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Today we've got Avante "The Joker" Nichols, a fellow DunkMan League athlete and a good friend of mine, and we went through his whole dunk journey from low rimming as a kid all the way to competing in Shaq's DunkMan League this year. Avante played pretty much every sport growing up before locking in on basketball around fourth or fifth grade. He spent basically all of sixth grade in the gym getting his friends to throw him lobs with tennis balls (and one time a shoe), and got his first dunk in the last couple weeks of sixth grade at 12 years old and around 5'7". His first in-game dunk came in seventh grade. Kobe was the one who made him want to dunk, and once he started watching pros he latched onto Jonathan Clark, partly because Clark was a teacher, which is kind of crazy to think about. We also got into his move from Georgia to JUCO ball in Kansas, the 360 Eastbay off the side of the glass that went viral and put him on the radar, 2K calling him to do dunk animations, and the DunkMan TV show. He's still playing college basketball right now, and he was super honest about being stuck between chasing basketball and going all in on dunking. Then we broke down his DunkMan group stage in Group B, where he hit a Toe Touch first try in front of Jonathan Clark and was sitting in first going into the finals of the Group Stage. His passer disappeared two days before, so his high school PG stepped in with about an hour and a half of practice, and he ended up just missing both finals dunks, including a free throw line dunk he kept secret the whole time. He still finished 11th overall in year one. Since then he won the Bulls Fest in Chicago, jumping over Benny the Bull, and he actually had a dream about that exact contest months before it happened. That story is pretty wild. Shout out to Avante for hopping on. His advice for anyone trying to become a dunker is super simple: just jump, take care of your body, have fun, and don't compare yourself to anybody. Let us know in the comments who you want to see on Dunk Talk next, and if you're new here, subscribe and follow along. Support the Dunk Talk Podcast: Website: https://dunktalks.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dunktalks TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dunktalkpodcast X: https://x.com/dunktalkpodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/The-Dunk-Talk-61577990706901/Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4737NyBcPveHp3CAftdj5i?si=g7RCdo7RQ72kYjf0daGOgg Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dunk-talk/id1748327178Today's Speakers:Dylan Haugen (Host) Website: https://dylan-haugen.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dylanhaugen23/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DylanHaugen23 Avante Nichols (Guest) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejoker.dmor/ YouTube:  ⁨@Thejokerdmor⁩

I'm Dylan Haugen, and I flew out to North Carolina to link up with Travis Reynolds and Ben Hopkins, so we sat down and talked about the thing basically every dunker runs into at some point: you can throw down a crazy dunk, post it raw, and get 500 views. Between the three of us we've got around 690,000 followers across platforms. This episode is how we actually got them.Travis's whole approach is volume and trends. He's at 95,000 on YouTube, 82,000 on Instagram, 87,000 on TikTok and 39,000 on Facebook, and he'll tell you straight up that dunking alone is too small an audience to grow on. You have to go broader and relate it back to dunking. He also goes into engagement bait pretty heavily, stuff like putting "I'm only 6 feet" on every video, or calling an 8 foot rim 12 feet and letting the comments do the rest. He remade one video just to add that text back in and it took off way harder than the original. He also color graded a video of mine recently, and that one did 5 million on Facebook.Ben went the complete opposite direction. He got injured, couldn't dunk, and started making longer talking videos instead, combining his engineering degree with dunking. Can I jump higher than a Roblox character got 16 million views and basically changed everything. He's at 121,000 on YouTube now and doing content full time. He breaks down his actual structure in here: double hooks, making yourself credible early, rewarding the viewer every few seconds, and cutting the video off mid word the second you deliver the answer. He also spends four plus hours per video and posts every other day, which is why I wanted him on for this one.We also get into retention graphs, why filming from four backyards away is killing your videos, in video text and fonts, posting frequency, what happens to your channel when you take time off, and Frank the mannequin. If you want more from Ben, he was on back in episode 61 talking about sacrificing his knee to win a dunk contest.Shout out to Ben and Travis for hopping on. Comment your biggest takeaway, and if you want us to review your content let us know in the comments and we'll actually take a look. More episodes coming, so drop guest requests below, and if you're new here subscribe and follow along.Support the Dunk Talk Podcast:Website: https://dunktalks.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dunktalksTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dunktalkpodcastX: https://x.com/dunktalkpodcastFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/The-Dunk-Talk-61577990706901/Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4737NyBcPveHp3CAftdj5i?si=g7RCdo7RQ72kYjf0daGOggListen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dunk-talk/id1748327178Today's Speakers:Dylan Haugen -Website: https://dylan-haugen.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dylanhaugen23/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DylanHaugen23Travis Reynolds -Website: https://travisdunks.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/travisdunks/YouTube: ​⁠https://www.youtube.com/@TravisDunksBen Hopkins - Website: https://www.benbounces.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benbounces/YouTube: ​⁠https://www.youtube.com/@benbounces

