GREGORY L. MUELLER

Mueller at 2011 Univ. S. Carolina performance

ACRODUNK would not be what it is if not for the contribution of the performers who have blessed us with their giftedness.  Gregory Mueller is one of many who have made a particular mark.  As I think about the progress we’ve made, the challenges we’ve overcome and the future that lies ahead of us - I am reminded of how strong we are because of Greg being on our team.

His maturity, professionalism and presentation skills are just the beginning of the depth of his abilities.  As an MC, he is polished, knowledgeable, professional and thorough.  He is able to develop rapport with all the various audiences we perform for from 1st graders at elementary schools to families gathered at festivals and fairs to millions of viewers watching us on TV.

More than all of his other skills and abilities, the core of Greg’s effectiveness is that he is a problem solver.

He quickly considers the tools we need,  the skills we need and the people we should call.  He has the uncanny ability to quickly see a variety of options and assess their viability in light of the objective we want to achieve.  Because he understands what ACRODUNK is about, he is also quickly able to consider and then discard those options that would compromise our integrity and go against what we stand for.  

As an acrobatic dunker, Mueller is a double through the legs master.  His signature ability is that he can finish any pass with a double through the legs dunk.  Any pass!  As a non gymnast, Mueller had to go way out of his comfort zone to learn how to flip dunk.  Over the years and 1000’s of shows later, he can pretty much flip dunk blind folded and clutch-dunk solo and off the pass.

There is a certain level of comfort that comes from having teammates that know what the hell they are doing and will pick up the slack when necessary.  Mueller is one of the few players in the game that can do it all.  Having provided leadership over the course of many hundreds of shows, he has experienced a multitude of challenges that give him a breadth and scope of experience unmatched by others in the game.

There are students enrolled in college right now because they were inspired by Greg Mueller.  There are young people pursuing their dreams right now because they were convinced that they matter by Greg Mueller.  There are dudes in the acrobatic dunk game who have taken their skills to a higher level because they were taking notes from Greg Mueller.

Not to discount any of our other teammates who all bring something special to the table, I have often thought how much greater our team would be if we had a few more Greg Muellers in the mix.  Greg, thank you for being the amazingly committed teammate that you have been over the years.  ACRODUNK and I appreciate you!

Check out the video below with Mueller heading the effort to make a difference in the lives of a local Houston Family.  As we were preparing to set a world record, our biggest challenge was what to do with the basketballs after we dunked them so we wouldn't land on them.  His suggestion to create a chute of some kind to carry the balls out of the performance area is what ultimately led to the ingenious solution we ended up using.

REV_L_TION! Gamecocks Style

The 5-man version of our show REV_L_TION! is a challenge. We performed it last night at the University of South Carolina Men's game and the Gamecock fans loved it. It is not perfect yet but it definitely has just the right mixture of action, humor, suspense and amazement.

Because there are no breaks in the action, it requires that each of us be at the top of our game to pull it off. It goes without saying that not all of us is going to be at the top of our game everynight. Someone will be under the weather, someone will have an upset stomach, someone will have distractions from home, someone will have a sore this or a sprained that. But, as I mentioned the show requires that ALL of us be at the top of our game nightly to pull it off.

That is the challenge. What it means is that we have to dig deep on those nights when everyone is not "on". In last nights show 3D, GT and I were huffing and puffing and we still had 3 more dunks to go.

I remember the shows we used to do where we did a dunk and just clapped until we did another dunk and just clapped while we caught our breath until we did another dunk and on and on and on. No challenge to it. I don't miss those days, I just know I have to train harder to deliver better with this new show.

The interesting thing is that because 99.9% of the population can't do what we do, we could still do that old show and get mad love. But if audiences saw both shows side by side, the differences would be like night is to the day. The showmanship, the seamlessness, the delivery and the passion of our new show are all at such an elevated level - the old show would feel tired and dated in comparison.

It certainly helps to have the audience pulling for you and willing the ball into position with every pass. When you give it all like we do night in and night out, we've discovered the audience stands by you through thick and thin. Thanks Gamecock fans, you made performing for you so much fun and we appreciate the standing ovation!

Hospitality in the UAE

Hospitality. The dictionary definition is: cordial reception, kindness in welcoming guests or strangers.

