There’s hardly a extra thrilling play in basketball.

A participant is pounding the ball up and down with eyes darting left and proper, deciding some extent of assault. The participant feints with one hand, and leans that approach, so the defender follows. The ball flicks the opposite approach, and the hapless defender slips, or in an much more embarrassing final result, falls. The group oohs and aahs.

Few basketball abilities require extra constant creativity than ball-handling. The alternatives for flashy dunks and showy passes come and go. However modern ball-handling is a continuing want, notably within the N.B.A., the place athletic defenders are primed to shut off each level of assault.

This yr’s N.B.A. postseason has featured a few of the finest dribblers in basketball historical past, together with Kyrie Irving, James Harden, Chris Paul and Stephen Curry. Curry creates house for deep 3-pointers whereas defenders swarm him. Harden baits defenders into fouling him everywhere in the courtroom. Irving is a wizard at misdirections and spin strikes to get to the rim. Paul operates the ball like it’s on a string. All 4 can get by defenders with ease.

The New York Instances requested three generational dribblers to debate ball-handling: God Shammgod, Tim Hardaway and Oscar Robertson.

Shammgod, an assistant coach for the Dallas Mavericks, had a short N.B.A. profession, however his dribbling turned a factor of lore on New York Metropolis’s out of doors courts. His signature transfer — the Shammgod crossover, through which he pushes the ball ahead with one hand after which pulls it throughout with the opposite — influenced a technology of gamers.

Hardaway, who performed within the N.B.A. from 1989 to 2003, was one of many league’s finest level guards. His notable transfer was a double crossover referred to as the UTEP Two Step, nodding to the school he performed for, the College of Texas at El Paso.

Robertson, a Corridor of Famer and the primary participant to common a triple-double for a complete N.B.A. season, was an early purveyor of the crossover dribble within the Nineteen Sixties.

This dialog has been edited and condensed for readability.

SHAMMGOD Most of all creativeness. Simply studying learn how to manipulate the ball and manipulate angles. To be an elite dribbler, I might say you need to know learn how to use your physique, use your footwork. As a result of dribbling is all footwork.

HARDAWAY Not turning the ball over. Being underneath management. Figuring out when to take your man and learn how to set your man up.

ROBERTSON Expertise and time. I began enjoying after I was younger. I used to be a guard. I began hammering the ball, dribbling and making quite a lot of errors. After which, actually, you get entangled and also you study totally different gamers, and what they’re making an attempt to do to you. And you’ve got the arrogance in going inside at simply anybody.

SHAMMGOD It’s modified loads by hiring totally different coaches to assist. I wish to say there’s a distinction between instructing any individual strikes and instructing any individual learn how to dribble. Most individuals, once they come and so they work with any individual, they wish to study strikes. They wish to study the Tim Hardaway UTEP Two Step. They wish to study the Shammgod crossover or [Allen] Iverson crossover. However to me, that’s actually not dribbling. That’s studying learn how to do strikes.

HARDAWAY , again once we have been enjoying, there weren’t that many cameras. There wasn’t social media. So now they catch each little tidbit from every angle so it may be 5 totally different angles the place you see a man shaking his man and attending to the outlet or crossing any individual over and attending to the outlet. 5 totally different angles the place you see the man slip or fall.

ROBERTSON Guys who can deal with and dribble the ball are essentially the most profitable athletes. For those who can not dribble the ball round anyone, you’re not going to do very nicely in basketball.

SHAMMGOD Rising up, I used to only take a look at each dribble transfer I may think about. After which I might go apply it in sluggish movement. I might have two-pound ankle weights on my wrist.

I might dribble in sluggish movement. I might watch movie in sluggish movement so I may watch the purpose guard’s footwork or how they do a transfer. After which the most important factor for me is after I used to take the weights off my wrist, it’s identical to while you punch with wrist weights off. You’re taking them off your palms, they’re flying all over the place.

HARDAWAY I’m from Chicago. My dad and mom’ basement wasn’t completed, and so I used to go down there when it was chilly outdoors. I simply used to go downstairs and simply dribble and simply work on my sport. Dribbling, pretending the person was in entrance of me. Out and in strikes between my legs, crossovers behind my again — I used to only spend hours downstairs at a time. Simply dribble, dribble, dribble.

