The Unseen Footage

by Justin Walsh

Ryan “Special FX” Williams and Taurian “Mr. 720” Fontenette have hops, we get it. They played on the AND1 Mixtape Tour, then the BALL4REAL Tour. A lesser-known fact: They played D1 basketball.

Before he was known for his signature dunks, the 720 and the 360 between-the-legs, Taurian was on the daily grind. He played basketball at three different colleges including a stint with UTEP. He was a role player who did whatever the coached asked–rebound, defend, suck the air out of the building with a dunk.

Ryan wasn’t always defined by his hops. In 1999, he captained the Cardozo High School squad that won the PSAL championship. He was a Top 15 prep recruit. He played two years at Monroe, a junior college in the Bronx. His final year at Monroe he averaged 18 points and 11 boards, sending his team to a fourth place finish at the NCJAA tournament. Soon After, FX transferred to St. John’s University in the Big East. Though not a starter, Ryan averaged 44 percent shooting with 43 percent accuracy from the trifecta.

Most Recently, Ryan competed in the EuroBasket summer-league, his team becoming Salt Lake City Champions. Both Taurian and Ryan are currently on the loaded dunk squad, Team Flight Brothers. Here’s to hoping one of them can nail the dunk thought only in video games, the double-between-the-legs. Until then, watch their heads rise over the rim on just about every dunk in this previously unaired footage of the two on the BALL4REAL Tour.