During our trip to Abu Dhabi and Dubai, we were definitely the recipients of massive doses of hospitality. KHP, the company that hosted us, has a roster of incredible people on it's team. From Marie, who greeted us at the airport, to Holly, who met us every morning with such a refreshing attitude, to Laura who took care of us at Formula 1 and Vicki, who tag-teamed with Laura, to Chloe and Silke, and Amanda. Each of these KHP team members contributed to making us feel special and there is something to be said for feeling like you are in good hands.

There were so many other wonderful people that were hospitable that reached out to us and made us feel special.

Fahd who went out of his way to insure that we had a great time in Abu Dhabi. The concerts to the rides to the hotel, to dinner, to just being kind and looking out for us. Thanks Fahd, you helped turn our visit into so much more.

Fadi who met us in Dubai and spent 1-1/2 days showing us the city and giving us background and insight and behind the scenes access and who sat in the emergency room and waited with us, when he could have been doing something so much more fun. Fadi, you are the man! We appreciate you.

Rachelle, you and Clint made Dubai even more cool. There is a sense that Dubai is all about appearance with little else. Yall gave our visit warmth and substance and at the end of the day a tall building or a huge fountain or massive mall just doesn't compare to becoming friends with special people. Thanks to you both.

Helena, Marwon, Swat Crew, Mighty 4, B-Boy Tommee, Jaffer, Nadim, Raz, Tom, MG, Dj Adned, DJ Chef, FireForce, Dan Magness, Mali, Sandra, Ola and so many more made our 2 weeks in the UAE an amazing experience and for that we are grateful to you all.

ACRODUNK CHEMISTRY

ACRODUNK H-Town

We received some feedback from a school show that was done recently. Here is what a principal said,

“Our students loved the ACRODUNK performance. This was the first assembly the students have thanked me for afterwards.”

This is great feedback and in another letter from the faculty and students of this same school we were told,

“Amazing entertainment! We love ACRODUNK!...The students were captivated by the stunts as well as the personalities of the show. The message delivered by ACRODUNK was not only spoken with words but also demonstrated throughout the show....Great job ACRODUNK!...Keep up the great work and we look forward to watching your show become America’s favorite entertainment.”

“Captivated.” What a great way to describe their students reaction. This is the kind of message that tells us we are doing something right and encourages us to strive for excellence everytime we get the opportunity to perform in front of an audience.

We have been performing for schools for 15 years and are grateful for the many similar letters we have received over the years. What makes this one so cool is that neither I nor Greg Mueller were a part of this performance. Byron Thomas, Keith Brown and Sadiki Fuller were also not a part of this performance.

This performance was delivered by a team that had their first show together 3 and a half weeks prior to the show at this school. Greg (GT), Josh (3D) and Matt (Marzo) have been blowing up the spot during our SPORT OF THINKING school tour and show no signs of slowing down. While each of these guys has years of entertainment under his belt, it was only 1 month ago from the writing of this blog that they began working as a 3-man team to carry out this tour.

It would be easy to say the tour has been a success because of the systems we have in place for training and running the tour or the legacy we all strive to uphold. It would be easy to point to GT’s experience with school tours or each guys desire to be effective or even my and Greg Mueller’s influence. While all of those are part of it, I am excited to realize that most of the reason for the tour’s success is Chemistry and that these guys love what they do - and they are great at it!

There is real chemistry that exists between these guys on and off the court and when on the court, it is evident that they are having a blast and the audiences connect with that. Each of these guys has individual strengths that when combined make them a powerful force to be reckoned with.

I especially like that in the midst of the early mornings, the long stretches behind the steering wheel, the sleeping in a different bed almost every night, the non-breakaway rims, the heat, the cold, the aches, the pains, the warming up and cooling down and the missing of families and friends - GT, 3D and Marzo still have the desire to make the show better.

I salute GT, 3D and Marzo for taking ownership as they recruit young people into the Sport Of Thinking. Keep up the great work! The Legacy Continues.

