Greatest signature moves in the NBA

By Jared Wade

With Zach Lowe off until Jan. 3, some guest writers will be contributing. Jared Wade writes about the NBA at Both Teams Played Hard, 8 Points, 9 Seconds and Hardwood Paroxysm. He lives in New York, where he puts hot sauce on everything he eats. For all his hoops and hot sauce updates, check him out on Twitter here, here or here.

Earlier this week, I offered a list of things I’ll miss about the league in the 1990s. One of those things was Shaq’s Logo Dunk – you know, The Big Aristotle’s signature throw-down, which may be one of the most iconic things the NBA has seen since Michael Jordan’s tongue wag. But while those images, sadly, are fading, today’s NBA has many signature moves of its own — some well established, others just starting to build a reputation.

Here are some that may go down in history alongside MJ’s unforgettable tongue:

The Rondo Fake

Like The Dream Shake before it, this move has the rare distinction of being so aligned with a person that we just name it after them. No one has ever done the fake behind-the-back pass so often or so effectively. It also may be the move that an NBA player enjoys doing the most. I feel like pulling this off is Rajon’s favorite thing to do in life. Convenient, then, since watching him do it is one of mine.

Dirk Nowitzki’s Top-of-the-Key Fadeaway

Nowitzki has a move that is threatening to enter the Kareem Sky Hook/MJ Fadeaway Hall of Unstoppability. To me, those are the two least-guardable shots of all time, and it’s hard to argue that defenders have much more say in the outcome of Dirk’s lean-back, off-the-back-foot jumper. The ball is close to eight feet in the air upon its release, and Dirk has enough counter, step-through skills in the high post to keep a defender honest — particularly since the guy’s timing and ability to react have usually already been compromised by Dirk’s elusive shot fakes and ability to create contact. Sometimes he misses it, but it’s rarely because of anything the defender did. I’m not sure Stephen Jackson was able defend Dirk so well during the Mavs’ famous first-round loss to the 2007 We Believe Warriors, but whatever it was no longer works. Dirk has changed up and that vulnerability has vanished. Everyone is now at his mercy.

Deron Williams’ Crossover

There have been flashier crossovers (see, Allen Iverson or AI or “The Answer”). There have been better crossovers (shout out to Timmy Hardaway). But I’m not sure there has ever been a crossover that combines effectiveness, quickness and power as much as Williams does. It is the quintessential low-dribble move with no wasted movement that summer camp coaches preach. Most kids high-dribble the ball up to their ear and then do a dramatic, slow, looping move that only works in pickup games where no one is trying on defense. They need to start mimicking Deron. His crossover is designed to get by you instantly, not break your ankles. It can do both — but by the time you realize Deron has switched directions, it’s your pride that will ache more than your joints.

LeBron’s Once-Boring Dunk

When LeBron first entered the league and refused to do any dunks aside from his hyper-extended, violent tomahawk, it was pretty annoying. Why would the most gifted, athletic specimen I’ve ever seen (sorry Dwight) resign himself to one relatively dull dunk? Over the years, however, it has become dope. So much of LeBron’s public persona has been based on calculated decisions and (often poorly) manicured strategies. This was probably no different. But the difference here is that this one worked. It started with LeBron’s proclamation that “dunk contests are bourgeois,” and later became his “no regard for human life” posterization of KG and now has become so ingrained into his on-court performance that it just works. Don’t get me wrong; I certainly wouldn’t mind him busting out with a 360, between-the-legs stuff on a breakaway this year. But I have come to terms with — and even enjoy — the expected from James..

Brad Miller’s Slow Pump Fake

This is easily Trey Kerby’s favorite move ever. I have no idea why so many people fall for this every time does it, but Brad Miller, who has the foot speed of a snake, is able to go by much quicker players constantly just by using an exaggerated shot fake. It works particularly well on Roy Hibbert.

Tony Parker’s Teardrop

Check out Parker’s sweet little floaters at the 0:35, 0:56 and 1:12 marks above. Now, Mark Jackson owns this move, but he has loaned it to Frenchman — probably as payback for that whole Statue of Liberty thing.

Derrick Rose’s Spree-like Dunk

Latrell Sprewell doesn’t leap to mind when you try to think of people with iconic moves, but watch him dunk for about three minutes on YouTube and you’ll see that he absolutely owns the tomahawk, bum rush-with-abandon, rip-the-rim-out-the-glass flush off two legs. (See here, here and here.) Rose’s tomahawk slam is a bit different, but both are in the same dunk family. Derrick crouches lower and gets closer to the rim before launching skyward. Spree didn’t slow down or gather himself as much after the two-footed jump-stop. Basically, Rose is more vertical, and Sprewell was more horizontal. High jumper vs. long jumper. It makes sense given the height disparity. And that’s why this signature dunk remake is more “The Departed” than “The Karate Kid” (see here and here).

