Someone Had to Invent the High Five — Here’s the Disputed Story of How It Happened

3 days ago 2

You’ve done it a thousand times without ever thinking about where it came from. After a home run, a good meeting or just greeting a 3-year-old — you raise your hand and wait for the slap. The high five feels like it’s been around forever.

It hasn’t. The gesture actually has a traceable — and hotly disputed — origin story.

The high five is one of sports’ most iconic gestures, but its exact origin is still debated. The cast of characters fighting over credit for a simple hand slap is unexpectedly rich — spanning a Dodgers outfielder, a college basketball player and even a 2019 episode of “American Dad.”

Multiple competing stories have emerged over time — some documented, others later disputed or even fabricated.

The 1977 Dodgers Moment Most People Know

The most widely accepted origin story, according to Britannica, traces the high five to Oct. 2, 1977. That’s the day Los Angeles Dodgers left fielder Dusty Baker hit his 30th home run of the season. As Baker rounded the bases and crossed home plate, his teammate Glenn Burke was waiting for him — hand raised high in the air.

Baker didn’t overthink it.