The Michael Jordan of Acrodunking

I read an article recently that referred to me, Jerry Burrell, as the Michael Jordan of Acrodunking. (http://www.peterrobertcasey.com/2008_12_01_archive.html look at the December 8, 2008 posting) At first I thought, “Wow, that’s cool that someone appreciates what I do/have done enough to be generous with their praise.” Then as I thought about it, i began to see that this person’s opinion has some merit.

If you’re sensitve about these issues - this is where you begin to seethe and think “how dare he compare himself to Michael Jordan”, but if you will just walk with me maybe you will see that I did not make the comparison, I am just providing info to support it and maybe you will see the comparison without the emotion that currently has you bent out of shape.

Michael Jordan is one of many basketball players good enough to make it to the NBA and make a name for himself. He joined a sport that had been around for a while and took things to a higher level. He not only made a name for himself, he transformed himself over the years and in some ways transformed the game and those around him. I am one of a handful of athletes good enough to make it to the NBA mascot world that included a form of entertainment that had been around for a while and make a name for myself and in some ways transformed the game of NBA mascot dunking and those around me.

It goes without saying that with the help from Nike and his teammates, Michael Jordan became a household name and many would say he is the best to have ever played the game. He did things no one else did at the time but that many are doing now. He was relentless in his determination to win and this drove him to make things happen by any means necessary. People around him almost out of necessity became better players just to keep up.

He was not just an excellent individual player, he inspired those on his team to strive for excellence. He set the example for the kind of work that was necessary to be great. Physically he was gifted, but I will suggest that it was his mental acuity that led to his greatness. His attitude, his focus, his determination and his desire to win.

I am not an avid NBA fan but I know enough about Michael Jordan to know that it was his attitude, his work ethic and his passion for the game that made him who he was.

Back to the comparison.

Those who know me, know that I rarely toot my own horn. I will talk about ACRODUNK all day long and how awesome the team is but I rarely focus on my achievements. I let the videos, articles and others do the talking for me. Having said that, bear with me as the horn toots.

Prior to 1993, acrobatic slam dunk performers were not dunking from the free throw line. Very few ball transfers were being done and dunking without the trampoline by an NBA mascot was unheard of. From 1992 when I started dunking to 1995 when the Rockets won their second NBA Championship and I was dunking as TURBO, more innovations were introduced to the world of solo acrobatic slam dunking than the entire decade after that.

That is a bold statement, but I challenge anyone to refute it with facts, not opinion.

See the following:

http://www.youtube.com/acrodunktv#p/u/26/xNry33J0KiI

http://www.youtube.com/acrodunktv#p/u/23/csLv1F87iic

http://www.youtube.com/acrodunktv#p/u/25/UOh9CnAaTSE

http://www.youtube.com/acrodunktv#p/u/24/mefN222fl6U

http://www.youtube.com/acrodunktv#p/u/17/mLAx-VKGfSs

http://www.youtube.com/acrodunktv#p/u/21/zmf0MOgb36Y

Here is the partial list of acrobatic slam dunk innovations that were introduced during that 3 year span:

-Dunking from the free throw line and beyond

-Dunking from 1 mini trampoline to another mini trampoline (not double-mini)

-Flip dunking from 1 mini-trampoline to another mini-trampoline

-Flipping from the floor onto the mini trampoline into flip dunks

-Double transfers (Double thru the legs, around the back thru the legs, etc)

-Front flips with transfers (Front flip thru the legs, front flip double thru the legs)

-Roller blade dunks off ramp with transfers and alley oops

-Front flip dunks on roller blades off ramp

-Rappel dunks from the rafters

-Swinging rappel dunks from the rafters

-Two ball front flip dunks

-Two ball 360 dunks

-Layout and pike front flip dunks

-Back flip dunks off the backboard

-Back flip dunks off 16 foot ladder

-Front flip dunks through 12 x 8 ft paper banners

-Front flip dunks through banners with the basketball on the blind side of the banner

-Two-man dunk shows as part of mascot performance

-Creation of the blueprint for NBA dunk teams

-Front flip dunk over 10 ft. ladder

Many of these innovations that were introduced 15-17 years ago are still being done by acrobatic slam dunkers today and some are still refreshing to see.

