The Waterbury Career Academy product has built a career around extraordinary athleticism, creative slam dunks and opportunities reaching from live entertainment to the NBA 2K franchise.
The Waterbury Times|Oct 15, 2026
Danbury, CT– Some basketball players make their living putting the ball through the hoop. Jonathan “Airtime” Edwards has built a career making people wonder how he got up there in the first place.
Known to many as “Jon Jon,” Edwards is a professional dunker from Waterbury whose explosive leaping ability and creativity above the rim have helped him develop an international profile. The former Waterbury Career Academy standout has turned an extraordinary athletic skill into a profession that extends well beyond the basketball court.
At 6-foot-4, Edwards is reported to have a 42-inch vertical leap. But raw athleticism tells only part of the story. His appeal comes from what he does with that elevation, combining timing, body control and imagination to transform a routine basketball finish into a performance.
His repertoire includes technically demanding dunks such as the Scorpion, the Fake Eastbay and behind-the-back finishes off the backboard. Each requires more than simply jumping high enough to reach the rim. The ball must be controlled, the movements coordinated and the finish executed in a fraction of a second.
For Edwards, the rim is not the end of the play. It is the stage.
A different kind of basketball career
Professional dunking occupies a distinctive corner of the basketball world. It draws on the athletic demands of the sport while incorporating elements of performance, showmanship and entertainment.
Edwards has pursued opportunities across that landscape, including live appearances and exhibitions. He is also associated with the Harlem Wizards, the touring basketball entertainment team known for combining athletic performances with crowd interaction and comedy.
His reported work with NBA 2K represents another avenue for translating real-world athletic ability into entertainment. As a dunk animator, Edwards uses motion-capture technology to help bring basketball movements to life in the video game franchise.
The connection is significant because the movements fans see on a screen can begin with an athlete performing them in real life. In that setting, the details matter: the takeoff, the ball transfer, the body position and the finish all contribute to making a dunk look authentic.
Edwards’ work demonstrates how specialized athletic skills can create professional opportunities beyond traditional competition.
A new stage with DUNKMAN
In July 2026, Edwards was reported to have been selected to compete in the inaugural season of DUNKMAN, a professional dunking league founded by basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal and associated with TNT broadcasts.
The league represents a new platform for dunkers seeking to turn their craft into a more structured professional competition. Rather than treating spectacular dunks as occasional highlights during a basketball game, a dedicated league puts the dunk itself at the center of the event.
For athletes whose success depends on creativity, execution and the ability to deliver a memorable performance, that distinction matters.
Edwards’ reported selection places his name in a growing conversation about the professional possibilities surrounding basketball dunking. The challenge is no longer limited to how high an athlete can jump. It is also about what that athlete can create once airborne.
Waterbury roots, worldwide reach
Edwards’ story has a local starting point. As a former Waterbury Career Academy athlete, he represents a connection between the city’s basketball community and an entertainment field that reaches audiences far beyond Connecticut.
His career also offers a different perspective on what athletic achievement can look like. Not every talented basketball player follows the familiar route through college basketball and the professional ranks. Some develop a specialized skill, build an audience and find opportunities in emerging parts of the sports and entertainment industries.
Dunking demands an unusual combination of physical ability, coordination, creativity and nerve. Performing difficult variations consistently requires practice, and doing so in front of an audience adds another layer of pressure.
That combination is what makes Edwards’ work more than a collection of highlight clips.
For a hometown audience, the appeal is straightforward: an athlete with Waterbury ties has found a way to turn a spectacular skill into a career with a growing reach.
And when Edwards takes off toward the rim, the result is a reminder that sometimes the most memorable part of basketball happens well above the floor.
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