Get to Know “Air Up There” : The World’s Best Dunk Artist!
john geoffrey dacanay October 7th, 2006 (Visited 3268 times)
Move over Vince Carter. Make way Jason Richardson. You suck Lebron James! Meet Taurian Fontenette aka "Air Up There". He is known as the man who owns the sickest dunks in all of basketball. He can do 360 degree dunks between the legs with ease, execute windmill dunks in his sleep, and eat rims for his breakfast. Air Up There is the only man in the world, at least from what I know, who can do a dunk while rotating 720 degrees in the air! (Others are disputing that it is only 540 degrees but who cares?)
The 6-2 185 pound Fontenette grew up in Galveston, Texas and attended Hitchock High School in 2000, where he was an all-conference forward. With an eye towards the NBA, he enrolled at the University of Texas at El Paso in 2001 but was a redshirt (he wasn't able to play). The next year he transferred to Richland Junior College where he played for 4 uneventful years. He averaged 14 points and 10 boards an outing and led his team to a third place national finish. He wound up his collegiate career for the Paul Quinn College in Dallas in 2004.
Fontennete worked then as a security guard at a chemical plant in Texas before giving AND 1 Tour a shot and made an impression so much that he was awarded an AND 1 Mix TapeTour endorsement contract.
In a game in Houston, he showed everyone on the stands why he should be proclaimed the next big thing in America. Towards the end of the game he took a pass from Waliyy Dixon aka Main Event, went up and threw a down a 720 degree dunk. This dunk has been seen all over Sportscenter and is widely distributed on the Internet. After the game, Fontenette admitted that it was his first time to make such dunk. He tried to execute it twice before in practice but couldn't sink one.
Fontenette appeared on ESPN's Cold Pizza where he reproduced the same dunk on a portable rim outside their studios.
His favorite dunkers of all time are Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins, Vince Carter, and most recently, James White of the Indiana Pacers. White's between the legs from the free throw line dunk was the best dunk he has ever seen but even that pales in comparison to what he has done so far.
If he makes it as an import here in the Philippines, he will bring all the excitement and drama to the big league. Ticket sales will soar and cameras will be all over the playing venue. Scalpers will be charging tickets 200 times but fans wouldn't mind. He is acknowledged as the world's greatest dunker and everyone will be anticipating his next great dunk. I bet he'll do a 1500 degree dunk or dunk with his feet the next time around.
2005 Air Up There Mix
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uj_-p51aG3M
Air Up There new footage
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Gy7cwShmi4
