NEW YORK — Among John Wall’s standout attributes as a basketball player are his explosive leaping ability and resulting dunking prowess. His status as one of the league’s premier dunkers was cemented last year when he (sort of) won the slam dunk contest.
“That’s been the joke when I dunk and stuff,” said Wall, who decided not to defend his title in Saturday night’s contest. “Like people were like, ‘Let me see your right-handed dunk.’ And they knew I wouldn’t get high enough. Like I would barely make it or I’d get hung. I don’t know. I’m just different.”
Wall is an outlier among dunkers. Nearly all right-handed dunkers prefer to dunk right-handed and vice-versa. Wall is predominately right-handed — he shoots a basketball righty — but nearly always dunks left-handed or two-handed. Most of his trick dunks — the windmill, the behind-the-back, the 360 — are left-handed. His first ever dunk, completed after five tries after practice in 10th grade, was left-handed.
“It’s just weird,” Wall said. “My right foot got the bounce that my left foot didn’t get. My left leg don’t got that. I can dunk with my left leg, but my adrenaline got to be rushing in the game or something. It has to be a very high-intensity game. But other than that, I’m not dunking with my right hand.”
Wall also credits his mild ambidexterity, which he said was passed down from his father, for the oddity. His father, Wall explained, drew left-handed but played sports right-handed. The 24-year-old recently discovered he’s better shooting pool left-handed. He writes right-handed but claims he can write left-handed just as well because it’s chicken scratch anyway.
“I think a lot more people get excited because it’s weird,” Wall said. “You don’t see a right-handed person jumping and dunking with his left hand as much. You might see a guy do a regular dunk like LeBron [James] do a little dunk.”
Most of Wall’s in-game dunks are two-handed with the occasional left-handed slam sprinkled in. The thought of dunking right-handed doesn’t cross his mind.
“Heck, no,” Wall said when asked if he contemplates dunking right-handed in games. “If I’m on the right side and I don’t got a chance to jump with my left hand to dunk with my left hand, if someone is trying to block my shot or something, I try to attempt a dunk just to get fouled or something or try to make it. But nine times out of 10 I’ll rather have my left hand than two hands.”
Wall’s preference when shooting pull-up jumpers is also opposite than most righties: He feels most comfortable pulling up to his right than to his left. But he doesn’t think either peculiarity inhibits his performance. He adjusts accordingly and the production — and a second straight all-star berth — indicates no hindrance.
“That’s the only way I can dunk,” Wall said.