When it comes to iconic shots in the history of the NBA, there isn’t one that can beat Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s signature Skyhook. It was virtually unblockable due to Kareem’s length, and he was so skilled that he could even sink them from mid-range as his helpless opponents just watched on. Abdul-Jabbar learned the move when he was in 5th grade, and he mastered it during his junior year at UCLA after the NCAA had banned dunks in games.
Kareem used that shot to such great effect that it helped him become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, and it is a title he holds to this day. He did it despite hitting just 1 three-pointer in his career, and it shows how valuable it can be to have a shot like that in your repertoire. Even when he was in his 40s, the skyhook enabled Kareem to remain effective on the court, as he averaged double digits in points as a 42-year-old, which is ridiculous.
Mychal Thompson Posted A Picture of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Shooting The Skyhook
Mychal Thompson was a teammate of Kareem from 1987 till his retirement in 1989, and they won 2 titles together during that time as members of the Showtime Lakers. Those Lakers had a reunion recently in Maui, which was great to see, and Thompson posted a picture of Kareem shooting his skyhook.
STILL an unstoppable shot… at 75… pic.twitter.com/rQ0c7dsp6a
— Mychal Thompson (@champagnennuts) September 19, 2022
You can even see Magic Johnson watching on in awe, and it looks like Kareem still has a few skyhooks left in him! It is a real shame that we don’t see more players try to perfect this shot, as the hook, in general, has become a lost art. The emphasis is very much on the three-pointer, and rightfully so, but Kareem showed just how much success could come out of perfecting this shot.
He won an NBA record 6 MVPs to go with 6 championships and is regarded as one of the three best players of all time, thanks, in part, to the skyhook. We often talk about how the NBA is a copycat league and that if someone has success doing things a certain way, then everyone else follows, but that hasn’t been the case with the skyhook. We did see Luka Doncic shoot the skyhook in a game against Sweden at the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers, and if Luka puts in some effort and works hard on mastering that shot, then who knows what heights the Slovenian might end up reaching?
