Video of 71-year-old GHS grad making backward half-court shot featured on AFV
This still shot was taken from a video showing former Gainesville resident Mike Dixon making a backward, half-court one-bounce basketball shot last October. The clip was aired on the March 28 episode of “America’s Funniest Home Videos.”
If you happened to be watching “America’s Funniest Home Videos” on March 28, you might have spotted a familiar face, Gainesville High School graduate Mike Dixon, class of 1972, making his national television debut, all 16 seconds of it.
Dixon was featured sinking an impressive half-court, backward, one-bounce basketball shot, swishing it cleanly through the net. Host Alfonso Ribeiro added a bit of humor, noting it only took Dixon 65 years to perfect the shot.
While the clip itself was brief, the effort behind it was anything but. Now 71 years old, Dixon said the shot was the result of about a year of dedication. Focused on staying active and healthy, he says he regularly incorporates shooting hoops into his routine.
“To stay in shape, I play basketball and shoot around a lot. For the last year, I’ve shot 120 half-court backward shots each week. It’s a great workout for your abs, and it doesn’t hurt your lower back,” he told the Times.
The now-televised moment happened almost by chance. While going through his usual backward shot-taking routine last October, he decided to start filming.
“I was standing on the deck there, about 60 feet away from the hoop, and I shot four times. The first couple hit the rim, and I couldn’t believe how close I had gotten. So, I set up my camera to film it and took another shot. That time, it bounced and went right in. It was the best shot of them all,” he said.
He submitted the video to the show in January and later learned it had been selected to air this spring. About a week before the broadcast, producers reached out again with details on when to tune in. “So, we let all the family know, so they could watch along too. It was great,” he said.
Though he grew up in Ozark County, Dixon and his wife, Bonita, now split their time between St. Louis County and a lake home in Camdenton. Still, he says Gainesville remains a frequent stop, and he enjoys visiting often.
With his 72nd birthday set for May 22, Dixon isn’t slowing down anytime soon, and if his latest shot is any indication, his best may still be ahead.