Giving Credit Where it's Due

One of my favorite things to do is talk Old School vs. New School.  It's so fun because there's no way at all to prove who's right and who's wrong.  You can't convince anyone using raw data, or even advanced statistics, because the game has changed so much.  More so, you can't convince anyone using the Eye Test ("but so-and-so just looks better"), because, let's face it, if you could convince someone to change their stance based on the Eye Test, it means it wasn't a very fun argument to begin with.

It is pretty hard to sway the mind of a pro-New School fanboy, but downright impossible to do so to an Old School die hard.  Here's a typical conversation between NATE (21 year old New School-er wearing a D-Wade jersey) and his grandpa JOHN (85 year old Old School-er wearing a jersey over a polo):

NATE: "Joel Anthony would be a beast in the 80's, man."

JOHN: (waving hand) Every single decade, we're losing more and more fundamentals.

NATE: The fundamentals are wack, Pop.  Plus, the game is more complex now and players are more talented.  Back then was boring.  Show me a player more exciting than Allen Iverson.

JOHN: (chuckling) Don't mind if I do, boy!  If you could have been at the Garden with me watching Bob Cousy throw no-look passes.  Or when Earl "The Pearl" would shake off a defender with a beautiful spin move!  Or a patented post move by Bob Lanier... (gazes off wistfully).

JOHN: "Where's the ball movement?"

NATE: Naw, Pop, you crazy. Lebron or Kobe would have dominated those fools.  I want to see Bill Russell try to deny Lebron on the fast break. You know he'd get flattened into the hardwood.

JOHN: Bill Russell is five times better a defender than any big man in the NBA today.  The defense today is atrocious!  No effort!  That's why the only team I can bear to watch is the Memphis Grizzlies.  That's a team that knows   how it's done.  Pound it inside! Mid range jump shots!  Fundamentals!  

My stance in debates such as this one:

• I am a mixture of both John and Nate.  I respect both the New Generation of players as well as the Old.  Anyone who doesn't is an idiot. 
• Of course the game has evolved.  It's hard to say how Oscar Robertson or Bill Russell would fare in today's game because, with the different style of play and modern training methods, they would be completely different players than they were back then.  But I think it's safe to say that if they dominated their peers so easily decades ago, that they would also be elite in today's game (given they grew up with the same training). 
• Any old person that criticizes modern defenses is horribly misinformed; today's rotations and strategies far exceed those of yesteryear.    
• Officiating, too, has evolved through the years.  For example, just three decades ago, players were not allowed to bring their hand over the ball to dribble.  This should be taken into account when assessing older players' ballhandling skills.  Also, several rule changes have been instituted in order to protect offensive players (hand checking, block/charge circle, shooting space, physicality in general).  I still believe the game is quite physical, but the physicality has been transferred to other areas of the court (specifically, in contending pick and rolls). 
• We are in the Flopping Era, but it is, thankfully, on the way out.  More on this in another post.
• Please only wear glasses if you have a prescription.

Which brings me to the meat of today's post.   Today is all about combining the Old School and the New School in an effort to satisfy the Johns of this world before they pass on.  You see, my inner John comes out a little bit when I hear the Nates start raving about the originality of a player that does a move that has already been done in the past.  It's a sad world when a kid does a windmill dunk on the 8 foot driveway hoop and yells out "BLAKE GRIFFIN!" with not even a thought of The Human Highlight Reel. 

"LOB CITY BABY!!"

Come on, man.

So, in an effort to educate youth like myself, I have done some digging to find a few basketball moves from the simpler times along with their modern comparisons.  I call it "Giving Credit Where It's Due," because, hey, if someone did it first, they should get the credit.   

NOTE: I realize there are a lot of moves that I will not cover in this list, I just thought I would make some connections that many readers probably haven't thought about.

1.  Pistol Pete Maravich vs. Rajon Rondo in "The Fake Pass" 

Ahhh.... this move really gets me.  At least once every game, Rondo will drive left to right, use his enormous right hand to secure the ball, and fake a behind-the-back pass in order to set up a layup for himself or a pass to an open teammate.  More than a handful of times, the "Fake Pass" has made defenders look extremely foolish, like it did to Udonis Haslem in this instance:

But did you know that Pistol Pete was doing the exact same move, 40 years prior? (By the way, this isn't the last time you will see the Pistol on this list). 

2. Bill Russell vs Lebron James in "The Chasedown Block"

I think Mike Breen gets a salary increase every time he mentions the "patented Lebron James Chasedown Block," because he will do it once every Heat telecast.  It's true, Lebron hustles back in transition to deny more would-be layups than anyone we have ever seen.  Here, we'll throw in nasty example against a greedy Jason Richardson (although it was a huge foul):

Only thing is, Bill Russell was doing his own Chasedown Blocks before Lebron was born.  Probably before Lebron's mom was even born.  And he was doing them on Jerry West.  And he was actually keeping most of them in play.  (Side Note: If you haven't seen Bill Russell's coast-to-coast layup video yet, do yourself a favor and watch it.  Insane athletic ability)  

3.  Elgin Baylor vs. Michael Jordan in "The Inside Out Dribble"

The Inside Out Dribble is used by almost every perimeter player in the NBA today as a way to fake a crossover and create separation from the defender.  Different players use the move in different ways.  Kyrie Irving, for example, will often combine an inside out dribble with a crossover to drive to the basket.  Paul Pierce will use it to set up a pullup or step back jump shot.  Here we see the GOAT using a sound inside out dribble to escape a defender and explode for a layup.  