With the founding of our acrobatic slam dunk team, the High “Impact” Squad in 1994 and later ACRODUNK, even more innovations to team acrobatic slam dunking were introduced. Team TURBO, the Houston Rockets Dunk Team (1996-2003) populated by members of the High “Impact” Squad is the reason there are so many NBA branded Dunk teams around the league.

Acrobatic slam dunkers around the world were studying whatever footage they could get their hands on of TURBO and the High “Impact” Squad.

This was pre-youtube, so it was “hard to get” footage. But it was out there and those who really wanted it were finding it.

I think the main point of comparison between myself and Michael Jordan is that in his game, he was doing things nobody else could come close to doing at the time and he was executing them on a consistent basis in pressure situations LIVE in front of audiences. There are players now that strive to stake their claim like Michael Jordan staked his. Michael Jordan in some ways changed the game of basketball and redefined what was possible.

I believe it is fair to say that in the acrobatic slam dunk game, WE did things nobody else could come close to doing at the time and WE did them season in and season out. There are acrobatic slam dunkers that now strive to stake their claim like WE staked ours. We changed the acrobatic slam dunk game and redefined what is possible.

See how I switched to WE. I was the person on the court performing the amazing but it was all the help off the court that made it possible. Guys like Winn Molnari, Eli Akin, Scott Budge, Kenny Smith, Bill Baptiste, John Leach and later the original members of the High “Impact” Squad - Sadiki Fuller, Keith Brown and Byron Thomas. Of course, I was inspired by Ty Cobb, the creator of acrobatic slam dunking, and his team of Daredevils. There are a couple of other “pioneers” that inspired me like Bob Woolf who made a name for the Phoenix Suns Gorilla and Mike Zerillo who put Super HUGO on the map for the Charlotte/New Orleans Hornets. Both of these guys were teammates of mine at Arizona State University and they blazed trails that I was able to walk into.

Since the words ACRODUNKING, ACRODUNK and ACRODUNKER were coined by me, if there is a Michael Jordan of ACRODUNKING, why not me - the guy that not only changed the game but also coined the word.

So if someone thinks I could be the Michael Jordan of Acrodunking, who am I to argue against it. From this point forward, I embrace it.

I wonder if Michael Jordan gets told that he is the Jerry Burrell of basketball ; )

What do you think?

BE GREAT!

ACRODUNK DNA

I met a guy recently who is entering his second season as an acrobatic slam dunker for an NBA team. Let's call him Danny (not his real name). He mentioned to me that when he saw ACRODUNK on America's Got Talent, he decided he wanted to do what we he saw us doing on the show. It just so happened that his local NBA team was having auditions to form a dunk team and he tried out. He made the team, got through one season and was now speaking to me at an event where he and his teammates were participating in a training session that myself and my teammates were facilitating.

As the training session transitioned to the point where Danny and his teammates began watching us rehearse, I noticed the look on Danny's face as he witnessed 4 of the top acrobatic slam dunkers in the world preparing for their show that night.

Gregory Mueller, Jason Skillern, Eddie Johnson and Jesus El were putting on a clinic that not only Danny and his teammates enjoyed but the players and staff of the college team we were performing for were recording on their phone cameras.

I realized what a blessing it is to be on the journey I am currently on. Sadiki Fuller was a member of our team who became the mascot for the Golden State Warriors. While at the Warriors, he trained Jesus and Eddie at the same time that Greg and Jason were being trained in Houston. If Sadiki and I were brothers in the ACRODUNK family, then what I and Danny were witnessing that night were ACRODUNK cousins that had taken things to whole new level.

From Greg Muellers fake out thru the leg dunk that seemed to float horizontally for minutes to Jason Skillern's reverse that made it appear like he jumped from the rafters. From Eddie Johnson's Eagle dunk (front flip with double through the leg transfer) to Jesus El's Pop Tart (toss to front flip to catch dunk) and Freeze Frame dunk ( Strike a pose mid-air dunk), the pre-show audience was getting a rare glimpse of the result of ACRODUNK ingenuity.

There is this trait that runs through the DNA of ACRODUNK that propels those who come through our system to not settle for less than their absolute best when it comes to being innovative and revolutionary. Danny, his teammates and I witnessed it on this occasion and I was forced to see that I get the opportunity to witness it everytime we hit the floor.

