A five-time All-NBA selection, point guard Tim Hardaway left a lasting impact on the game with his dazzling ball-handling skill, underrated defensive instincts and a killer crossover that would ruin any defender’s day. Few players were as talented at breaking down a defender with a chain of dribbles as Hardaway was and no one before his time knew how to execute a crossover as he did.
At one time, the NBA’s best ball-handlers used one hand and slapped the ball off the hardwood repeatedly to keep their dribble alive. Not only was Hardaway well ahead of his time, but he set the tone for generations of ball-handlers to come. To be fair, the game was officiated differently in its early days as hand placement played a much greater factor in the way games are called.
Hardaway’s crossover was devastating. It was faster than anyone else’s at the time and was usually followed by an energetic layup or pull-up jumper for two points. As one of the smaller players on the court at all times at 6-feet-tall, Hardaway used his size and quickness as an advantage over time. He learned to use his dribble to distract a defender before crossing over to lose them in their tracks. His blistering speed allowed him to zip past perimeter defenders and find his way to the paint or mid-range for a look at the basket.
He also used his crossover to initiate offense for others. Hardaway’s crossover grew in infamy over the years and defenders had to change their approach because of it. That generated better looks for his teammates and as time went on Hardaway learned to improvise on the fly to get the ball in his teammate’s hands.
This is the crossover that laid the foundation for generations of crossovers to come.
NBA has seen a wide array of deadly moves on the offensive end from its star-level players. </strong></em></p>
<p>Roughly 130 years ago, a Canadian physical education teacher named James Naismith invented a silly game in which teams lob a ball into peach baskets to score points. In the time since the game has evolved into an international phenomenon with athletes from the farthest reaches of the world coming together on a massive stage to compete in the National Basketball Association.</p>
<p>The game has evolved quite a bit in that time and by this point, I’m not sure Naismith would fully recognize the game he conceptualized. Today, players are pulling jump shots from anywhere on the court, dribbling the ball at an astonishingly high level and soaring through the air for slam dunks. Even with that being the case, certain moves transcend time.</p>
<p>I’ve combed through NBA history to pick out the 30 most unguardable moves in league history as performed by legendary NBA figures. Please be advised that this list is solely about the moves: Not about the players’ all-time ranking. It’s not a reflection of the league’s best players today or the best players in league history.</p>
<p>First, let’s acknowledge the players and moves that were under consideration, but didn’t make the cut for one reason or another.</p>
<h2>Honorable mentions:</h2>
<ul>
<li>Larry Bird. I had a really hard time conceptualizing a signature move for Larry Legend, which is more of a reflection of me than it is of him.</li>
<li>LaMarcus Aldridge’s post fadeaway</li>
<li>Rasheed Wallace’s turnaround jumper</li>
<li>Tracy McGrady’s self alley-oop</li>
<li>Jason Kidd’s bounce pass</li>
<li>Kemba Walker’s stepback</li>
<li>Charles Barkley’s putback</li>
<li>Moses Malone’s putback</li>
<li>Jason Wiliams’ elbow pass</li>
<li>Steve Nash’s pocket pass</li>
<li>Damian Lillard’s logo shot</li>
<li>Pascal Siakam’s spin move (Just kidding)</li>
</ul>
<p>In most instances, a “move” would imply it’s being executed on the offensive end. Therefore, for the most part, defensive plays aren’t being acknowledged on this list. LeBron’s chase-down may be his signature play, but is it a move? Not really, it’s more an attempt to disrupt someone else’s move. Anyway, let’s get on with it!</p>
<div id="attachment_423664" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<img class="wp-image-423664 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/02/27/nba-unguardable-moves-league-history/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1067,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F145560824.jpeg" alt="Boston Celtics, Paul Pierce" width="1600" height="1067" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/145560824.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/145560824-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Boston Celtics, Paul Pierce (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)</p>
