Taurian Fontenette, the AND1 streetball star nicknamed “Air Up There” and “Mr.720,” has died at 43. His sister, Tracie Sonnier, announced his death in a Facebook post, saying he passed away Monday night. No cause of death has been announced.
Sonnier said the family was grieving and asked for understanding as they processed the loss. She remembered her brother as a basketball genius, a lively presence at gatherings and someone willing to help others.
Fontenette, a 6-foot-2 guard from Hitchcock, Texas, played for the Hitchcock Bulldogs and later attended Richland Junior College and Paul Quinn College. While working security at a chemical plant in Hitchcock, he asked his boss for time off to try out for AND1. His dunks earned him a place on the Mixtape Tour roster in 2005.
The following year, during an AND1 game at Houston’s Toyota Center, Fontenette performed a 720-degree dunk, completing two full rotations in the air. The feat was described as the first documented 720 dunk in a game, and the clip appeared on SportsCenter’s Top 10. The “Mr.720” nickname followed.
Chuck Milan, founder of Team Flight Brothers, who worked with Fontenette, called him one of the greatest dunkers ever and a pioneer of professional dunking. Fontenette’s signature “Axle-Rider,” a 360-degree, between-the-legs dunk, was later performed in NBA highlights by players including Jason Richardson, Paul George and Dennis Smith Jr.
Fontenette remained with AND1 through 2006, later joined the Ball4Real Tour and played for the ABA’s Dallas Generals in 2009. He is survived by his children, including a son who is a senior wide receiver and sprinter at Hitchcock High, his father’s alma mater.
Sources: TMZ.