We all had our favorite NBA players to emulate as kids. My guy was Walt Frazier. I’d mimic his signature head fake when there was no defender in sight (“Yo, who are you faking?”), then would be tightly guarded by the time I was ready to shoot. My secondary favorite was Jerry Lucas. Before that wretched, sport-changing three-point line was introduced, I used to launch from long-range and had some serious arc. The results mattered little. Back then we could copy any moves we wanted without worry. But as we age, we have to think twice before attempting the moves of our favorite players from the past, and can’t even consider copying the stuff these guys are doing now. And after watching two guys young enough to be my kids suffer devastating injuries during the last two NBA Finals contests, I’m feeling particularly cautious now. So for weekend warriors to be on the safe side, here are a few vintage basketball moves to avoid if you’re over 35, even though you’d have to be around 55 to remember them.
THE EARL “THE PEARL” MONROE SPIN
We all tried this move as youngsters back in the 1970s and beyond. Monroe taught us all how to multi-task with a basketball in our hands, as he’d flash the dance moves while dribbling the basketball and score rather effortlessly while embarrassing the poor soul assigned to defend him.
The problem for us older guys is the move requires some deft footwork AND ballhandling simultaneously, and how many of us have both? So while concentrating on catching the defender leaning, planting the foot correctly, then executing the spin move AND maintaining control of the ball without traveling, it’s easy to shake a creaky knee joint loose or twist an ankle. The odds increase if you’re wearing low-top sneakers, or cheap ones.
THE ARCHIE CLARK “SHAKE AND BAKE”
In the 1970s, Archie Clark was actually executing the crossover dribble before it became fashionable, but his signature move was the “shake and bake”, a bit of a stutter-step move he’d put on a defender that would set up his crossover or before attempting to drive past him. Archie was listed at 5’11”, so he’d use this move and his quickness to get bigger defenders on their heels.
This was another popular move on the playgrounds back then, but this particular move can be perilous for both the ballhandler and the defender. Even with proper footwear, the “shake and bake” could be tough on the knees and ankles, and the sudden change of direction is designed for the younger athlete. If the defender tries to change directions after falling for the initial shake move, the limbs may not respond as they used to.
If someone comes at me with this move, they can have the layup. It also means I shouldn’t be on the court with them, anyway.
WES UNSELD’S TWO-HANDED OUTLET PASS
Wes Unseld was one of the best positional rebounders the sport has ever seen. You weren’t getting around those broad shoulders, and trying to leap over him wasn’t working either. But it was what he did after grabbing a defensive rebound that was equally impressive.
He’d turn, take a step with the ball over his head and with what appeared to be a quick snap of the wrists, fire the ball up the floor to one of his guards, be it Phil Chenier, Kevin Porter or whoever leaked out, triggering a fast break.
This may seem like a simple maneuver, but the strength required to advance the ball like Unseld did on a regulation-sized basketball court is not owned by most mortals, and the ripple effect will travel down the body. I’m thinking potential shoulder or back strain, and with that wrist action potentially double carpal tunnel syndrome.as well. Better to just hand the ball off to a guard if playing a full-court pickup game.
CALVIN MURPHY’S PULL-UP JUMPER
Imploring you not to try this one. Murphy was small, but his quickness enabled him to enjoy a long, successful NBA career. And he did everything quickly. He walked quickly, he dribbled quickly, and at full speed he could stop on a dime and launch a jumper before the defender realized Murphy was no longer dribbling the ball. Listed at 5’8″, he needed that gift, and it made him impossible to guard.
Forget about not being able to do this maneuver anymore, we could NEVER do it, even in our twenties. The move is only effective if you’re moving fast to begin with, so no concerns there. But that sudden stop and jump can be murder on the knees, ankles and feet for both the ballhandler and defensive player, even if you’re not bringing the quickness.
Yet another reason to stay within your relative age range when playing pickup ball.