Travis Reynolds and I went through every single dunk from all four group stages of Shaq's DunkMan League, which is the first ever professional dunking league. 24 guys, four groups of six, and the winner of the finals takes home $500,000, which is the biggest prize in dunk history. The finals are this Tuesday, August 25th at 8:00 PM Eastern on TNT and HBO Max, so we wanted to get this out before then.Group Stage A was Cam Hazzard's night. He'd never done a dunk competition before and he opened with a reverse 360 Windmill where the ball hit the ground before he did, then closed it out with a 360 pump into a full Tomahawk that got a 9.55 and Dunk of the Night. Travis and I were actually in the building for that one. Group Stage B came down to Dylan McCarthy, who is jumping 52+ inches. Isaiah Rivera took Group C. And then Group D is the one I was in, against Mac McClung and Jordan Southerland.I break down my own dunks too, the Dubble Up X, the Hand-Off 180 Eastbay, and then the Inverted Scorpion over Someone in the final round that got a 9.28. I go into what I was feeling during the event and a bit of the strategy behind the dunks I chose. Ended up securing the wildcard spot as the 6 seed, so I'm in the finals.The finals are one night, head to head, single elimination. Mac versus Chen, Cam versus Joel, me versus Isaiah, and Dylan McCarthy versus Jordan Southerland. Two dunks, two attempts, best dunk wins, so people are going to be trying some crazy stuff.Shout out to Travis for hopping on and grinding through all four of these with me. We'll be back to break down the finals once they air. If you're new here, subscribe and turn on notifications so you don't miss it.Support the Dunk Talk Podcast:Website: https://dunktalks.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dunktalksTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dunktalkpodcastX: https://x.com/dunktalkpodcastFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/The-Dunk-Talk-61577990706901/Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4737NyBcPveHp3CAftdj5i?si=g7RCdo7RQ72kYjf0daGOggListen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dunk-talk/id1748327178Today's Speakers:Dylan Haugen (Host)Website: https://dylan-haugen.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dylanhaugen23/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DylanHaugen23Travis Reynolds -Website: https://travisdunks.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/travisdunks/YouTube: ​⁠https://www.youtube.com/@TravisDunks

Drove four hours from North Carolina to Atlanta with Ben Hopkins and Travis Reynolds to watch the first night of Shaq's DunkMan League, and we recorded this whole thing on the drive back. Group Stage A was Cam Hazzard, Joel Henry, Dengxing Chen, Doug Anderson, Shelby McEwen, and Jonathan Edwards, and honestly out of all four group stages this was the one I wanted to see the most. The lineup was ridiculous.We were on the court for most of it, so this is basically the three of us breaking down what it actually looked like from under the rim. Doug opened it up with a Windmill elbow off a hand-off that he got halfway up his bicep, first try, and it set the tone for the night. Chen is 39 and a legit 5'9" and he still went and did a Dubble Up Eastbay over six people. Joel used me for two of his dunks, a Tetris where I was sitting on Avante's shoulders and then a Dubble Up over me sitting on a car, which was not on my bucket list for the day. His reverse 360 Eastbay off a lob was probably my favorite dunk of the night, or at least close to it.And then Cam. This was his first ever dunk competition and he opened with a reverse 360 Windmill where the ball hit the ground before he did, then came back and hit a 360 Inverter first try, and closed it out with a 360 pump into a full Tomahawk down the middle that pretty much won him the whole thing on the spot. We talk about that one for a while because it's just a dunk you never see.We also get into the scoring, which is different from what most people are used to, why we think it actually worked, and why going to watch dunkers in person hits so much different than watching clips.Shout out to Ben and Travis for making the drive and hopping on, and shout out to DunkMan for making it a great experience for all of us. I'm in the Finals this Tuesday, August 25th at 8 PM EST, so make sure to tune in on TNT or HBO Max. If you've got guests you want to see on here, drop them in the comments, and if you're new, subscribe and follow along.Support the Dunk Talk Podcast:Website: https://dunktalks.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dunktalksTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dunktalkpodcastX: https://x.com/dunktalkpodcastFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/The-Dunk-Talk-61577990706901/Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4737NyBcPveHp3CAftdj5i?si=g7RCdo7RQ72kYjf0daGOggListen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dunk-talk/id1748327178Today's Speakers:Dylan Haugen -Website: https://dylan-haugen.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dylanhaugen23/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DylanHaugen23Travis Reynolds -Website: https://travisdunks.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/travisdunks/YouTube: ​⁠https://www.youtube.com/@TravisDunksBen Hopkins - Website: https://www.benbounces.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benbounces/YouTube: ​⁠https://www.youtube.com/@benbounces