ROBERTSON Simply watching guys that I performed with in Indianapolis, a spot referred to as the mud bowl, which was outdoors. It was on concrete, however they referred to as it the mud bowl. And there have been some actually nice basketball gamers. It’s nearly unbelievable. I’m positive they’ve these gamers in all elements of the nation who performed nice open air however didn’t do very nicely once they went inside.

SHAMMGOD In fact, those that simply come to thoughts: Kyrie. Steph. James Harden, Chris Paul.

HARDAWAY I grew up watching an incredible individual named Isiah Thomas, nice ballhandler. It moved on to myself. After which, it moved to Rod Strickland. Oh, man, Rod Strickland had loopy handles that no one even acknowledges anymore. After which, you understand, you had guys that have been arising after us. Shammgod. And he’s out of New York. Derrick Rose had some good handles out of Chicago. Then you definately take a look at these guys. Chris Paul, you understand, at 37, nonetheless doing what he’s doing with the ball is wonderful. In fact, Kyrie. Steph Curry, [Ja] Morant. James Harden.

ROBERTSON I believe Curry could be very adept at dealing with the basketball. And likewise Ja Morant.

They perceive what the protection is making an attempt to do to them. Whenever you’re going on the market, you’ve bought to manage your pace. To a sure extent, you may’t go 100 miles an hour since you don’t wish to run into anyone. So these guys go in, they’re watching the protection.

SHAMMGOD The sport in opposition to Rutgers College. It was in opposition to Geoff Billet at Madison Sq. Backyard on the [1997] Huge East event. It was on the correct aspect of the courtroom. That was after I first did the transfer. I threw it out to go to the basket and he tried to run to steal the ball. And the one factor I may do is pull it again on my left hand.

HARDAWAY It’s a loopy story. I’m driving, and my son stated: “Dad, I do know you don’t like speaking within the automotive when you drive to the sport. However I wish to ask you. Everyone seems to be speaking concerning the crossover. What’s a crossover?”

I stated, “Boy, you’ve by no means seen me do the crossover?” He stated, “No!” I stated: “OK, I see it, however you may’t go nowhere. You’ve bought to remain in your seat.” As a result of he appreciated to roam and stroll round. Return to the play room, play PlayStation and all this and all that. I say: “You’ve bought to remain in your seat for the entire sport. At halftime, you go use the toilet. Aside from that, you’ve bought to remain in your seat the entire sport as a result of I don’t know when it’s going to occur, however I assure you it’s going to occur.”

And positive sufficient, just like the second play of the sport in opposition to New York Knicks, Recreation 7 [of the 1997 Eastern Conference semifinals]. I got here down and I stated, “I’m going to level to you.” And I did a crossover, laid it up and I pointed to him. I may see him leaping up and down, level clean, being like: “Yeah, OK, I see it. I perceive.” In order that was a type of memorable moments while you would speak to your son after which present him in motion what was the crossover and the way you do it.

ROBERTSON I didn’t give it some thought, to be trustworthy.

SHAMMGOD I believe it’s artwork to the fullest extent. It’s loopy, as a result of proper now, even for those who say my identify to a dictionary, it received’t carry up me. It’s going to carry up a transfer and it’ll carry up the best way the transfer is completed.

HARDAWAY Man, it’s like rhythm. It’s like dancing. Isiah used to do it. Nate Archibald used to do it. I used to do it. Dribbling a ball is like dancing and maintaining with the beat of a music. And for those who watch Kyrie, that’s how he dribbles. For those who watch Rod Strickland, that’s how he dribbles.

You watch Kemba Walker and for those who watch Steph Curry, it’s like dribbling to a beat of a music. Whenever you see these basketball commercials and so they’re bouncing a ball, it’s like going to the beat of the music. That’s how it’s. And it’s simply gracefully simply transferring with the basketball and actually having that confidence that no one can guard you. No person can stick you, and also you get round them and also you take a look at them of their eyeballs, and you will note that concern of their eyes, “Rattling, I’m in bother.” That’s the artwork of dribbling proper there.

ROBERTSON I simply suppose you both have it otherwise you don’t.

Supply images: Deal with Sport/Getty Photographs; Joe Murphy/NBAE, through Getty Photographs; Dale Tait/NBAE, through Getty Photographs; Jeff Chiu/Related Press; Cary Edmondson/USA As we speak Sports activities, through Reuters; Daniel Dunn/USA As we speak Sports activities, through Reuters; Mark J. Rebilas/USA As we speak Sports activities, through Reuters

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