While we may have a set show structure and format which some teams have adopted as their own, I like the fact that guys will style it up from time to time with variations on finishes and passes. Sometimes it's the small things that turn a basic dunk into something much more entertaining. Like a slight turn of the head with the arm at a different angle to make what would have been a weak dunk into a quasi-reverse.

So as I watched Danny take it all in with a smile on his face, I couldn't help but notice that I was smiling too and for the same reason - Watching ACRODUNK perform is inspiring.

BE GREAT!

Can A Non-Gymnast Become an Acrobatic Slam Dunker

From time to time I get asked if a person has to be a gymnast to become an acrobatic slam dunker. Since I flipped out of the womb and have been flipping ever since, this question initially caused me to step outside of myself and consider the possibilities.

I now know without even thinking about it - NO! Being a gymnast is NOT a prerequisite for being a trampoline dunker. Having gymnastics training certainly helps to shorten the learning curve but I have determined that one just needs to be athletic and have desire.

I am reminded, as I think about some of the performers that have come through the ACRODUNK system, that physical ability is a necessity but heart and desire is what takes a guy from just being able to do dunk shows to being able to WOW!

Eli Akin, Gregory Mueller, and Alain Anderson were not gymnasts but became crowd pleasing extreme dunkers. The common denominators for each of these guys is physical ability and a passion for entertaining. Each of them had different learning curves but all of them were able to include a front flip dunk in their repertoire. One or more of them have mastered the “afro” pass (front flip off the glass), the barani pass, or the clutch dunk (front flip through the leg) which all require an acrobatic mindset.

My training began in the backyard. I flipped off fences and tree stumps and roofs before I ever set foot in a gymnastics gym. It was for the love of the jump that I flipped almost as much as I walked or ran. Keith Brown was a gifted gymnast who trained at Houston’s Gymnast Factory and benefitted from the expertise of Keven Mazeika (2008 USA Men’s Gymnastics Team Heach Coach). Keith was one of the first guys I approached to be a part of our team. It turned out that he had a friend, Sadiki Fuller, who was more of a backyard gymnast that also liked the idea of being a part of an acrobatic slam dunk team. Both of these guys were definitely gymnasts but the first guy to ever perform with me as part of our team was Eli Akin, a basketball player and definitely a non-gymnast.

The first 5 touring performers for our team consisted of me, a backyard gymnast that got classical gymnastics training, Eli Akin - a 6 foot plus basketball player that had to develop his ability to flip, Keith Brown - a classically trained gymnast with mad skills, who could also play basketball, Sadiki Fuller- a 6 foot plus backyard tumbler that could play basketball and got most of his gymnastics training in public school classes, and Byron Thomas - a pure athlete who was also a backyard tumbler that could do anything athletic from basketball to football, track to baseball, soccer to fencing, badminton to chess - whatever. (I’m only exaggerating a tiny bit)

More than athletic ability, these guys all had a deep down desire to entertain, to get air, to wow audiences to “blow them away” we used to say. Other than myself and Keith, the level of elite or classical gymnastics training was pretty shallow.

As more classically trained gymnasts auditioned to be dunkers for our team (and there have not been many), I noticed that these gymnasts had to unlearn a few things to become more effective as acrobatic slam dunk entertainers.

There is a level of rigidity in classical gymnastics. The “toes pointed, legs straight” thing for some is hard to ditch. I had to unlearn some of this myself but for me it was not a conscious unlearning. It was that I transitioned to a smoother, more fluid and cooler swagger than that of the robotic “salute the judge, do your routine, stick your dismount” style of a classically trained gymnast. I had guys like Eli Akin and a whole league of NBA players that I was taking notes from.

So, you do not have to be a gymnast to be an effective acrobatic slam dunk entertainer. A gymnastics background will definitely shorten your learning curve when it comes to the acrobatic part but even without any gymnastics training, you can learn that.

Over the past 5 years, I have learned some acrobatic skills that I had never done before. I will admit that the foundation built through years of flipping helped me but what truly made it happen, came from the heart. All those non gymnasts out there that have excelled as acrobatic slam dunkers know exactly what I’m talking about.

Check out www.acrodunk.com to see some gymnasts and non-gymnasts as acrobatic slam dunkers.

Be Great!