Why don't more NBA players put Kareem's sky hook in their arensal?

[O.J A 6'4Mamba]

It is easily the most unstoppable move when mastered. I see a few guys perfrom Michael Jordan's turnaround fadeaway like Kobe, Tmac, Vince, Mayo, Wade, but I barely every see the sky hook.

The only player I have currently seen do it is Marc Gasol. What cause the death of the sky hook?

[AK47DR91]

It's unstoppable/unblockable but the accuracy is very very low if you don't master it.

[LA KB24]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlB8X101kME#t=5m10s

[Phong]

KAJ said that the hook shot is not "macho" enough and lots of players want to look cool. Even back in the 50s when he learned it the hook shot was going out of style.

[NuggetsFan]

NBA big men need to learn basic post play before they master the hook shot. No but seriously alot of big men now are pretty perimeter oriented or like to shoot the jumper and I'm sure when guys are growing up they aren't practicing the hook shot for 5 hours a day like they would be other things.

[Rowe]

Because its tough to do.

I mean seriously thats gotta take years to master that, and not just in practice, but in game when it matters.

[Da KO King]

Too finesse and too difficult to have teach let alone have a player master.

[taucesays]

Kareem learned how to do it as a kid when his older brother would swat all his shots. That's how long it takes to learn the sky hook.

[AK47DR91]

A lot of guys are using those quick release flip shots now. I'm not sure what the real term for it is but Yao, Bogut, Gasol uses it. It's sort a looks like a hook but not quite. At least not like Kareem's skyhook.

I actually use that flip shot too when I'm at the gym or park.

[Pinkhearts]

The skyhook is extremely inaccurate when used from far. There are better shots out there.

Instead of using the skyhook from range why not use a simple jumper instead? It's not like you're getting blocked alot shooting jumpers. Learn some fakes or even a fadeaway and you are much less likely to get blocked and get to use both hands to shoot.

Close range a simple hook shot will do it and is more effective. No need to do it Kareem style.

And do you really thing big men are going to master the skyhook when they can't even hit their free throws? There are better things to work on

[Swaggin916]

Because you have to be able to palm the ball with ease (which most big guys can probably do so whatev), but more importantly, it's not any more unstoppable than any other good post move. There have plenty of other great post players and none of them had that move.

[jaydacris]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTTKap_V0s0

it works well in nba elite 11 :lol

[coin24]

Only player i can think of that uses weird flip shots now would be Jamison, not skyhook or anything, but these weird leaning quick release floaters...:banana:

[AK47DR91]

^^^It's a different kind then. Maybe flip is the wrong term I'm using.

Here is that quick release flip hookshots that I was talking about.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzqfDaL0hZo

I guess they're technically hookshots too but it just looks like a flipshot compared to Kareem's skyhook.

[AirTupac]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlB8X101kME


Woops posted already. I guess he started practicing since grade 5.

[Ghettobird]

Because that shot is hard as hell

[Go Getter]

Because it isn't a shot everyone can be effective using.

Kareem was 7"+ and had incredibly long arms.

[jlitt]

Because big men are not coached well at the youth stages. Playing faceing the basket and pick and roll is much easier than learning low post moves. THat is why the nba is what is today. Pau gasol may be the best low post player in the nba.....and he is european. NO american big men know how to play the low post, which is quite opposite of the early nba where the centers ruled the paint and the game.

[ILLsmak]

Because you have to be able to palm the ball with ease (which most big guys can probably do so whatev), but more importantly, it's not any more unstoppable than any other good post move. There have plenty of other great post players and none of them had that move.


Yeah, a jump hook... baby hook whatever you call it is just as unstoppable and unblockable. And you are more facing the basket when you do it, you can put your body into someone, and even get fouled...

Plus there is really no counter move for a sky hook, a baby hook can be implemented into a dream shake or whatever.

I also don't understand why people say the hook shot is a hard move. It's really not. Maybe being able to do it with your off hand from far away is hard, but it's a pretty easy shot. Easier than a fade away for sure.

Anyway, the rolling hook, sky hook, baby hook, and all flip shots are equally unstoppable if you use them in the right situation and can actually make them. Anyone who can do a hook shot with both hands turning either way is unstoppable, period.

-Smak

[wakencdukest]

No one has ever done the skyhook like Kareem. I've seen plenty of sweeping hooks, but none that were as effective. That shot is unblockable. What surprises me though is that we don't see more big men at least utilize the jump hook. It seems young big men just want to face up these days, tragic.

[DCL]

big men don't do sky hooks anymore because they're too busy shooting friggin fadeaways like the little guys.

[SinJackal]

Because its tough to do.

I mean seriously thats gotta take years to master that, and not just in practice, but in game when it matters.

Nah, I can hook shot 3 pointers at like a 30-40% rate when shooting around, and I rarely practice that. If I can do that (and I'm not a great baller or anything, mind you), it can't be that hard for 7 foot guys (whom it should be FAR easier for to do) to put in hook shots from only 1/3rd to 1/2 the distance.

