The Physics of Dunking

Now its time to face reality - what are the physical obstacles between me and a dunk?

First, the rim of the basket is 10 feet off the ground - 120 inches.
A basketball is 10 inches in diameter.
That means I'll have to be able to carry a basketball, at the minimum, 130 inches into the air.

With shoes on, I stand 5'11" - 71 inches.
My arms extend 18 inches above the top of my head, giving me an effective height of 89 inches.
That means I'll need to jump, at the minimum, 41 inches off the ground.

Now I'm a little intimidated. Football players have 40-inch verticals. Biology teachers recovering from surgery do not. But there are other considerations. One, I doubt I'll be doing a pure vertical. Most likely the only way I'll get up to the rim is by taking a running leap. Two, since I'll leaping rather than jumping, I can use the momentum of my arms for additional thrust away from Earth's surface. Third, I weigh a lot less than a football player, so maybe that'll work to my benefit. I haven't had a chance to weigh myself or measure my vertical, but I'll do those when I go to the gym next.