Sitting Down With the Highest Jumper in the World
Episode 29 of the Dunk Talk Podcast is one of the biggest episodes in the show’s history. I (Dylan Haugen) and co-host Hunter Castona had the privilege of interviewing Isaiah Rivera, a pro dunker with an officially recorded 50.5-inch vertical jump who has been dunking professionally since 2016. Isaiah introduced himself as 6 foot 1 and a half without shoes, about to turn 27, with nearly a decade of professional dunking under his belt. This was a conversation we had been looking forward to for a long time, and Isaiah delivered with incredible depth and detail about every aspect of his journey.
Early Athletic Background
Isaiah’s athletic background is broader than most people realize. He played multiple sports growing up and said the sport he was most naturally good at was probably baseball. But basketball was his favorite, and he stuck with it because he improved at it so quickly that it became more fun than anything else. He made an interesting point about how people tend to like the things they are good at, so as he kept getting better at basketball, the feedback loop kept pulling him deeper into it. He acknowledged that if he had started baseball from a really young age he might have gone down that path instead, but basketball was his first love and the foundation that eventually led him to dunking.
The New Year’s Resolution List That Changed Everything
One of the most powerful stories from the episode was about a New Year’s resolution list that Isaiah made at the advice of his mentor Willie. Willie told him to scratch whatever normal goals he had written down and instead make a list of dunks that he thought would be impossible for him to hit by the end of the year. Dunks that were in his wildest dreams. Isaiah pulled up the actual list from 2015 on his phone during the episode and read it to us: head at rim, 360 eastbay, 540, 360 off the backboard, 360 windmill, double honey dip, crown, 720, under-both, one-foot eastbay, windmill elbow, between the legs off vert. He was about 17 or 18 when he wrote that list. The incredible part is that every single one of those dunks was check-marked. He hit every single one that he thought was impossible.
That story alone makes this episode worth watching because it shows the mindset that separates the highest-level dunkers from everyone else. Isaiah did not set reasonable goals and then try to hit them. He set goals that seemed genuinely impossible and then worked until they were not. That approach to goal-setting and the relentless work ethic behind it is what took him from a talented basketball player to the highest jumper in the world.
Contest Philosophy and Preparation
Isaiah’s approach to dunk contests was one of the most detailed and practical breakdowns we have ever heard on the show. His core philosophy is that preparation is everything and that it all comes from repping dunks out consistently under bad conditions. His point was that if you put in the work during training, you do not need to do anything special on contest day. You do not need to visualize, meditate, or create perfect conditions. The hay is already in the barn, as they say at THP. All the training you did in the previous six months is what carries you through the competition. Adrenaline does the rest.
He talked about how when you are in a contest and the adrenaline is flowing, you are going to crush dunks that might feel uncertain in practice. The key is that you have to have actually practiced them enough times that your body knows what to do. If you have not repped the dunk consistently, no amount of adrenaline is going to make it happen. But if you have put the work in, the contest environment will actually make you better than your practice sessions because of the energy and crowd.
The 50.5-Inch Vertical
We obviously had to discuss the 50.5-inch vertical in detail. Isaiah has been training with THP and has put in nearly a decade of consistent work to reach that number. What stood out was how matter-of-fact he was about it. He did not treat the number as some magical achievement but rather as the logical result of years of progressive training, smart programming, and showing up every single day. He is proof that extreme vertical jumps are not just about genetics, and his journey shows that consistent dedication over many years can take someone to heights that most people would consider impossible. Yes, he is naturally talented, but he has also worked harder and longer than almost anyone in the game. The combination of talent and work ethic at that level is what produces world-record-type numbers.
Advice for Aspiring Dunkers
Throughout the episode, Isaiah dropped gems of advice that apply to dunkers at every level. Beyond the contest preparation philosophy, he emphasized the importance of loving the process rather than just chasing numbers. He talked about how his longevity in the sport, nearly a decade as a professional, comes from genuinely enjoying the daily grind of training and improving. He also stressed that young dunkers should not rush their development and should focus on building a strong athletic base through sports and consistent training before trying to specialize too early.
This was one of the most-viewed episodes of the Dunk Talk Podcast with 2,500 views and 87 likes, and it is easy to understand why. Isaiah Rivera is not just the highest jumper in the world, he is also one of the most thoughtful and articulate people in the dunking community. Every answer he gave was packed with real experience and genuine insight. Make sure to watch the full episode above for the complete conversation, and follow Isaiah on Instagram to stay up to date with his journey. If you are serious about dunking, this is required listening.