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<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="Rank" data-rank="30" data-rank-type="player" data-name="Paul Pierce - Stepback Jumper" data-team-id="18" data-meta-a="SF" data-meta-b="Boston Celtics" data-inner-content=""> <div class="mock-draft"> <div class="mock-draft-head"> <div class="mock-draft-order-container"> <div class="mock-draft-order">30</div> </div> <div class="mock-draft-player-details"> <h3>Paul Pierce - Stepback Jumper</h3> <h4>SF,<span class="mock-draft-team-name"> Boston Celtics</span></h4> </div> <div class="mock-draft-team-logo"> <img src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/02/27/nba-unguardable-moves-league-history/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/w_75,h_75,c_fill,g_auto,f_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.fansided.com%2Flogos%2Fnba%2Fceltics.png" alt="Boston Celtics"> </div> </div> </div>
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<h2>30 most unguardable moves in NBA history: 30. Paul Pierce, Stepback jumper</h2>
<p>Revisionist history hasn’t been kind to Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce. His post-retirement commentary on television hasn’t helped his case either, but Pierce still deserves plenty of recognition for what he did during his 19-year NBA career.</p>
<p>An offensive specialist with a wide range of tools in his bag, Pierce’s go-to shot was a one-dribble stepback that left countless defenders dumbfounded over the years. It was a simple move that very often began with one powerful dribble toward the paint, faking a drive and forcing his defender to shuffle. Pierce would stop on a dime, take a step back to the opposite side of his dribble to create distance from his defender and pull up with a high-arcing jumper.</p>
<p>Stepback or not, Pierce’s jumper was pure money during his prime. A career 36.8 percent 3-point shooter, the 10-time All-Star had nine seasons shooting at least 38 percent from 3-point land. However, Pierce did have a distinctive proficiency for off-balance and irregular shots, especially in clutch situations. Everything he did was in the spirit of winning and after becoming slightly overrated during his playing days, Pierce has become one of the game’s unsung heroes and a legend of the sport.</p>
<p>Paul Pierce and his immaculate stepback deserve to be in the Hall of Fame.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/02/27/nba-unguardable-moves-league-history/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 29 </a>
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<img class="size-full wp-image-423755" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/02/27/nba-unguardable-moves-league-history/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2173,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2021%2F02%2F650076.jpeg" alt="Tim Hardaway" width="3200" height="2173" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2021/02/650076.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2021/02/650076-768x522.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Tim Hardaway (Mandatory Credit: Eliot J. Schechter /Allsport)</p>
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<h2>30 most unguardable moves in NBA history: 29. Tim Hardaway, crossover</h2>
<p>A five-time All-NBA selection, point guard Tim Hardaway left a lasting impact on the game with his dazzling ball-handling skill, underrated defensive instincts and a killer crossover that would ruin any defender’s day. Few players were as talented at breaking down a defender with a chain of dribbles as Hardaway was and no one before his time knew how to execute a crossover as he did.</p>
<p>At one time, the NBA’s best ball-handlers used one hand and slapped the ball off the hardwood repeatedly to keep their dribble alive. Not only was Hardaway well ahead of his time, but he set the tone for generations of ball-handlers to come. To be fair, the game was officiated differently in its early days as hand placement played a much greater factor in the way games are called.</p>
<p>Hardaway’s crossover was devastating. It was faster than anyone else’s at the time and was usually followed by an energetic layup or pull-up jumper for two points. As one of the smaller players on the court at all times at 6-feet-tall, Hardaway used his size and quickness as an advantage over time. He learned to use his dribble to distract a defender before crossing over to lose them in their tracks. His blistering speed allowed him to zip past perimeter defenders and find his way to the paint or mid-range for a look at the basket.</p>
<p>He also used his crossover to initiate offense for others. Hardaway’s crossover grew in infamy over the years and defenders had to change their approach because of it. That generated better looks for his teammates and as time went on Hardaway learned to improvise on the fly to get the ball in his teammate’s hands.</p>