This move may not seem kind of obvious, but during Elgin Baylor's era, it wasn't.  As I mentioned previously, the NBA had a lockdown on any hand-under or hand-on-the-side-of ballhandling moves, which made a move like this extremely difficult to execute.  Let's just give credit where it's due (that's why you're reading this, anyway). 

4.  Pistol Pete Maravich vs. Stephon Marbury in "The Spin  Pass"

"This Spin Pass" is more of a move from the horrible AND1 Streetball Era of the early 2000s, but I  still saw it attempted in a couple of NBA games last season.  The player will merely whip a one-handed pass and then continue a 360 degree spin.  I guess that makes it look cool.  Actually, who am I kidding, I know it makes it look cool (sucker for this move).  Just check out this one by Stephon Marbury, probably the most famous Spin Pass of all time. 

Guys, The Pistol was just flat out ahead of his time.  Who else from this era even considered doing a pass like this?  Ridiculous.  

5. Mark Jackson vs. Kobe Bryant in "The Self Pass" 

When thinking of players who pass it to themselves off the backboard, Tracy McGrady may come to several readers' minds.  But I am not talking alley oops and cool points; rather, I am talking about using the pass to escape an otherwise inescapable situation in which the defense has collapsed around you.  That is when "The Self Pass" truly becomes an art.  No one does this move more often than Kobe Bryant.  

Now, I realize that Mark Jackson is not that old.  At least, not nearly as old as some of the other "Old Schoolers" used in previous comparisons.  But, still, Jackson was one of the supreme innovators of his time.  I mean, he came up with the phrase "Momma, there goes that man" and "Hand down, man down!"  But seriously, if you only know Jackson as a coach, commentator, or aging back-your-man-down point guard, do yourself a favor and go watch some highlights of his younger days.  He was a wizard with the ball.  Anyway, here is the video of the move:

6.  Bob Cousy vs. John Wall in the "Around the Back"

John Wall is not the only one to bring the ball around his back to confuse defenders in transition.  Jamal Crawford has also employed the move frequently.  This is also a pet move of Manu Ginobili, and before him, Sarunas Marciulionis (speaking of innovators).  The idea is, you can switch directions without exposing the ball to be swiped and taken away.  The move looks easy, but requires supreme ball control.  Here is Wall doing the move all the way back in college:

 

Nice one, John.  Bob Cousy was doing this move 50 years before Wall.  Fifty. 

7.  Larry Bird vs. Dirk Nowitzki in "The Fallaway"

Larry Bird and Dirk Nowitzki are known as two of the best big man (6'10" and above) shooters in NBA history.  But it's not just their shooting that makes them similar (or their pastiness).  It's the way they shoot.  First we'll take a look at Dirk, who shoots almost exclusively over the right shoulder in fade-away situations. Dirk is able to get the shot off because of his quick, high release, and how far he falls back.   

There is no current NBA comparison for the way Dirk shoots.  The closest would probably be Lamarcus Aldridge, though he doesn't fade nearly as much.  But watch the following video of Larry Bird and how he sets himself up for "The Fallaway".  There is definitely a resemblance between Larry and Dirk, although Bird is able to do over both the right and the left shoulder and Dirk at times takes off of one foot (video credit: BasketballJones48021). 

8.  Archie Clark vs. Tyreke Evans in "The Eurostep"

"The Eurostep" has now become a staple in the arsenal of NBA footwork.  It involves stepping hard with the dominant foot to one side, and then completely switching course with a lateral step in the opposite direction.  Dwyane Wade, Manu Ginobili, James Harden, and Tyreke Evans are most commonly noted for their use of the Step, which is now being taught in Basketball Academies across the country.  Here is an example from Tyreke Evans:

It is popular opinion among NBA scholars that "The Eurostep" originated in Europe and was brought to the NBA by Sarunas Marciulionis (previously mentioned).  Although the step was perfected in Europe, it actually originated here in the USA.  Elgin Baylor and Julius Erving, among others, used the move in their primes.  The earliest and most modern-looking use of the move I can find was done by Archie Clark in the early 70's.  Take a look, it's pretty smooth:

So, there you have it.  Eight moves is enough, right?  So let's all agree to appreciate the Old School players and what they brought to the table.  Likewise, let's respect the immense talent that modern players possess.  I think I have done my job in bringing the generations together.  I think Uncle Drew would approve of this message.

"Good work, Youngblood."