Jeremiah Walker is a 20 year old professional dunker from London, and this year has been crazy for him with events all over the world. He grew up playing soccer until he was eight, figured out he was terrible at it, and got into basketball because a friend told him he was tall. His school had rims at 9', 9'5", 9'10" and 10', which he says was poorly planned but worked out fine for him. First dunk was a put back at 12, and then he didn't dunk again for two or three years.The turning point was an assistant coach telling him straight up that he sucked at basketball and should just dunk professionally, which is the opposite of what Travis and I both heard growing up. He didn't even know that was a job until he was told to look up Joel Henry. He won £500 at a contest and decided right there that he was a professional and would only do paid events. He also gets into why he refuses to do Dubble Ups (push-offs) and jumps clean over people instead, up to five, and the reverse 360 Behind the Back he hit for the first time in March and has never missed in a contest since Vienna.We get into the UK dunk scene and why London contests are what got him onto the Dunk Elite and FIBA circuits, Ghetto Games in Latvia being the best event he's ever done, his first pro contest in the middle of the desert in Saudi Arabia, and Joel Henry beating him five times without a single loss. He also says he only started posting long form on YouTube after watching our stuff, which is pretty cool to hear. Shout out to Jeremiah for hopping on and Travis for co-hosting. If you're new here, subscribe and drop guest requests in the comments.Support the Dunk Talk Podcast:Website: https://dunktalks.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dunktalksTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dunktalkpodcastX: https://x.com/dunktalkpodcastFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/The-Dunk-Talk-61577990706901/Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4737NyBcPveHp3CAftdj5i?si=g7RCdo7RQ72kYjf0daGOggListen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dunk-talk/id1748327178Today's Speakers:Dylan Haugen (Host)Website: https://dylan-haugen.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dylanhaugen23/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DylanHaugen23Travis Reynolds (Co-Host) - Website: https://travisdunks.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/travisdunks/YouTube: ​⁠https://www.youtube.com/@TravisDunksJeremiah Walker (Guest) - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jumplikejay10/YouTube: ​⁠https://www.youtube.com/@jumplikejay10

Haven't done a podcast in a while, so this one is just me catching you guys up on the past year of dunking. It's been all over the place. Good stretches last summer with contests I actually won, then October hit and I dealt with an ankle thing and then something deep in the patellar tendon in my left knee that took months out of my year. For a long stretch I was going to the gym on Saturdays to dunk on 8 feet off my right plant and bench, which was about as fun as it sounds. Things turned around around late April. Tested a 42 inch vertical, got back to two jump sessions a week, hit my first Off-Dribble 360 Eastbay and got an Underboth back for the first time since February 2025, then had a day where I hit six new dunks. I also get into the training side with Tom Barnes and Austin Young at JumpX, since I basically never talk about it. Then media day in Atlanta and Dunk Camp in Utah, where I finally got a Windmill elbow off a hand-off. First event of the biggest dunk contest ever is in just a few days, 24 guys going for 500,000, so please go support it. Trying to get at least one guest a week on the show from here on out, so if you're a dunker and want to be on, message me, and drop guest requests in the comments. If you're new here, subscribe and follow along.Support the Dunk Talk Podcast:Website: https://dunktalks.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dunktalksTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dunktalkpodcastX: https://x.com/dunktalkpodcastFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/The-Dunk-Talk-61577990706901/Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4737NyBcPveHp3CAftdj5i?si=g7RCdo7RQ72kYjf0daGOggListen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dunk-talk/id1748327178Today's Speakers:Dylan Haugen (Host)Website: https://dylan-haugen.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dylanhaugen23/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DylanHaugen23