The Bank of Duncan

The lost art of the bank shot — it’s something we hear about constantly from the old people inside our TV sets. I’m not sure why it’s a theoretically easier shot to make from a scientific perspective (disclaimer: I scored a 50 out of possible 100 in my final semester of high school physics) and the shooting percentages from the days when people often did go glass don’t suggest it was a huge buoy to accuracy. But the fact is that, yes, nobody uses the window anymore. Scottie Pippen used to do it all the time. Dwyane Wade still does on occasion from mid-range (and by accident from three). But in the modern game, the bank shot is the patent-pending property of Tim Duncan.

The Flash/Manu Two-Step

I’m leaning toward Dwyane Wade here, but I honestly can’t decide whose two-step is more iconic: Wade’s or Manu’s. They both are on another level than the rest of the league. Of that much I’m certain. Wade’s is more powerful and explosive while Manu’s is more agile and artistic, but I’m not sure I can say either guy does it more effectively, mainly because it’s a nearly unstoppable weapon in the arsenal of each. It just comes down to preference. Do you favor a Ferrari that switches gears and lanes to slingshot past the competition for a ferocious dunk, or are you partial to peregrine falcon from Argentina that Baryshnikovs its way through traffic to complete a wispy lay-in that few other people in the world could make? Depends on the day for me, but I’ll take either. It also seems fitting that one is right-handed and the other is a lefty. That helps make them both unique stylistically.

Derek Fisher’s PUJIT

There are many players who consistently stick beautiful pull-up jumpers in transition (PUJITs). Jason Terry for sure. Steve Nash’s might be the most accurate and dagger-ific. Ray Allen’s shot is gorgeous no matter the situation. Jamal Crawford does it so much that it often becomes worth four points. Mike Bibby is always down to pop off. But no one does it quite like Derek Fisher. He takes one any chance he gets and, as you may have heard, he loves to steal the soul of his opponents late in crucial playoff games. Just ask those poor fans in Utah.

The Nash Wrong-Foot Scoop

Steve Nash rarely jumps off of his left foot to finish with his right hand … like normal people do. This dates back to a high school ankle sprain that forced a temporary adjustment. Thing is, he just never adjusted back and has developed countless nontraditional ways to score around the hoop. The most common is his scooping, extended, one-handed layup. He does it all the time.

Blake Griffin’s Rim Annihilation

He’s not even midway through his first season, but not since Shawn Kemp has one man had so much power. Every time Blake steps on the court, you know you’re going to see a rim get destroyed. It’s to the point that I don’t even jump out of my chair or yell an obscenity when he smashes on someone’s head. I just laugh.

LeBron’s Chase-Down Block

We have all seen 5,000 halftime segments and clips of this one. But despite the constant coverage, it still is one of the greatest plays in the league. I still don’t really have any idea how he pulls it off so consistently. Baffling.

Jamal Crawford’s Shake-and-Bake

Jamal rarely does this anymore, but he used to do it quite often and it was wonderful. His newer, older-man version usually just involves a fancy dribble move on the perimeter, a less dramatic rip-through and a pull-up jumper, but that’s OK, too. The other thing you should know about Jamal Crawford is that four-point plays are now called Jamal Crawfords. He has more than anyone in history.

The Melo Jab Step

It’s hard to credit any one player with ownership of something as simple and universal as the jab step. But Melo’s jab step is just so dirty. Kobe’s may be equally filthy but that’s more because Mamba has unbelievable footwork in all regards. His footwork is a symphony where nothing stands out individually. Melo’s footwork is more like The Black Keys. Both can be amazing — one just has a lot more instruments. But as Carmelo shows with his jab steps, step-backs and step-throughs, sometimes simpler is perfectly fine.

Kobe’s “Bobby Brown Jaw”

I’m not sure we know the exact day Kobe starting doing the clenched jaw thing, but ever since he did, it has been a clear premonition for impending attack. Like the hood of a cobra, it’s really not something you want to see. If you do, good night and good luck. (Aside: The mission of this piece was to chronicle on-court signatures, but Derrick Rose’s inability to open his mouth when he speaks in postgame interviews seems like something I would be remiss not to at least mention while we’re discussing famous NBA jaws. Kobe’s “Trap Jaw” routine is hilarious because it is so clearly contrived and was probably thought up when he was researching snake nicknames for himself and learned about cobras being scary when they do the hood thing. But Rose’s “Kanye Mouth” is natural. And it’s odd.)