John Humphrey AKA - Helicopter
From Hoopedia
Quick Facts
| Height | Weight | Position | Number | Years Played | Home Town | Home Court |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6'2" | 205 | forward | 35 | 0 | Atlantic Beach, NC | The Center (NC) |
Biography
Also playing in Japan, Helicopter played high school basketball at West Carteret before transferring to Oak Hill Academy in Virginia for his senior year. For college ball, he played at Louisburg College (NC) for two years before transferring to play Division I ball for the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders (1999-2003). He was also a finalist in last year's NCAA Final Four dunking contest, finishing in second place after missing his attempts in the final round. He has spent the last two seasons playing ball for the ABA's Las Vegas Rattlers in 2003 and the Boston Frenzy in 2004. Before leaving the Frenzy franchise, he was leading the ABA in scoring and won this years ABA Dunk Contest in Vegas finishing with his signature through the legs throwdown. He was originally referred to as "Helicopter" five years ago after winning the ACC vs. SEC All Star dunk contest, then AND 1 Mix Tape Tour MC Duke Tango brought the name "Helicopter" back after he finished several incredible dunks during the Raleigh Mix Tape Tour game in 2003. Humphrey was discovered by AND 1 at the August 7th stop of the 2003 AND 1 Mix Tape Tour in Raleigh, NC at the RBC Center. Fans and players alike were so impressed by his high-flying, dunking abilities, as well as his raw talent that he was invited on the road to be a part of the contest to search for the next street ball legend. Humphrey advanced to the final three contestants (of the ESPN show Street Ball: The AND 1 Mix Tape Tour presented by MDCR), and although he was not selected as the winner in late August, he was still invited to join the squad for a five-city European tour in September. European fans were stunned as Helicopter's amazing moves made him a crowd favorite in Paris, Barcelona, London, Milan and Frankfurt. His unbelievable dunking abilities made him all the rage overseas and an undeniable fit to sign on as an official member of the tour for 2004.