If you're a super tall dude like these NBA players are, it should be quite easy to put in hookshots within 10-12 feet, so long as they don't just have super awkward, clumsy dexterity. Shaq put in little hooks at a high rate. Hakeem and DRob did too. Duncan also does but it doesn't look too pretty. :\ Basically all the good bigs I can think of have use at least some form of hook shot 2-3 times a game in their primes.

But they need decent position to actually hit good hookshots. If they suck at gaining position, they can't utilize a hook shot, ya' know?

[Younggrease]

Yeah, a jump hook... baby hook whatever you call it is just as unstoppable and unblockable. And you are more facing the basket when you do it, you can put your body into someone, and even get fouled...

Plus there is really no counter move for a sky hook, a baby hook can be implemented into a dream shake or whatever.

I also don't understand why people say the hook shot is a hard move. It's really not. Maybe being able to do it with your off hand from far away is hard, but it's a pretty easy shot. Easier than a fade away for sure.

Anyway, the rolling hook, sky hook, baby hook, and all flip shots are equally unstoppable if you use them in the right situation and can actually make them. Anyone who can do a hook shot with both hands turning either way is unstoppable, period.

-Smak

ummm, well this isnt true. no matter what a person strength and length all come into play with hook shots. With the sky hook it allows someone with less length and possible less strength to have an almost unblockable shot. Hook shots are great and very useful, they are my go to move, but they are nowhere near as unguardable as a sky hook.

And to answer the question the shot is hard as hell to master. I can shot it at a fairly good clip and have shot it in a game during a blowout. But I could never get the percentage that much better than my regular post moves. Its really a difficult shot to master.

[iamgine]

Anyone know Kareem's FG% with the Sky hook only? I suspect it's not as good as many people think.

[Younggrease]

Anyone know Kareem's FG% with the Sky hook only? I suspect it's not as good as many people think.

idk...def better than duncans overrated bank shot though

[Doranku]

The same reason more wings don't use the one dribble pull-up jumper. Because it's hard as **** to master to the point that it's effective against NBA level defenses.

[SinJackal]

idk...def better than duncans overrated bank shot though

Which he hits on at about a 45% rate for his career. . .which is clearly not bad for a big man's jump shot. ..especially from farther out than these hookshots we're talking about.

I don't see how it's "overrated", unless you just hate Duncan in general and think he and many things about him is overrated due to your personal bias.

[Younggrease]

Which he hits on at about a 45% rate for his career. . .which is clearly not bad for a big man's jump shot. ..especially from farther out than these hookshots we're talking about.

I don't see how it's "overrated", unless you just hate Duncan in general and think he and many things about him is overrated due to your personal bias.

please show me where you pulled that stat from...better yet spare me the picture of you bare naked ass.

Duncan hasn't been proficient in shooting that shot in years.

[N0Skillz]

Cause Its Soooooo Hard To Do.

[SinJackal]

please show me where you pulled that stat from...better yet spare me the picture of you bare naked ass.

Duncan hasn't been proficient in shooting that shot in years.

Advanced stats.

Here's a writeup talking about it.


Offensively, however, he's barely declined at all. Duncan's averages are very close to the peak numbers he posted in his second and third pro seasons, and the 34-year-old version turns the ball over much less frequently. He still ain't Mark Price at the line, but last season's 72.5 percent mark eliminated a lot of the incentive to hack him freely. He also sunk over 40 percent of his long 2s for a second straight season, mostly thanks to his mastery of the bank shot from the wing.


And his accuracy has gone down from what it was in the past. Still hitting over 40%. An excellent percentage for a big man.


Also, I'm not sure why you're thinking about me being naked, or my ass, but please either stop it, or keep it to yourself.

[Pointguard]

When you look at things over your shoulder and upwards, there is usually an equilibrium adjustment. Its hard to have confidence from that position. The less you have to look up the better your equilibrium. If you go to a lower rim you will feel more confidence in your shot.

Kareem was doing this shot while very young. So the mechanics were naturally adjusted. Kareem does a ton of mechanics that nearly impossible to teach. His body turns, he leg goes up, his left side does balance/equilibrium. His left shoulder and his right shoulder have a great torque. His extension is also at its max for a long time. Kareem did Karate and Yoga and this helps with balance.

The hook also requires a soft touch. One hand dominance sometimes messes up your two hand shot. Its a cousin to the floater. Not an easy shot.

[ronnymac]

When you look at things over your shoulder and upwards, there is usually an equilibrium adjustment. Its hard to have confidence from that position. The less you have to look up the better your equilibrium. If you go to a lower rim you will feel more confidence in your shot.

