On a sleepy Saturday morning, most of the Oklahoma City Blue's players have cleared off the court. J.P. Tokoto remains.
The 22-year-old is dripping sweat off his slender 6-foot-6½-inch frame (says Tokoto: “my hair is 6-7”). He practices offensive moves around the paint with an assistant, flipping in a few shots from close range. It's standard post-practice work … until Tokoto takes one step and launches into that 43-inch vertical.
The ball shoots back behind his head quickly, his elbows pointing toward the ceiling. Tokoto's twisty strands of hair peek over the rim. The dunk is spectacularly effortless, Tokoto flushing the ball through the hoop with equal amounts of violence and nonchalance.