticals during the season. Older or in-game claims about active players are reported estimates, not measured results.
What is the highest vertical jump by a woman?
There is no single officially adjudicated women's vertical record the way there is at the NBA and NFL combines. The highest figures we track for women, such as volleyball's Destinee Hooker around 43 inches and basketball's Fran Belibi around 40, are reported estimates rather than combine-measured numbers, so we label them accordingly.
Is a 50-inch vertical possible?
No one has ever officially measured a 50-inch reach-vertical at a combine. The record there is Keon Johnson's 48 inches, so a genuine 50 would clear the best verified leap by two inches. Christopher Spell's Guinness standing jump of about 67 inches clears a raised platform, which is a different test. Any plain 50-inch vertical claim should be treated as unverified until a documented test backs it.
How high can a professional dunker jump?
Elite pro and exhibition dunkers typically show running one-foot leaps in the low-to-mid 40s, in the same range as top combine testers. Those numbers usually come from an approach jump rather than a standing test, and most are reported rather than officially measured, so compare them with the same caution you would give any non-combine figure.
Are pre-2000 NBA vertical numbers reliable?
Not as measurements. The NBA did not begin standardized combine vertical testing until 2000, so any figure for a player from before then, including the famous Michael Jordan number, comes from estimates, marketing, or recollection rather than a device. We label all of them reported for that reason.
What is the difference between a standing jump record and the high jump world record?
They measure different things. A standing or reach-vertical record, like Christopher Spell's Guinness mark or the combine numbers here, measures how far a person raises their body from a still or short-approach start. The track and field high jump measures how high a bar you can clear with a full running approach and a technique that lays the body over the bar, so the two are not directly comparable.
What is a good vertical jump compared to these leaders?
The record-holders on this list sit around 46 to 48 measured inches, which is the extreme end for elite pro athletes. For context, the average untrained adult male jumps about 16 to 20 inches, and 28 inches or more is already elite for a recreational athlete. So a good everyday vertical is a fraction of these numbers, and even a strong amateur mark is well short of the combine leaders.