Cam Hazzard is one of the other guys competing in Shaq's DunkMan League this summer, and he's one of only about seven people to ever test a 50 inch vertical. He's from Dallas, he's 20, and Dennis and I met up with him when we were down there for a conference. We rented out a gym and he hit basically every 360 variation you can think of, 360 Underboth, 360 Scoop, 360 Inverter, and more. The full session is up on my channel if you haven't seen it: https://youtu.be/BCxdZ2i8fe8?si=lWb_cPeMZ0jcedrp We get into his whole journey. He got his first dunk at 15, then tore both hamstrings a couple weeks after his first Windmill and lost a full year. In 2026 he shattered his hand playing intramurals in January, needed surgery with permanent plates and screws, and was out for two and a half months. Chuck reached out about DunkMan about a week after his surgery while his hand was still tied to his chest, and after only two and a half weeks of training back, he tested 50 inches on the exact day he planned to. We also talk about his signature 360 Inverter, why he's pretty much all Off-Dribble and 360s, his squat and power clean numbers, his shoe takes (the Serious Player Only Game1 lows are his favorite), the shows he did over in London, and what he's bringing to DunkMan. Cam's a name a lot of people don't really know yet, but I think that changes fast once the league starts. Shout out to Cam for hopping on. I've got more DunkMan athletes lined up leading into the league, so if there's someone specific you want on, drop it in the comments. If you're new here, subscribe and follow along. Today's Speakers: Dylan Haugen (Host) Website: https://dylan-haugen.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dylanhaugen23/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dylanhaugen23 Cam Hazzard (Guest) Website: https://camhazard.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hazzardous.dunks YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hazzardousdunks #dunktalkpodcast

Big news, guys. It got announced today that I've officially signed with Shaq's new DunkMan League, and I'll be competing this summer against 23 of the other best dunkers in the world for a $500,000 grand prize. 24 dunkers total, and there's even more money up for grabs beyond that. This signing also makes me the youngest pro dunker in the league, which pretty crazy.In this episode I get into the whole story: how Chuck Millan called me about it, why the timing feels almost too perfect, and how this didn't even exist a year ago. I also go back through my journey a bit, from dunking on my mini hoop at 11 or 12, to getting my first real dunk at 13, to dropping basketball sophomore year to go all in. Guys like Jordan Kilganon and Chris Staples were huge early on, so shout out to them. I also talk about what I know so far about the league itself, including the potential new scoring system, the push-off stuff, Shaq as commissioner, Mac McClung being involved, the whole thing being on TNT.And I get into why I think this is such a massive step forward for dunking in general. There's never really been a clear career path in this sport, and now there kind of is. So I share some advice for anyone trying to get involved and actually make a living off dunking, betting on yourself, going to stuff like Dunk Camp, building real relationships, and getting your social infrastructure in place (YouTube, podcasts, a personal brand website, all of it).Huge congrats to Chuck on this too. He's put more into dunking than almost anybody, going all the way back to Team Flight Brothers, and it's been super cool to watch it all come together. I've got a bunch of interviews planned with Chuck and as many of the actual league athletes as I can get, so if there's anyone specific you want to see, let me know in the comments. If you're new here, make sure to subscribe and follow along the journey.Support the Dunk Talk Podcast:Website: https://dunktalks.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dunktalksTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dunktalkpodcastX: https://x.com/dunktalkpodcastFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/The-Dunk-Talk-61577990706901/Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4737NyBcPveHp3CAftdj5i?si=g7RCdo7RQ72kYjf0daGOggListen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dunk-talk/id1748327178Today's Speakers:Dylan Haugen (Host) -Website: https://dylan-haugen.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dylanhaugen23/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DylanHaugen23 #dunktalkpodcast

Dylan Haugen and Travis Reynolds sit down to make the case for why long form YouTube content is one of the most overlooked tools in dunking. They talk through how the shift to short form has made it harder to keep up with individual dunkers, stripped context from the sport, and quietly shrunk the dunk community over time. Using examples like Isaiah Rivera's rise and Travis's behind-the-back race with Tom Barnes, they break down how documenting your journey builds real connection that short clips simply can't. Dylan also walks through a dead-simple method for repurposing horizontal session footage into vertical content using CapCut. If you're a dunker and you're not on YouTube yet, this episode is for you.Watch how to convert horizontal (16:9) videos to vertical (9:16) clips for free using CapCut: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qprXFJJhhYc&list=PLA00S-yr7UGTZeq-cV9V9hiUwHqTvAFWQ&index=1Support the Dunk Talk Podcast:Website: https://dunktalks.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dunktalksTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dunktalkpodcastX: https://x.com/dunktalkpodcastFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/The-Dunk-Talk-61577990706901/Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4737NyBcPveHp3CAftdj5i?si=g7RCdo7RQ72kYjf0daGOggListen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dunk-talk/id1748327178Today's Speakers:Dylan Haugen (Host) -Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dylanhaugen23/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DylanHaugen23Travis Reynolds (Co-Host) - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/travisdunks/YouTube: ​⁠ @TravisDunks  #dunktalkpodcast

