Isaiah Rivera is considered by many to be the best active freestyle dunker in the world, pairing the highest officially tested vertical on record, an astonishing 50.5 inches, with one of the most diverse and creative dunk packages in the sport. Standing about 6-foot-2, he has spent nearly a decade as a professional dunker and is a co-founder of THP Strength, where he helps other athletes chase their own verticals.
Isaiah's story is one of relentless logic and work. He grew up jumping off bleachers in Puerto Rico, fell in love with basketball at eight, and was cut from his high school team three years in a row before finally making it his senior year. His introduction to pro dunking came at 16, when Jordan Kilganon's Crown dunk autoplayed on a school computer and, in his words, shattered his sense of what was possible. Realizing Kilganon had built his hops the same way anyone could, Isaiah committed to the path that day.
His advice to new dunkers reflects how he learned: study the history of the sport, watch the old mixes from the beginning, and rebuild the forgotten creative dunks on a low rim. Years later, Isaiah has turned that obsession into a record-setting vertical and a reputation as one of the most influential dunkers of his generation.