<p>This is the crossover that laid the foundation for generations of crossovers to come.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/02/27/nba-unguardable-moves-league-history/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 28 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-423538 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/02/27/nba-unguardable-moves-league-history/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1094,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F72670279.jpeg" alt="Jamal Crawford" width="1600" height="1094" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/72670279.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/72670279-768x525.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Jamal Crawford (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>30 most unguardable moves in NBA history: 28. Jamal Crawford, shake n’ bake</h2>
<p>In terms of flashiness and spunk, few players compare with shooting guard Jamal Crawford. A ball-handling savant with blistering quickness and handles from heaven, Crawford could cross you up and take your lunch money whenever he wanted. In addition to being a walking bucket, Crawford was an underrated playmaker who used his mastery of ball control to initiate team offense and put his teammates in a position to succeed.</p>
<p>Now Crawford’s regular crossover was deadly enough to make the list, but instead, he’s being recognized for a one-of-a-kind move that no one besides himself can truly pull off. I’m talking about the iconic ‘Shake-and-Bake.’ A dazzling dribble move that’s sure to tip a defender off his axis, the ‘Shake-and-Bake’ requires a bit of forward momentum and keen observation of spatial awareness on the basketball court.</p>
<p>Usually, on the fastbreak or with downward momentum toward the rim, Crawford would throw one sexy dribble move at a defender that required him to switch hands. In many cases, that would mean a shifty crossover. However, instead of finishing his chain of dribbles, Crawford would corral the ball in one hand for a gather and switch it to the other. Sometimes, he’d even bring the ball behind his back on the gather. Meanwhile, he’d take a furious hop-step, generally stunning his defender in their tracks. Depending on where he is in proximity to the basket, J-Crossover would either take a layup, floater or short jumper.</p>
<div class="embed embed-video"><iframe width="500" height="375" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/02/27/nba-unguardable-moves-league-history/2/"https://www.youtube.com/embed/Crs-QT1DERo?feature=oembed%22 frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<p>It’s such a dazzling display of basketball heroics that words don’t really do it justice. If you’re unfamiliar with the move, go down a YouTube rabbit hole — I promise you won’t regret it.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/02/27/nba-unguardable-moves-league-history/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 27 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-423540 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/02/27/nba-unguardable-moves-league-history/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2421,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F519675112.jpeg" alt="Derrick Rose" width="3200" height="2421" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/519675112.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/519675112-768x581.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Derrick Rose (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>30 most unguardable moves in NBA history: 27. Derrick Rose, floater</h2>
<p>At one time, I’d say Derrick Rose’s hop-step might be his greatest signature move, but times have changed for the former MVP. The pace and workload he performed at during his league-leading years early into his career were unsustainable and in many regards, D Rose’s body denied him the chance to compete for more hardware. Regardless, Rose didn’t allow injuries to write his story.</p>
<p>From the time that he entered the league to his veteran days today, Rose’s signature floater never disappoints. While it oftentimes looks like an erratic shot, Rose has mastered the timing and angle at which he needs to release the ball to drop it into the basket. It’s a perfect teardrop shot that’s reminiscent of a big man’s floater. No matter the matchup, distance from the basket or contact, Rose finds himself gently pushing the teardrop shot into the air and watching it soar through the net.</p>
<p>In his prime, defenders were oftentimes more concerned with an explosive finish than they were with a simple floater. They’d back up to defend the paint and on many occasions, they gave him way too much space to get the shot off. Even if they manage to read the play and play up on defense, there’s still no guarantee Rose’s floater wouldn’t drop in.</p>
<p>Rose’s floater also comes at a greater degree of difficulty considering the high-energy nature of his game. Regardless of his age, Rose’s quickness has always been one of his greatest assets and in his pre-injury days in Chicago, he’d burst to the paint with unmatched energy and force defenses to shift. By taking a floater, Rose oftentimes avoided the paint protection supplied by centers and power forwards.</p>
