Up in the air: Life as a professional dunker

Those crusty basketball purists lament that the dunk is "worth only two points," but in this case, it wasn't even worth that, as the games go by "ones."

Jon Wertheim | Nov 15, 2013

Up in the air: Life as a professional dunker /

Those crusty basketball purists lament that the dunk is "worth only two points," but in this case, it wasn't even worth that, as the games go by "ones." Still, the rarest of sounds momentarily descended on The Cage.

Chris Staples, who never played college basketball, has parlayed his athleticism into a career as a dunker. — Chris Staples, who never played college basketball, has parlayed his athleticism into a career as a dunker / James Chiang

Chris Staples says he'd have no trouble winning an NBA Slam Dunk Contest. — Chris Staples says he'd have no trouble winning an NBA Slam Dunk Contest / James Chiang

"People say, Why aren't you in the NBA? Well, playing in the NBA, that's one job in basketball. And I have another job in basketball," Staples says. "They're both great. I'm doing what I love and I make people happy. And, I mean, it's not like I'm struggling. The way I look at it: I'm a normal guy. It's just that I'm blessed with being able to fly. For a little bit, anyway."

Published Nov 15, 2013

JON WERTHEIM

Jon Wertheim is a senior writer for Sports Illustrated and has been part of the full-time SI writing staff since 1997, largely focusing on the tennis beat , sports business and social issues, and enterprise journalism. In addition to his work at SI, he is a correspondent for "60 Minutes" and a commentator for The Tennis Channel. He has authored 11 books and has been honored with two Emmys, numerous writing and investigative journalism awards, and the Eugene Scott Award from the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Wertheim is a longtime member of the New York Bar Association (retired), the International Tennis Writers Association and the Writers Guild of America. He has a bachelor's in history from Yale University and received a law degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He resides in New York City with his wife, who is a divorce mediator and adjunct law professor. They have two children.