DUNKING STAR TAKES ON THE WORLD
HE MAKES jumping over a grown man for a slam dunk look easy. That is the goal for Townsville’s Brodie Stephens, a “professional dunker”.
Stephens, who is about 190cm, has returned from a 3x3 Hustle competition in Japan where he finished second in a dunk contest against America’s Jordan Southerland and DeVaughn Washington.
The 22- year- old said the three- aside basketball had risen in popularity but wanted dunking to catch up and for Australia to be its centre stage.
“I think it has a place in the Olympics, a place in the X Games and even a place in the Commonwealth Games if they really wanted,” Stephens said.
“I’d like to represent Australia in the professional dunking community.
“I’m trying to have that drawcard effect. I really want to get one ( dunking competition) to Australia. If they get one in Sydney right outside the Opera House, that would be perfect.”
Three- on- three basketball will makes its debut at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Stephens made a humble start to the sport which now has him travelling the world. He turned to basketball at Ignatius Park College when he was 13 after he got sick of cricket getting regularly rained out.
“I chose basketball because everyone was playing it at one stage and it was indoors,” he said. “I was very un- coordinated, clumsy.”
But Stephen’s hunger to reach the hoop had him turn a corner.
“I got my first dunk when I was 14,” he said. “I count my dunk on a proper ( hoop) height. It took me about 18 months to do it.”
Stephens said he practised daily for a few hours until his “legs fell off”.
Now a few years later, he spins, kicks, tricks and bounds over people before slamming the ball through the basket with ease.
Dunking contests are scored on the style and difficulty of the dunk.
“Dunking is more than throwing the ball in the hoop – it’s about putting on a show.
“You’ve got to try and find your own routines,” Stephens said.
“You work the crowd. It’s more of an art form than a sport ... it’s more subjective, there’s just so many opinions.
“You have to be a perfectionist when dunking. You want to get perfect 10s for a perfect dunk.”