Player from Each NBA Team with the Craziest Hops

Seeing a player bend down ever so slightly and then spring up into the air to either block a shot, pull down a rebound or bang home a slam dunk has to be one of the most exciting things that the NBA has to offer.

Blake Griffin, Derrick Rose, Dwyane Wade and many other players dazzle us on a consistent basis with their ability to rise to the heavens.

Always the beginning of an exciting play, the jump is crucial to success in basketball. Some players just happen to be more gifted than others when it comes to utilizing it.

Read on to find out which player on each NBA team has the craziest hops. There are even two teams for which I couldn't settle for just one player, but you'll have to wait to find out which ones those are.

Also, please note that there is some explicit language contained in some of the videos.   

Atlanta Hawks: Josh Smith

Position: Power forward

Age: 25

Height: 6'9"

Josh Smith is one of the league's highest flyers at any position. Because of his ridiculous jumping ability, this stat-stuffing machine was able to become the youngest player in NBA history to reach the 1,000-block milestone.

J-Smoove is also known to thrown down a big dunk now and then.

Boston Celtics: Jeff Green

Position: Small forward and power forward

Age: 24

Height: 6'9"

Acquired in a midseason trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Jeff Green brought previously unseen athleticism over with him to the Boston Celtics. Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce may be great players, but jumping is not a calling card for any of them. Rajon Rondo can sky, but not to the same extent that Green can.  

Charlotte Bobcats: Kemba Walker

Position: Point guard

Age: 21

Height: 6'1"

Kemba Walker is just a spark plug in every facet of the offensive game. He can pass and dribble with the best of the incoming rookie class, but his athleticism is already on par with the best that the NBA has to offer.

Not many 6'1" guards can throw down like Walker can. He even shows off his hops when he hangs in the air to knock down a jump shot. 

Chicago Bulls: Derrick Rose

Position: Point guard

Age: 22

Height: 6'3" 

Just watch the video. There is no explanation necessary. 

When it comes to jumping ability, Rose stands out head and shoulders above the rest, much like he does whenever he decides to take flight. It's too bad the "Air" moniker is already taken in Chicago. 

Cleveland Cavaliers: Baron Davis

Postion: Point guard

Age: 32

Height: 6'3"

Baron Davis may no longer be the tremendous leaper that he was back in his younger and fitter days, but the point guard can still get up. Andrei Kirilenko may be able to breathe a sigh of relief and rejoice in the fact that he will never get posterized by the bearded Davis, but he still needs to watch out just in case. 

Dallas Mavericks: DeShawn Stevenson

Position: Shooting guard

Age: 30

Height: 6'5"

While DeShawn Stevenson may be more famous now for his Abraham Lincoln tattoo on his neck and his ongoing feud with LeBron James, he still deserves some credit in this area. The man can flat-out elevate with the best of them, even though he's lost some of the jumping ability he had back in his prime. 

Denver Nuggets: Chris Andersen

Position: Center

Age: 33

Height: 6'10"

Chris Andersen's nickname is "Birdman," partly because of his look, partly because of his wing-flapping celebrations after crucial blocks or dunks and partly because of his high-flying ways. Not too many 6'10" big men can jump like Andersen.

J.R. Smith may have a better vertical jump, but how can you assign any award with the word "craziest" in the title to a player not named Chris Andersen? 

Detroit Pistons: Ben Gordon

Position: Shooting Guard

Age: 28

Height: 6'3"

Ben Gordon may not be quite the same player that he was during his glory days with the Chicago Bulls, but he hasn't lost his leaping ability. Despite no longer playing nearly as much or nearly as effectively, Gordon can still out-jump Rodney Stuckey and the rest of the Detroit Pistons, even incoming rookie Brandon Knight. 

Golden State Warriors: Monta Ellis

Position: Shooting Guard

Age: 25

Height: 6'3" 

First of all, it boggles my mind that Monta Ellis is still only 25 years old. Secondly, it also boggles my mind that Ellis can possess such a complete offensive package.

Playing for the video game offense of the Golden State Warriors, Ellis is incredibly talented with the ball and his slashing ability is virtually unmatched. Even still, he can elevate to throw down a rim-rattling slam dunk. 