Kareem was doing this shot while very young. So the mechanics were naturally adjusted. Kareem does a ton of mechanics that nearly impossible to teach. His body turns, he leg goes up, his left side does balance/equilibrium. His left shoulder and his right shoulder have a great torque. His extension is also at its max for a long time. Kareem did Karate and Yoga and this helps with balance.

The hook also requires a soft touch. One hand dominance sometimes messes up your two hand shot. Its a cousin to the floater. Not an easy shot.
Plus some of those traits are pretty much god given

[ILLsmak]

ummm, well this isnt true. no matter what a person strength and length all come into play with hook shots. With the sky hook it allows someone with less length and possible less strength to have an almost unblockable shot. Hook shots are great and very useful, they are my go to move, but they are nowhere near as unguardable as a sky hook.

And to answer the question the shot is hard as hell to master. I can shot it at a fairly good clip and have shot it in a game during a blowout. But I could never get the percentage that much better than my regular post moves. Its really a difficult shot to master.

You're crazy... you just have to know when to use it and seal them with your body. If you are getting your hook shot blocked or contested by someone who isn't considerably larger than you, you are doing something wrong.

Maybe we're not talking about the same thing? But how many times in the NBA have you seen a hook shot get blocked, any hook shot? I mean, one thing that comes to mind is Shaq blocking a Dwight rolling hook, but that was a weak move.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnEbe5Pr-vw

Who is stopping that? And that's an amazingly easy shot. It's hard to respect someone that can't use that shot. That's all day... you don't need to contort your body at all just bump them and rise up over them.

-Smak

[ILLsmak]

When you look at things over your shoulder and upwards, there is usually an equilibrium adjustment. Its hard to have confidence from that position. The less you have to look up the better your equilibrium. If you go to a lower rim you will feel more confidence in your shot.

Kareem was doing this shot while very young. So the mechanics were naturally adjusted. Kareem does a ton of mechanics that nearly impossible to teach. His body turns, he leg goes up, his left side does balance/equilibrium. His left shoulder and his right shoulder have a great torque. His extension is also at its max for a long time. Kareem did Karate and Yoga and this helps with balance.

The hook also requires a soft touch. One hand dominance sometimes messes up your two hand shot. Its a cousin to the floater. Not an easy shot.

I think the floater is easy, too... I think it's intuitive, though. Maybe it is not teachable...

I've always found a jump shot harder than floaters and hooks because, for me, it's easy to just put the ball in the basket with one hand. Kind of like Antawn Jamison.

But who here thinks if Kareem was doing a jump hook or a baby hook instead of a sky hook that it would have been less effective... honestly.

-Smak

[PowerGlove]

The thing that I dont understand is how NBA players struggle to shoot free throws. I mean, isn't everyone taught how to shoot FT's early on? I do not see how you could reach the NBA and be a 50-60% FT shooter. That really bothers me.

[OnceInADECADE]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIFavxL4pT0

Bron says hello

[LA_Showtime]

Me thinks Kobe Bean Bryant will eventually incorporate that move into his arsenal. If anyone is to do it, it's him.

[DetroitPiston]

Because it's a difficult shot and it's risky to pull off in games.

[Jasper]

Anyone know Kareem's FG% with the Sky hook only? I suspect it's not as good as many people think.

Actually it was his primary shot , and rarely would he shoot the left lane fade away bank shot , when he could not drive into the middle of the lane.
-----------
This is a skilled shot , but it requires an athletic type player.
Ironically in this day and age , many big men play like 30-40 years ago , being more of a body type player in the low post. (see Boston big men)

Only a handful of big men shoot jumpers outside , and those centers are players that either neverhad a post game, or their age has affected their efficiency in the post (ie. -'Z')

I think current athletic big men are lazy to practice and acquire this deadly shot.
If you watch enough of kareem's tapes , you will see he has to insure his inside hand as well as arm are uninhibited to allow a smooth flow to create the shot. Back in his Bucks days , I would see opposing centers disrupt his inside arm to throw him off balance. Also Jabbar would and did learn to use the inside arm and hand to deflect and actually create an offensive foul by pushing his opponent away from his motion and shot.
All kareem needed was approximately 1 1/2 steps to create the sweeping motion to create the shot.
The shot is only challenged prior to creating the shot , because he needed space to create the motion.
Once the motion was created and opponents challenged the initial shot -
it was irrelevant. The shot it's self creates space to get the shot off.

Timing is everything , that is why opponents challenged Kareem during the space motion and guards would try to sneak up from behind and strip the ball on his upward motion.

Yao occassionally uses it in his arsonal, but not often enough , because he is not quick enough to create the spacing on a regular bases to make it his primary weapon.

This player is using his back to demonstrate spacing to create the shot:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoGaP8AjvqM

2:55 shows him fighting for space to create motion (this is VERY difficult) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlB8X101kME

[iamgine]

Anyone know Kareem's FG% with the Sky hook only? I suspect it's not as good as many people think.
Anyone knows or have any source?