Taurian Fontenette
Encyclopedia
Taurian J. Fontenette also known as "Air Up There" and "Mr. 720", is a streetball
player from Hitchcock
, Texas
. He is a former player on the AND1 Mixtape
and Ball4Real
Tours. Fontenette recently signed a contract to play for the Dallas Generals
of the American Basketball Association. He is 6'2" tall and weighs 185 pounds. Fontenette attended Hitchcock High School (Class of 2000) and attended three different colleges: UTEP in 2000-01, Richland Junior College in 2001-04, and Paul Quinn College
in 2004-05. His original streetball name was "Air Up There", but due to naming rights claimed by AND1, he goes by "Mr. 720", "Birdman", and "Way Up There."
As his nickname implies, Fontenette is best known for his leaping and dunking
ability. During the AND1 game in Houston, Texas
in 2006, Fontenette stunned fans by performing the first ever widely-documented 720-degree dunk. Video clips of the feat have been shown on ESPN
's SportsCenter
and also have been widely distributed over the internet. He's also well known for his signature dunk, the axle-rider (a.k.a. the 360-degree between-the-legs), which he says he did before everyone else back in his high school days. Fontenette is considered by some to be one of the best dunkers ever due to his sole ability to do a 720 degree dunk and the ease with which he can perform his axle-rider dunk (such as in games and on breakaways).
Streetball
Streetball or street basketball is a variation of the sport of basketball, typically played on outdoor courts and featuring significantly less by way of formal structure and enforcement of the game's rules...
player from Hitchcock
Hitchcock, Texas
Hitchcock is a city in Galveston County, Texas, United States. The population was 6,386 at the 2000 census.-History:Hitchcock was created as a station of the railroad between Galveston and Houston in 1873 and around the turn of the 20th century became a vegetable shipping center...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. He is a former player on the AND1 Mixtape
AND1 Mixtape Tour
The AND1 Live Tour, formerly known as the AND1 Mixtape Tour, is a traveling basketball competition and exhibition presented by B-Ball and Company and the basketball apparel manufacturer AND1. A group of streetball players, along with Emcee Rell and B-Ball and Company CEO Linda Hill, travel from...
and Ball4Real
Ball4Real
Ball4Real was the name of a traveling basketball exhibition and competition which made its debut in June 2007. A group of well known streetball players traveled from city to city to challenge teams composed of local talent...
Tours. Fontenette recently signed a contract to play for the Dallas Generals
Dallas Generals
The Dallas Generals was a team of the American Basketball Association that began play in the 2009-10 season. The franchise was owned by entertainment industry veteran Keio Gamble. The team's home games were played at Fair Park Coliseum in Dallas, Texas. The team ceased operations in January 2010...
of the American Basketball Association. He is 6'2" tall and weighs 185 pounds. Fontenette attended Hitchcock High School (Class of 2000) and attended three different colleges: UTEP in 2000-01, Richland Junior College in 2001-04, and Paul Quinn College
Paul Quinn College
Paul Quinn College is a private, historically black college located in the Oak Cliff area of Dallas, Texas . Paul Quinn College holds the distinction as the oldest historically black college in the country west of the Mississippi River...
in 2004-05. His original streetball name was "Air Up There", but due to naming rights claimed by AND1, he goes by "Mr. 720", "Birdman", and "Way Up There."
As his nickname implies, Fontenette is best known for his leaping and dunking
Slam dunk
A slam dunk is a type of basketball shot that is performed when a player jumps in the air and manually powers the ball downward through the basket with one or both hands over the rim. This is considered a normal field goal attempt; if successful it is worth two points. The term "slam dunk" was...
ability. During the AND1 game in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
in 2006, Fontenette stunned fans by performing the first ever widely-documented 720-degree dunk. Video clips of the feat have been shown on ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
's SportsCenter
SportsCenter
SportsCenter is a daily sports news television show, and the flagship program of American cable network ESPN since the network launched on September 7, 1979. Originally broadcast only daily, SportsCenter is now shown up to twelve times a day, replaying the day's scores and highlights from major...
and also have been widely distributed over the internet. He's also well known for his signature dunk, the axle-rider (a.k.a. the 360-degree between-the-legs), which he says he did before everyone else back in his high school days. Fontenette is considered by some to be one of the best dunkers ever due to his sole ability to do a 720 degree dunk and the ease with which he can perform his axle-rider dunk (such as in games and on breakaways).