Houston Rockets: Terrence Williams

Position: Small forward

Age: 24

Height: 6'6" 

I thought that Terrence Williams' all-around game would translate from the Big East to the NBA, but that has not been the case so far. One thing that the former Louisville Cardinal has brought with him though to the next level is his fantastic jumping ability.

Even if he no longer stuffs the stat sheets, Williams does provide the occasional highlight. 

Indiana Pacers: Lance Stephenson

Position: Shooting guard

Age: 20

Height: 6'5" 

Lance Stephenson has only been in the league for one season and he's received only sparse playing time, but there is still no doubt that he can jump better than anyone else on the Indiana Pacers squad. Although, now that I think about it, that really isn't saying too much. 

Los Angles Clippers Part 1: Blake Griffin

Position: Power forward

Age: 22

Height: 6'10" 

If you need an explanation here, I have to question why you're reading an NBA article. I would also like the address of the rock that you're living under so I can come visit you to explain in person. 

Los Angeles Clippers Part 2: Travis Leslie

Position: Shooting guard

Age: 21

Height: 6'4"

There are few players that have ever been able to jump like Travis Leslie. As a University of Georgia student, I've had the pleasure of watching him provide highlight after highlight, most in the form of dunks that left our jaws on the floor. 

Los Angeles Lakers: Shannon Brown

Position: Point guard

Age: 25

Height: 6'4" 

Fact or fiction: Shannon Brown has springs in his legs where most people have muscles. 

The answer is fiction. Brown has both springs and muscles. 

Memphis Grizzlies: Josh Selby

Position: Point guard and shooting guard

Age: 20

Height: 6'2" 

While I feel bad for not selecting Rudy Gay here, he doesn't deserve it when you remember that Josh Selby is now a member of the Memphis Grizzlies. Even though he didn't display it often during his hoax of a collegiate career at Kansas, Selby has absolutely crazy hops. He showed off a 42-inch vertical jump at the NBA draft combine. 

Miami Heat: Dwyane Wade

Position: Shooting guard

Age: 29

Height: 6'4" 

Dwyane Wade is the absolute best slasher in the NBA right now and he has a fantastic knack for finishing around the rim. It can't be too hard to score when you can jump as high as Wade can.

The amount of highlight-reel dunks that he's thrown down in his career is staggering, but none are better than the embedded posterization of Anderson Varejao. 

Milwaukee Bucks: Brandon Jennings

Position: Point guard

Age: 21

Height: 6'1" 

Keep in mind that this young point guard is only 6'1". It sure doesn't seem that way when he uses his incredible leaping ability to extend his arms higher than anyone else on the court.

Brandon Jennings may make you Fear the Deer for many reasons; his ability to jump is definitely one of those. 

Minnesota Timberwolves: Derrick Williams

Position: Small forward and power forward

Age: 20

Height: 6'8"

Derrick Williams would be nowhere near the same caliber player if he didn't have all of his jumping ability. It's that ability that allows him to be the complete all-around player that he blossomed into during his sophomore year at Arizona.

Whether it's making a game-saving block or throwing down a huge momentum-swinging dunk, Williams is always using his hops. 

New Jersey Nets: Deron Williams

Position: Point guard

Age: 27

Height: 6'3"

One of the most complete point guards in the NBA today, Deron Williams can do absolutely everything on the basketball court. Yes, that includes jump as high as some of the other players on this list.

Williams may be known more for his dribbling than his elevation, but the latter is still pretty tremendous. 

New Orleans Hornets: Chris Paul

Position: Point guard

Age: 26

Height: 6'0"

I don't think that many people realize that Chris Paul is rather diminutive when compared to other NBA players.

CP3 is one of the most cerebral players and often seems to be content to get by with his skills and mental game rather than his physical blessings. But when he decides to go hard to the rim, he gets there with his tremendous leaping ability. 

New York Knicks: Iman Shumpert

Position: Point guard and shooting guard

Age: 21

Height: 6'5"

At the 2011 NBA draft combine, only two players recorded 42-inch vertical jumps; one of the two was Josh Selby, the guard from Kansas who would eventually become a part of the Memphis Grizzlies. The other was Iman Shumpert.