JERRY SLOAN’S DEFENSE
As a youngster, one of my least favorite opponents for the New York Knicks were the Chicago Bulls. It wasn’t enough that you had to listen to that loud pipe organ at Chicago Stadium and guys like Bob “Butterbean” Love and Chet Walker were a handful to guard, but the Bulls’ backcourt of Jerry Sloan and Norm Van Lier would beat your favorite players up on the defensive end.
The younger set probably remembers Sloan as the long-time coach of the Utah Jazz (1988-2011) when Karl Malone and John Stockton were there, and he was a no-nonsense guy then.That was merely a continuation of how he approached the game as a player.
To emulate that level of defensive intensity and physicality requires getting into a serious defensive stance, already a losing proposition. So we’re good there. But beware if you’re getting served up on the court, the ego kicks in and you begin having Jerry Sloan defensive flashbacks. That pipe organ starts playing in your head. And suddenly you’re bending the knees, sliding the feet, rapidly changing directions and attempting to physically intimidate your opponent which can lead to discomfort in the neck and back as well as the lower extremities.
Not worth it.
THE WALI JONES JACKKNIFE JUMPER
This was my favorite basketball maneuver to mimic as a child, and is at least partially responsible for any physical pain I experience today. I remember watching the Knicks play the Sixers on a Friday evening after a Cub Scout meeting, so I was probably around 9 years old. I also remember demonstrating the Wali Jones jumper to fellow scouts at the following week’s meeting.
Difficult to describe, but Jones would elevate for his jumper and when he reached the apex of his jump, both the upper and lower half of his body appeared to snap forward—almost violently—like a platform diver as he released the ball. At times, he’d look like the “greater than” symbol from the side when releasing his jump shot. But he was effective with it.
Imagine attempting that shot now and then still having to land. Sometimes it’s better to stay grounded.
DICK BARNETT’S “FALL BACK BABY” JUMPER
During the New York Knicks’ heyday in the early 1970s, one of the most copied moved on the New York City playgrounds was Dick Barnett’s “Fall Back Baby” jumper. Barnett was left-handed, and even righties like myself would try the shot left-handed. Simultaneously, you had to lean backwards and bend the knees at a sharp angle while in the air shooting. Then you had to stick the landing. A lot going on, and then you still had to make the shot.
Jumping in the air, kicking the feet back, then landing. Most of us could do that with varying levels of ease now. But with a basketball in hand, there could be some issues.
NATE “TINY” ARCHIBALD’S TWISTING LAYUPS
The Basketball Hall of Famer Nate Archibald was undersized compared to his NBA brethren, but he made up for it with courage, speed and creativity. Check out some of his highlights online. As a member of the Kansas City Kings, Archibald put up some staggering numbers but we never got to see him perform much during those days. But he was the owner of some unreal twisting moves around the basket which enabled him to score against much larger opponents. And he’d make the shot.
Archibald was known for his quickness, but you know he had to have some hang time to mix it up under the basket with the trees. Also consider that hand-checking on defense was allowed in those days, and early in his career there was no three-point line so most defenders were just a step or two from the paint.
After turning 30, I couldn’t imagine going up for a layup, shifting the ball between hands and either making a shot over someone taller or finding an open teammate before landing. All that requires a quick first step, the ability to handle the ball like a yo-yo, some serious leaping ability, the concentration to make a split-second decision and adjustment in mid-air, the courage to take the inevitable punishment and the quick calculation to put ball to backboard at the right angle and velocity to make the shot.
Easier to just shoot some mid-range flat-footed shots, ya think?
LET THEM HAVE IT
We can’t try these maneuvers anymore and it’s totally fine. We can’t lament the fact that younger guys can still do things on the basketball court that we can—and should—no longer do. It’s just their turn. No one gets any longer to be in their twenties than anyone else, and the younger guys we’re still trying to compete against will eventually have to tone it down a bit as well. The competitor in us wants to win every contest, and we’ve all been in situations where we end up trying moves our bodies will no longer allow us to do without cost, especially when the opponent is talking trash.
Let them have it. At day’s end, we all just go home anyway. Better to go intact.
Photo by Lance Grandahl on Unsplash
