Two Returning Guests, One Historic Summer
Episode 22 of the Dunk Talk Podcast was a first for the show. I (Dylan Haugen) brought on two returning guests at the same time: Donovan Hawkins and Josh Ruble, alongside co-host Hunter Castona. Both Donovan and Josh had been on the podcast before individually, and bringing them together made for one of the most entertaining and detailed episodes we have recorded. The timing was perfect because the two of them had just finished what can only be described as one of the craziest stretches of dunking content the community has ever seen.
Donovan’s 50-Inch Vertical and the Session That Broke the Internet
Right off the bat, Donovan came in with news that blew us away. He had hit a measured 50-inch vertical jump at a session earlier that day, which put him in absolutely elite territory. We actually watched the footage together during the recording, and seeing the straight-on angle where his neck was at rim level on a verified 10-foot rim was jaw-dropping. Billy, who was there filming, made sure to confirm the rim height was exactly 10 feet. The comparison point was Isaiah Rivera’s 50.5-inch jump, meaning Donovan was right there with him. We were all genuinely in disbelief watching it back in real time on the call.
That session was not just about the vertical measurement though. Donovan’s entire summer leading up to this episode had been absolutely insane. He was hitting new dunks, traveling to different gyms, and just operating at a level that was getting widespread attention in the dunking community. His reel from one particularly long session was almost a minute of pure highlights, and he mentioned dunking for about an hour and a half during that session. He even almost broke his ankle landing on a ball at one point but kept pushing through.
Josh Ruble’s Growth and the Dynamic Between Them
Josh Ruble at 6 feet tall and 22 years old had been putting in serious work of his own. What was really cool about this episode was getting to hear the dynamic between Josh and Donovan because they had been spending a lot of time together and pushing each other. When you have two high-level dunkers consistently training in the same space, the competitive energy naturally elevates both of them. Josh talked about his own sessions and progress, and it was clear that being around Donovan during this explosive summer of dunking had been beneficial for his development as well.
We talked about some of the other dunkers they had encountered during their travels. Donovan mentioned running into Young Hollywood at one session, who walked in right as Donovan was finishing up. He got a photo with him but did not get to actually dunk alongside him. Still, the fact that these kinds of crossover moments were happening regularly during this summer speaks to how active and connected the dunking community was becoming.
Dunk Breakdown: 360s, Reverse Windmills, and the 540 Attempts
One of the best parts of this episode was the deep dive into specific dunks. Donovan’s 360 reverse windmill was a major topic because it had become one of his signature moves. We talked about whether he had tried a 360 windmill off the backboard, and he said he had given it a shot on low rim with Josh but found it awkward because you almost have to catch it behind you and you lose momentum compared to a normal approach. The lob and catch mechanics are completely different when you add the backboard element.
The 540 discussion was wild. Donovan said he had tried it about six times that day and got rim stuff on about four of them. The misses were toward the end of the session when fatigue was setting in, but the fact that he was getting that close to a 540 was significant. We also talked about the black man dunk, which Donovan had been working on. I remembered a conversation we had at camp or just before camp where he mentioned wanting to work on it, and by the time of this recording he had actually made that exact dunk during the session with Billy filming. That footage would end up in one of Billy’s videos.
Contest Dominance and the Best Dunker Debate
This episode naturally led into the conversation about whether Donovan was the best dunker in the world. At a recent contest, his performance was nearly flawless. He did everything with zero props and hit everything on the first try. His contest set included a self-alley balance, an under-both, a windmill, a 360 reverse windmill, and a 360 reverse eastbay. His opponent Tyler missed a dunk, and Donovan just had to do a simple off-lob punch to seal the win without needing to bring out anything extra.
After that contest, a lot of people in the community were calling Donovan the best in the world. I reminded him that after Wisconsin dunk camp, when a couple of people had said that, he pushed back on it. But now that he had beaten multiple high-level pros in competition, I asked how he was feeling about it. His response was thoughtful. He talked about how everyone in the community grew up watching dunking and is on their own path, and he took the recognition seriously while still staying humble about it.
We brought up Chris Staples as a comparison point in the variety debate. The argument was that Staples is considered a top-five or top-ten all-time dunker by almost everyone, yet he essentially did the same six or seven dunks for years. So the question became whether Donovan needs more variety in his repertoire or if his current set of insane dunks performed at the highest level is enough to cement his legacy. The consensus was that adding more variety could only help his case, but it was not necessarily a requirement given how dominant he already was at what he does.
What Made This Summer So Special
Looking back at this episode, what made it special was that we captured a moment in time during what was genuinely a historic summer for Donovan. The combination of the 50-inch vertical, the new dunks being unlocked, the contest wins, and the growing recognition from the community all came together in a way that does not happen often. Josh being there as both a witness and a fellow dunker who was part of that summer added an extra layer of authenticity to the conversation. This was not me and Hunter speculating about someone’s highlights from afar. This was the guys who were actually there, in the gym, living it, telling us exactly what it was like in real time. Make sure to follow Donovan at @donovanhawkins_37 and Josh at @josh.dunks on Instagram to keep up with their journeys.