One of the amazing features of the new Nike+ Basketball Technology allows athletes to measure vertical leaps. Quite the useful feature if you’re a world-class slam-dunk extraordinaire, so when the Nike World Basketball Festival featured a special Dunk Contest after the New York vs. Los Angeles game, Nike+ Basketball tech came in full focus as each participant displayed unparalleled levels of mid-air acrobatics. If the contest came to a tie, the tie-breaker would be the dunker’s vertical leap, but that did not come to play as Justin ‘Jus Fly’ Darlington’ of Los Angeles (who hails from Ontario, Canada), left the crowd speechless with a jaw-dropping display of slam dunks.
Jus Fly started things off by jumping over a power forward and snatching the ball from his hands while in flight and reverse-jamming the ball through the hoop, and later cemented his win with a cartwheel between-the-legs jaw-dropper that left judges LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Diana Taurasi, and Bobbito Garcia without words. Darlington’s Dunk Contest win last night was another notch in his belt of accomplishments, who won nearly ever dunk contest he’s ever participated in (roughly 60!). If you want to measure your own vertical, check out the Nike+ Basketball technology in the all-new Nike Lunar Hyperdunk+ Sport Pack (available right now at Nikestore) and flip through the recap and quick interview with Dunk Contest winner Justin ‘Jus Fly’ Darlington below.
Sneaker News: It’s like the shoe was made for a guy like you, since it’s called the Hyperdunk, right?
Jus Fly: Haha yeah. I love these shoes! When I first heard Nike was going to come out with a product like this, I was really excited about it and wanted to try it out, so I actually got the shoes a week before they released and got to test them out and I was really happy to try them out because they’re one of my favorite shoes to play in. They’re so comfortable and i’ve always loved the Hyperdunk and for Nike to put out something like this was amazing.
SN: Aside from Nike+ Technology, anything different about this shoe from the previous Hyperdunks in your opinion?
JF: Honestly, they feel just like the previous Hyperdunks, and that’s a good thing! These are really comfortable and they just added a little twist, which was the technology, but Hyperdunks always feel good – they’re my favorite shoes to dunk in.
SN: It’s kinda hard to make a perfect shoe better, isn’t it?
JF: Yea, definitely. They were awesome and I was always a Hyperdunk guy so I was really excited about the new technology.
SN: You were heavily favored to win after dominating the Dunk Contest out in Los Angeles, so when Nike did hit you guys about regarding this Contest during the World Basketball Festival to participate, how’d it feel to be called on to not only put on a show, but to display those insane numbers on Nike+ for everyone to see? Your vertical is…ridiculous.
JF: Haha. It was an amazing feeling, man. I love putting on a show and i’m very happy that Nike contacted me for this because this is what I love to do, but I won’t truly be happy until I sign some sort of contract or paperwork with them! It’s been such a great opportunity to show off what I can do and I really appreciate them for bringing me out here. One day, hopefully, I want to sign a piece of paper with them!
SN: So, just looking back at the Dunks you did tonight…the cartwheel between-the-legs, the 360 under-the-legs, the Dunk over that really tall guy – what else do you have in your arsenal?
JF: I’m always trying to be creative so the stuff you saw tonight was me at my best, but i’m always working on new ideas and the next time I come out to one of these, i’m gonna surprise y’all!
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