Yeah, I'd say he has some pretty crazy hops. 

Oklahoma City Thunder Part 1: Russell Westbrook

Position: Point Guard

Age: 22

Height: 6'3"

Russell Westbrook was one of the most entertaining players to watch in the NBA last season. It wasn't because he stole too many shots from Kevin Durant though. It was because Westbrook, full of unbridled intensity and athleticism, could explode at any minute for a huge dunk.

Only Derrick Rose has better in-game hops from the point guard position. 

Oklahoma City Thunder Part 2: Nate Robinson

Position: Point guard

Age: 27

Height: 5'9" 

This list would be incomplete without Nate Robinson, even if he's only a seldom-used player for the Thunder now. Robinson, standing only 5'9", is the only three-time winner of the Slam Dunk Contest and has even jumped over some guy named Dwight Howard. 

Orlando Magic: Jason Richardson

Position: Shooting guard

Age: 30

Height: 6'6"

Jason Richardson may be slowing down as the years catch up to him, but make no mistake about it: The dude can still hang in the air with the best of them. The highlights that he produces in games may not come nearly as often, but they're still awe-inspiring when they do occur. 

Philadelphia 76ers: Andre Iguodala

Position: Shooting guard

Age: 27

Height: 6'6"

Andre Iguodala is a valuable commodity on the trading market right now because of his all-around game. If I had to pick the two most impressive aspects of his game though, they would have to be his ability to play perimeter defense and his ability to elevate. Iggy can jump over almost anyone in the league and then throw down with the best of them. 

Phoenix Suns: Vince Carter

Position: Shooting guard

Age: 34

Height: 6'6"

Vince Carter may not have quite as much leaping ability as he had during his prime, but even if he had just one one-hundreth of the original hops that he possessed, he'd still find his way onto this list.

Truth be told, Phoenix doesn't have any stellar competition for Vinsanity, but he'd still blow it away if it was provided. 

Portland Trail Blazers: Gerald Wallace

Position: Small forward

Age: 29

Height: 6'7"

Gerald Wallace may very well be the most underrated leaper on this list. The former Charlotte Bobcat and current Portland Trail Blazer is an astounding athlete to whom you don't want to give a clear lane to the basket.

With his combination of skill and athleticism, Wallace can make you pay for even the smallest opening in the defense. 

Sacramento Kings: Tyreke Evans

Position: Point guard

Age: 21

Height: 6'6"

Tyreke Evans put together a rookie season for the ages and then followed it up with a very good sophomore season. While he's a complete package at the guard position even if he is more suited for a role as shooting guard, Evans would be nowhere near as successful if it wasn't for his ability to spring himself up into the air. 

San Antonio Spurs: Tony Parker

Position: Point guard

Age: 29

Height: 6'2"

The San Antonio Spurs are one of the weaker teams in the league when it comes to sheer athleticism and jumping ability. It's not like Tim Duncan is going to carry you in that category.

This one came down to Kawhi Leonard and Tony Parker, but in the end, the French point guard just barely leapt past the incoming rookie thanks to the occasional jaw-dropping dunks he throws down.  

Toronto Raptors: DeMar DeRozan

Position: Shooting guard

Age: 21

Height: 6'7"

DeMar DeRozan may very well be the most underrated player in the NBA after scoring 17.2 points per game last season while toiling away in obscurity. I have no idea why that's the case as DeRozan and his high-flying dunks are an absolute treat to watch. 

Utah Jazz: Devin Harris

Position: Point guard

Age: 28

Height: 6'3"

When he's not injured, Devin Harris is one of the more impressive point guards in the NBA. While jumping may not be his calling card, the former New Jersey Net can still rise up and above his defender on the way to the rim. Harris has produced his fair share of highlights thanks to his hops. 

Washington Wizards: John Wall

Position: Point guard

Age: 20

Height: 6'4"

I remember watching John Wall warm up before he and the Kentucky Wildcats took on the Georgia Bulldogs in Athens and just being astounded at the dunks he was throwing down with ease. His blazing quickness on the court may actually disguise his ability to jump.

Wall is one of the most athletic point guards in the league and should continue to blossom into an All-Star. 

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Adam Fromal is a Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer. Follow him on Twitter.

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