tungsten
Decadehomeintroductionfinale
>
Game
Changers
In honor of "Basketball: A Love Story", our experts ranked the signature moves they loved most. Join us as we journey through the decades, showing the evolution of basketball's best go-to dribbles, shots and slams.
facebookThe NBA's best signature moves, from Jordan's fadeaway to Iverson's crossover
Shooting
See Evolution of Shooting
Intro to
Shooting

Think the off-balance jumper you launch at your office wastebasket is slick? From hook shots and finger rolls to parking-lot 3-pointers, basketball's most skilled shooters have constantly redefined the way they take aim at the hoop.

Finale

Modern-day NBA offenses continue to twist conventional wisdom inside out with the step-back jumper. Once reserved for creating space when the shot clock winds down, the step-back has become a go-to move. James Harden is deadly with it from 3-point territory, and Kevin Durant has proven that big men can utilize the iso move, too.Text by Anthony Gulizia
Figurines by Joaquin Cossio

kareem abdul-jabbar
kareem
abdul-jabbar
1970
Skyhook
The game-changing move Abdul-Jabbar made famous gave him an advantage against the league's best centers. However, the true skyhook has long since disappeared from the modern game.
george gervin
george
gervin
1970
Finger Roll
In addition to being one of the most graceful shots in NBA history, Gervin's flick of the wrist helped him become one of four players to average 25 points per game and shoot 50 percent or better over a career.
Michael Jordan
Michael
Jordan
1990
fadeaway
Jordan mastered the art of scoring while falling away from the basket. MJ shot a stunning 82 percent on his signature shot in the final two seasons of his career, spawning a generation of imitators.
dirk nowitzki
dirk
nowitzki
2000
Fadeaway
Awkward. Clunky. Brilliantly effective. Nowitzki's one-footed fadeaway made the 7-footer's release nearly impossible to block. Over the past 15 seasons, he has made 1,076 fadeaways - 372 more than any other player.
Steph Curry
steph
curry
2010
Pull-up 3
Curry has made an NBA-best 258 pull-up 3-pointers in the past four seasons, changing the math on fast-break situations in the process - and forever changing the distance from which rec league players feel comfortable pulling up, for better or worse.
Dribbling
See Evolution of Dribbling
Intro to
Dribbling

It's probably wise to grab a pair of high-tops and lace 'em tight for this journey through ankle-breaking history. The craftiest dribblers made it hard for defenders to stay on their feet long enough to stop the ball.

Finale

Point guards have long been kings of the crossover, but the game has shifted toward rangy big men with more complete skill sets. Every time Giannis Antetokounmpo takes two gargantuan dribbles to get from half court to the basket, it's a reminder that big men can handle the ball too.Text by Anthony Gulizia
Figurines by Joaquin Cossio

tim hardaway
tim
hardaway
1990
Killer Crossover
Hardaway's crossover was killer for the combination of the sleek between-the-legs dribble and the counter-burst he used to lull defenders off their mark. The signature dribble is still mimicked two decades later.
allen iverson
allen
iverson
1990
Crossover
The tenacity of this crossover was on full display when a rookie Iverson shook Michael Jordan at the top of the key, creating an iconic highlight for the ages. Iverson used that crossover to score more field goals off drives than any other player in history.
god shammgod
god
shammgod
1990
The Shammgod
Shammgod played just 20 games in the NBA, but his heavenly handles have given him a legacy that has endured for decades. Shammgod, a star at Providence, brought playground moves to the hardwood, and the move named for him has a cult-like following.
jamal crawford
jamal
crawford
2000
Shake & Bake
It's hard to figure out what's more impressive: that Crawford doesn't travel when he puts the ball behind his back not once but twice or that he has done it for 18 NBA seasons so far.
rajon rondo
rajon
rondo
2010
Fakeout
Udonis Haslem is still probably looking for the ball after Rondo's epic fakeout left the Heat forward scrambled in Game 3 of the 2012 Eastern Conference finals.
Passing
See Evolution of Passing
Intro to
Passing

The best distributors have incorporated everything from bounce passes to body parts to find ways to get the ball to their teammates. It's worth an extra nod of appreciation for the big men who can pass like point guards. Nobody likes a ball hog anyway.