In Episode 68 of the Dunk Talk Podcast, Dylan Haugen is joined by fellow professional dunker Travis Reynolds to break down the 2026 NBA Dunk Contest. They go dunk-by-dunk, debating scores, judging consistency, missed attempts, and which performances actually deserved to advance. The two also react to Mac McClung’s four unreleased “would-have-been” contest dunks and discuss how they stack up against what we saw on the NBA stage. From free throw line risks to windmills and Eastbays, they analyze what worked, what didn’t, and how scoring shaped the outcome. If you care about dunk contests and how they’re judged, this episode delivers a detailed breakdown. Support the Dunk Talk Podcast: Website: https://dunktalks.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dunktalks TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dunktalkpodcast X: https://x.com/dunktalkpodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/The-Dunk-Talk-61577990706901/ Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4737NyBcPveHp3CAftdj5i?si=g7RCdo7RQ72kYjf0daGOgg Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dunk-talk/id1748327178 Today's Speakers: Dylan Haugen (Host) - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dylanhaugen23/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dylanhaugen23 Travis Reynolds (Co-Host) - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/travisdunks/ YouTube: ​⁠ #dunktalkpodcast

In this episode of the Dunk Talk Podcast, host Dylan Haugen and co-host Hunter Castona sit down with elite dunker Dillan McCarthy for a wide-ranging conversation following one of the most eye-opening milestones in modern vertical jump history: a verified 50-inch vertical at 19 years old. Dillan walks through his athletic background, from volleyball-only roots and his first dunk at 16 to becoming one of the youngest athletes ever to reach the 50-inch mark. The discussion traces his early, extreme training habits, including daily max-effort jumping, massive volume in the weight room, and how those years shaped both his physical capacity and mindset.The episode digs deep into how Dillan’s approach has evolved. He explains the shift from chaotic, ultra-high-volume training to more structured work under professional guidance, how low-rim dunking and weighted ball work transformed his hand speed, and why refining technique has become just as important as raw power. Dillan also breaks down the session that led to his 50-inch test, his experience earning the Dunk Camp’s Black Band, and what it was like training alongside some of the most knowledgeable jump coaches and dunkers in the world.The conversation closes with a forward-looking look at what’s next: chasing a 51-inch test, pushing toward the limits of human jumping, and attempting never-before-seen elbow dunk variations. This episode offers a rare look at what happens when extreme athletic ability meets relentless curiosity and long-term vision. If you’re fascinated by elite jumping, dunk evolution, or what it really takes to push human limits, this is an episode you don’t want to miss.Support the Dunk Talk Podcast:Website: https://dunktalks.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dunktalksTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dunktalkpodcastX: https://x.com/dunktalkpodcastFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/The-Dunk-Talk-61577990706901/Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4737NyBcPveHp3CAftdj5i?si=g7RCdo7RQ72kYjf0daGOggListen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dunk-talk/id1748327178Today's Speakers:Dylan Haugen (Host) -Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dylanhaugen23/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dylanhaugen23Hunter Castona (Co-Host) - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hunter.dunks/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hunterdunksDillan McCarthy (Guest) - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dillan_mccarthy/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DillanMcCarthy50 #dunktalkpodcast

Today in Episode 66 of the Dunk Talk Podcast, Dylan Haugen goes solo to break down his training evolution, injuries, and lessons from the past year. He reflects on how turning 18 has reshaped his approach to lifting, recovery, and jump volume, sharing how his body has adapted to heavier loads and smarter, more intentional training.Dylan takes listeners through his full journey—from discovering dunking as a kid, to winning contests and building consistency through structured programming with JumpX. He talks about his highs, like hitting new dunk milestones and contest wins, and the challenges of dealing with ankle and knee setbacks. Along the way, he shares insights on deep squats, deloading phases, managing fatigue, and redefining what productive training means.With honesty and detail, Dylan opens up about balancing school, digital marketing work, and dunking, while planning smarter recovery strategies for 2026. Tune in for a grounded look at what it takes to grow as an athlete, stay disciplined through setbacks, and keep pushing toward the next level of performance.Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dunk-talk-w-dylan-haugen/id1748327178Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4737NyBcPveHp3CAftdj5i?si=g7RCdo7RQ72kYjf0daGOggToday's Speakers:Dylan Haugen (Host) -Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dylanhaugen23/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DylanHaugen23Website: https://dylan-haugen.com/

