Stunt dunker Hunter Minahan cheers on his teammate, Guy Jackson, as he flips to a soaring dunk Saturday. The Acrodunkers, a group of professional acrobats, performed for a crowd of about 80. Photo by Tyrin Bradley
A professional athlete’s dream comes true by joining a basketball performance squad.
By Richard Montemayor
rmontemayor15@student.alamo.edu
Making its debut at the 66th annual San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo is a world-renowned, high-energy and high-flying basketball performance squad known as Acrodunk.
The Houston squad was founded in 1994 by Jerry L. Burrell, who was a mascot for the Houston Rockets and has a passion for entertaining.
Since then, Acrodunk has traveled around the globe putting on shows and performing on television shows like “America’s Got Talent.”
Since its founding, the team has grown to 30 members with multiple teams on tour.
Richard Smith, a Houston native, said his goal was to be a professional athlete.
“Unfortunately, football never really panned out for me in college, but I had the opportunity to start with a cheer squad with a scholarship,” Smith said.
A love of performing and experience being in a cheer squad landed Smith a job cheering with the Houston Rockets. “I was able to become a member of the Launch Crew spirit squad to later elevate my career by joining Acrodunk to reach my goal of becoming a professional athlete,” Smith said.
Burrell is always looking for new talent.
Smith said, “We have a number of guys that join from a number of different backgrounds who are former basketball, football and gymnastics athletes who have a passion for entertaining.”
“If you want to see highly entertaining acrobats doing amazing dunks while witnessing amazing, high-flying feats, then you need to check out Acrodunk.”
Acrodunk will be in town for the remainder of the rodeo with show times at 2 p.m., 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m., 2 p.m., 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
The demonstrations are next to the Joe and Harry Freeman Coliseum across from the Texas Wildlife Expo tent and the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo Hall of Fame tent.
For more information, log on to acrodunk.com, call Impact Entertainment Inc. at 281-467-2288 or email jb@acrodunk.com.