<p>It doesn’t matter where he is — Chicago, New York, Cleveland, Minnesota or Detroit — Rose’s floater is money in the bank when he’s locked in.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/02/27/nba-unguardable-moves-league-history/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 26 </a>
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Hoops Habit</a>, you’re pretty in touch with basketball. So I’m going to go out on a limb and assume you know what I’m saying when I say that Kyrie Irving is the unmitigated king of jelly. An absolute menace with the ball in his hands, Kyrie keeps the ball on a string and dominates with his shifty, elusive dribbles that turn defenders around like a Merry Go ‘Round.</p>
<p>Kyrie is as ambidextrous of a finisher as the league has ever seen, contorting his body in mid-air to finish dazzling layups that are sure to make his defender’s head spin. When he gets just a little bit of steam hedging toward the basket, Kyrie levitates to the rim and observes the reaction of each rim protector before changing the angle of his shot and gently banking it in despite the circumstances.</p>
<p>We’ve seen him spin mid-air, change hands, go up-and-under and even go reverse on many occasions throughout his professional career. His ball-handling skill matches that of many basketball greats that came before him, joining the ranks of Tim Hardaway, Allen Iverson, Jamal Crawford and Pete Maravich in basketball history.</p>
<p>It feels like Kyrie Irving has a magnet in his fingertips that allows him to control the ball with such ease. Through all of his acrobatic moves including eurosteps, hop-steps, gathers and drives through contact, Kyrie always manages to make the right decision within a split second to ensure the ball will drop through the net.</p>
<p>Even without dunking the basketball, Kyrie Irving remains one of the flashiest, most entertaining players to watch. Much of that is due to his signature ability to control the ball and will his way to the basket for these mystifying buckets. The jelly is real.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/02/27/nba-unguardable-moves-league-history/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 20 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-423593 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/02/27/nba-unguardable-moves-league-history/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1310,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F51689038.jpeg" alt="John Stockton" width="1600" height="1310" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/51689038.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/51689038-768x629.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">John Stockton (GEORGE FREY/AFP via Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>30 most unguardable moves in NBA history: 20. John Stockton, PnR pocket pass</h2>
<p>There’s a strong argument to be made that John Stockton is the greatest floor general the game has ever seen. He holds the No. 1 spot in all-time NBA assist by a considerable margin of 3,715 dimes over No. 2 Jason Kidd, largely due to his stature as the best pick-and-roll ball-handler the sport has ever seen. I understand that may seem like a big blanket statement for those unfamiliar with Stockton’s game, but I promise: Watch some tape and you’ll see what I’m talking about.</p>
<p>More so than anything, Stockton’s timing and feel for the game were impeccable. Even before Stockton’s roll-man set his screen, the dime-dropping savant would begin moving to displace his defender and create pockets to dump off incredible, high-speed passes directly into his teammate’s hands.</p>
<p>When defenders went over the screen, Stockton would drop a pass off to his teammate. When they went under, he found himself open for an easy jumper. If a double was thrown, he’d react accordingly. Generally, Stockton barely made mistakes with the ball in his hands. He’s one of the all-time leaders in assist-to-turnover ratio at approx. 3.7, which is much more impressive considering the sheer volume of his pass attempts.</p>
<p>When curling off a screen and heading to the basket, Stockton found perfect windows of opportunity to drop the ball into the hands of his roll-man. By doing so, he used his own scoring threat to open up opportunities for others despite the sheer lack of spacing that he often faced throughout the late-80s and early 90s.</p>
<p>If you still don’t get it, I suggest you educate yourself by watching some highlight reels of this man’s career. After watching him play, even just for a little while, you’ll come to understand why the pick-and-roll pocket pass is deemed a signature move for the point guard with the most assists in league history.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/02/27/nba-unguardable-moves-league-history/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 19 </a>
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