With a running vertical of 45 inches, 6-foot-10 BYU basketball forward Atiki Ally Atiki (’25) plays feet above the rim, a fingertip away from the top of the backboard (13 feet). His jumping ability launches him into the atmosphere of legends like Michael Jordan (48 inches), Wilt Chamberlain (48 inches), and Dr. J (41 inches).
The Swahili- and English-speaking artist, pool shark, and soccer fan leapt from his home in Mwanza, Tanzania, to play prep basketball in Canada for two years before joining BYU men’s basketball in 2021. The forward is quickly developing into a formidable defender. He described his own strengths succinctly—and humbly—in a KSL NewsRadio interview: “I’m long. I can block shots. I can grab rebounds. And I can score a little bit.”
45 Inches: Compared to NBA combine marks, Atiki’s running vertical would rank as third highest of all time. The average NBA player’s running vertical is 28 inches. The current NBA combine record (2021) is 48 inches, set by Keon Johnson.
9-foot-2: Atiki’s standing reach. His wingspan is 7-foot-3.
3: Generations represented in his name: Ally is his father’s name, Atiki his grandfather’s.
