I had been looking forward to this one for a long time.
In January, I flew down to Las Vegas to meet up with Donovan Hawkins and a ton of other dunkers for a Dunkademics dunk session. Dunkademics is one of the largest platforms focused on pro dunking, so being part of a session that Billy (the owner) was filming was a big deal.
The energy was insane from the start. Around 18 dunkers showed up. The gym had a super stiff rim (measuring 9’11.25″) and the wall was a little too close for comfort, but honestly, it didn’t matter. Everyone still went off.
Who Pulled Up
Here’s everyone who pulled up, organized by where they’re from. Easily one of the most stacked sessions I’ve been part of:
Vegas: Donovan Hawkins (host), Ethan Heo, Dennis Yu (didn’t dunk at the session but dunked at the trampoline park)
LA/California: Dominic Gonzales (injured), Billy Doran (owner of Dunkademics, filmed), Alex Ardizzone, Ric’-Quan Johnson, Shankar Iyer
Utah: Dylan Perrenoud, Hyrum Fechser, Hyrum Parry, Isaac Baker, Kyle Cornell, Mason Baker, Travis Slade
Others: Finn Addy (Canada), Andy Behle (Texas), Jason “JaySmoove” McCoy (Detroit), Dylan Haugen (Minnesota)
How the Session Went
This was easily one of the best sessions I’ve been part of.
Even though I didn’t hit any brand-new dunks, I surprised myself with how well I performed. I landed several of my best dunks cleaner than usual—better technique and more consistency. I felt like I stacked up really well next to some of the best guys there.
The stiff rim definitely held a few of my dunks back. I got rim-stuffed on a lot of hide-and-seek attempts, and hitting those would’ve made my performance even better. Still, no excuses. It was a great session, and the elite company pushed everyone to go harder.
My Highlights
- Best Behind-the-Back dunk I’ve hit so far
- Clean Cuff 360 Windmill
- Solid Eastbay off Lob
- Inverted Scorpion over Someone
- Overall technique felt better than ever
Donovan’s Performance
Donovan Hawkins did what Donovan always does — steal the show. His mix of power and perfect technique is on another level, and he makes all his dunks look effortless. He easily hit the craziest dunks of the session, including:
- Underboth Scorpion
- 360 Underboth
- Underboth off the Backboard
He even went on a mini one-foot spree near the end of the session, landing an Underboth off lob. I truly believe if he focused on one-foot dunking for a stretch, he could be the best one-footer in the world.
Post-Session
After the dunk session, Dennis Yu took us all to a trampoline park and then out to dinner. My legs were completely dead, but it was a great time hanging out with everyone off the court.
Also, big shoutout to Donovan for letting me crash at his place for part of the trip.
Why This One Mattered
It’s rare to get this many high-level dunkers in one place outside of something like Dunk Camp. Seeing legends like Donovan go crazy, watching Andy make his return after battling injuries, and just feeding off the energy of so many talented guys made this one special.
Grateful to have been part of it. Can’t wait for more. Below is the full session, which I posted to my YouTube channel.
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