In this episode of the Dunk Talk Podcast, host Dylan Haugen and co-host Hunter Castona sit down with fellow Midwest dunker Nolan Larson for one of the most raw, in-depth conversations yet. The three dive into Nolan’s athletic roots, from mini-hoop battles in his childhood to his evolution as a high-flying Wisconsin dunker who captured attention with viral sessions and a show-stopping performance at Wisconsin Dunk Camp.Nolan shares the full arc of his journey — his early drive to jump higher, the moment he landed his first dunk, the grind that took him to elite-level sessions, and the injuries that tested his limits both physically and mentally. His story offers a rare look at the highs of peak performance and the harsh reality of dealing with long-term back injuries that ultimately changed his life.What follows is a conversation about creativity, identity, and resilience. Nolan opens up about rediscovering purpose through golf and music, the irreplaceable support of the dunking community, and the joy of helping others chase their first dunk. It’s one of the most powerful and heartfelt episodes of Dunk Talk yet — a reminder that even when your path changes, the passion to create never fades.Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dunk-talk-w-dylan-haugen/id1748327178Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4737NyBcPveHp3CAftdj5i?si=g7RCdo7RQ72kYjf0daGOggToday's Speakers:Dylan Haugen (Host) -Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dylanhaugen23/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DylanHaugen23Website: https://dylan-haugen.com/Hunter Castona (Co-Host) - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hunter.dunks/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hunterdunksNolan Larson (Guest) - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nolanrlarson/

In Episode 64 of Dunk Talk, Dylan Haugen and Hunter Castona sit down with brothers Jordan and Ethan Pimstone to tell a story that feels almost unreal but is completely real: Ethan went from casual LA Fitness runs to a 47.5-inch vertical and his first Eastbay—all within months. Jordan, who doubles as his brother and coach, walks through the process: rehabbing jumper’s knee, cutting unnecessary weight-room fatigue, and managing a nervous system so wired that one heavy set could ruin a whole session. Ethan shares what that journey looked like from the inside—tapering and carb-loading before Dunk Camp 2025, testing a 12′1″ touch with a 0.23-second ground contact, and realizing mid-jump that he might have something truly special. They go deep on the real mechanics of progress: short, high-quality dunk sessions instead of marathon jump days, controlled lifting that leaves room for recovery, and steady skill work on low rims to build hand speed. You’ll hear how Ethan built his dunk package from scratch—first clean windmills, then Eastbays, now chasing 360 variations and underboths—and why Jordan believes 50 inches is within reach if the system stays this disciplined. If you want the full backstory on how Jordan built this training philosophy, go watch our earlier episode with Jordan Pimstone—it sets up everything you hear here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-sjLW2KLLs Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dunk-talk-w-dylan-haugen/id1748327178 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4737NyBcPveHp3CAftdj5i?si=g7RCdo7RQ72kYjf0daGOgg Today's Speakers: Dylan Haugen (Host) - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dylanhaugen23/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dylanhaugen23 Website: https://dylan-haugen.com/ Hunter Castona (Co-Host) - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hunter.dunks/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hunterdunks Ethan Pimstone (Guest) - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ethanpimstone1/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Ethan_Pimstone Jordan Pimstone (Guest) - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jp.dunks/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Jp.dunkss

Welcome back to the Dunk Talk Podcast! In Episode 63, host Dylan Haugen sits down with rising dunker Bishop Ukata (@takeoffcinco), one of the most underrated young athletes in the dunking scene. In this episode, Bishop shares his full dunk journey—from discovering dunking through legends like Connor Barth, Jordan Southerland, and Guy Dupuy, to grinding on low rims in his grandma’s backyard, battling knee pain, and eventually leveling up through JumpMaster X training. We dive into: - Bishop’s late start in basketball and transition into competitive high school and college hoops - His first dunk at age 13 and the breakthrough moment of hitting windmills, Eastbays, and 360s - How he became versatile across all plants (left-right, right-left, and one-foot takeoff) - His progress hitting advanced dunks like under both legs, behind-the-back, scorpion, and black band attempts - The role weight training played in taking his vertical from 40" to 44"+ - Short-term goals (black band, 540s, reverse Eastbay) and long-term dreams like dunk contests, dunk camp, and holy grail dunks like hide-and-seek and under-both elbow Bishop is just getting started, and this conversation shows why he’s a name to watch in the dunk community.