Top 5 NBA Signature Moves of All Time
#5 "Up and Under" Kevin McHale
• The shot fake is an original move taught to all basketball players in order to keep defenders off balance. McHale took the shot fake to another level, by adding advanced footwork after the fake and stepping through defenders who commit to his original fake. McHale's consistent mid range game forced defenders to respect his fake, regardless of how often he employed the move.
#4 "Crossover" Allen Iverson
• Iverson's killer crossover was unique in its speed and width. Primary ball handlers generally kept the ball tight within their frame. Not Iverson, AI swung his wider than usual, creating significantly more space between himself and defenders. This additional space typically gave him open lanes to the basket or cleared space for unobstructed jump shots.
#3 "Finger Roll" George Gervin
• Gervin's famous finger roll was smooth and unexpected. Defenders had no answer for Gervin's skill to glide through the lane, as he kept the ball high above his slender frame and flipped the ball off of his fingertips to the basket.
#2 "Dream Shake" Hakeem Olajuwon
• Olajuwon had the most versatile post game from any big man to ever play (yes, even Kareem and McHale). Olajuwon's ability to score after turning over either shoulder is what made his shimmying Dream Shake unstoppable. His shake froze defenders who were forced to guess which direction he would turn. After turning, Olajuwon had a lethal mid range game, making his fallaway after the shake that much more deadly.
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#1 "Skyhook" Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
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• Kareem's Skyhook was and remains the single most indefensible move in NBA history. Not just because of the awkwardness of the move, Kareem's skyhook could not be stopped because The Captain stood 7 foot two inches tall! He could hit the skyhook from a distance of three feet away or ten feet away from the basket. Once he turned over his left shoulder, defenders could only pray that he'd misjudge the rim – which seldom occurred (hence, he remains atop the NBA's all time scoring list).