Finale

The Warriors crush opponents with their ability to get opponents off-kilter via crisp ball movement to deadly shooters. Isolation play is still a favorite on the playgrounds, but the way the Warriors keep the ball moving, with Draymond Green as their fulcrum, keeps defenses on their heels.Text by Anthony Gulizia
Figurines by Joaquin Cossio

wes unseld
wes
unseld
1970
Outlet Pass
Unseld's laser-like delivery of outlet passes made him a unique force for the Bullets and inspired both Kevin Love's modern outlet skills and his middle name. Unseld averaged 3.9 assists per game, fifth among all centers.
magic johnson
magic
johnson
1980
No-Look
Seeing where the ball goes isn't technically a requirement for superb court vision. Magic redefined the game with no-look feeds that helped him average an NBA-best 11.2 assists per game.
John Stockton
John
Stockton
1990
Pocket Pass
No space seemed too small for Stockton to squeeze a bounce pass. With an uncanny ability to direct the ball from his hip, he delivered 15,806 career assists, a full 3,000 more than anyone else in league history.
jason williams
jason
williams
2000
Elbow Pass
The man nicknamed "White Chocolate" had a mastery of the moves that few point guards had the audacity to attempt. Williams' behind-the-back elbow pass was the showstopper of his extensive repertoire.
Lebron James
lebron
james
2010
Cross-court
James' rare combination of strength, size and court vision give him the incredible ability to deliver pinpoint skip passes, an overlooked asset in his vast skill set. His 131 assists off such plays are the most in the past five seasons, according to Second Spectrum tracking.
post-ups
See Evolution of Post-Ups
Intro to
post-ups

Brute strength and polished footwork were the recipe for the league's best down-low demolishers. The skill of scoring from within 8 feet is a lost art in the modern game, overshadowed by the prevalence of 3-pointers.

Finale

Joel Embiid's gracious footwork was built on the pitch but has made him a force to be reckoned with on the court. He has delivered a fresh twist on some of the best signature steps big men used to dominate defenders decades ago.Text by Anthony Gulizia
Figurines by Joaquin Cossio

kevin mchale
kevin
mchale
1980
Up And Under
What made McHale's shot-fake so deadly was his ability to smoothly step through to the hoop for high-efficiency baskets. He led the NBA in shooting percentage in consecutive seasons.
hakeem olajuwon
hakeem
olajuwon
1990
Dream Shake
The Dream Shake was a nightmare for defenders in the paint. Olajuwon kept defenders guessing with his signature sequence, which allowed him to score equally as effectively from either side of the lane.
Shaquille O'Neal
shaquille
o'neal
2000
Dropstep
There's a reason a large portion of O'Neal's prodigious list of nicknames started with "The Big." With his back to the basket, Shaq used all of his substantial size to overpower defenders. When he powered through the paint, it was a good bet that a forceful spin-and-dunk was coming next.
tim duncan
tim
duncan
2000
Bank shot
More fundamental than flair, Duncan built a legacy of using the backboard to his advantage. Over the past 15 seasons, Duncan made 945 bank shots, nearly 600 more than any other NBA player.
kevin garnett
kevin
garnett
2000
Fadeaway
Garnett's athleticism added an indefensible quality to his fadeaway jumper. Falling victim to this move all but guaranteed an earful from one of the game's most tenacious trash-talkers.
Dunking
See Evolution of Dunking
Intro to
Dunking

Few things inspire awe like a player who can throw down a backboard-shattering slam or climb over a defender to defy the laws of physics. All dunks count the same in the scorebook, but that doesn't mean style points should be thrown out the window.

Finale

There are few plays in the NBA today more reliable than Clint Capela throwing down a lob pass from James Harden. Capela has become the ideal pick-and-roll partner for the reigning MVP, converting 96 alley-oops last season, second only to Anthony Davis' 104.Text by Anthony Gulizia
Figurines by Joaquin Cossio

Darryl Dawkins
Darryl
Dawkins
1970
Chocolate Thunder
The man dubbed "Chocolate Thunder" dunked the ball with enough force that he broke two backboards in three weeks. The man who named his dunks with as much flair as he delivered them moved the NBA to threaten him with a fine if he broke another backboard.
dominique wilkins
dominique
wilkins
1980
Windmill
Famous for his dunk contest efforts, Wilkins produced more windmills than your neighborhood mini golf course. He competed in five dunk contests, tied with Clyde Drexler for the most, and he won in 1985 and 1990 with a rare combination of style, grace and power.
michael jordan
michael
jordan
1980
Cradle
The first time Jordan played the Cavaliers -- the team he tormented more than any other in his NBA career -- he delivered his signature cradle dunk for two points in his 45-point surge. The image of Jordan cradling the ball with his gold chain around his neck during the 1985 dunk contest remains iconic to this day.
shawn kemp
shawn
kemp
1990
Over Lister
Whether Kemp was soaring for rebounds or dunking, he usually humiliated someone in the process, something Alton Lister knows all too well. The victim of "The Lister Blister" was also on the wrong end of Kemp's becoming the third-youngest player in the past 50 years with at least 20 points and 20 rebounds in a playoff game (22 years, 156 days), according to Elias Sports Bureau research.
vince carter
vince
carter
2000
Over Weis
Dunking over the 7-foot-2 Frederic Weis during the 2000 Olympics was Vinsanity at its peak, coming just months after Carter's game-changing appearance in the dunk contest. Weis, the No. 15 pick in the 1999 NBA draft, never played in the league. Carter is still dunking as he enters his 21st season.