- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s skyhook is one of the most iconic moves in NBA history
- Shaquille O’Neal once claimed that he could block Abdul-Jabbar’s skyhook
- Isiah Thomas disagreed with Shaq’s outlandish claim
Many NBA players left their mark on the league with sensational signature moves. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s gift to the league was his iconic skyhook shot.
Abdul-Jabbar dominated the game with his unstoppable shot throughout his NBA career. Many tried, but they failed. However, Los Angeles Lakers legend Shaquille O’Neal once claimed that he could block the iconic skyhook shot at least a couple of times.
“I could have blocked the skyhook,” Shaq said. “I could have got it, I could have got him a couple of times. I could have got him, Zeke.”
Shaquille O’Neal repeated his answer to Isiah Thomas. However, Zeke disagreed with O’Neal’s huge claim.
“When Kareem was like 22, 25, 27, the stuff he was doing in this league,” Thomas said. “Shaq, I love you, but he’d be given it to you.”
Blocking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s iconic skyhook shot was no small deal. Even though O’Neal was 7’1″ and weighed 325 pounds, it would have been a tough job for him.
Speaking of the shot, there’s hardly any video of it getting blocked. But one player did it. And yes, it was none other than the legendary Wilt Chamberlain.
Could Shaq have become another player to block the skyhook? We will never find out. After all, the two superstars didn’t play in the NBA during the same era.
Why Does No One Use Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s Skyhook Shot?
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s skyhook has been deemed as an unstoppable shot by many NBA legends. So why don’t modern players use it more often?
Well, Abdul-Jabbar himself explained the reason behind it. Kareem did mention that the shot is not hard to learn.
“I don’t know, it’s not a hard shot to learn,” Kareem said. “You can do the George Mikan Drill and that will give you all the fundamentals, give you the footwork. How to use either hand and how to use the backboard.
“It teaches you everything about using that shot. It’s a great drill, but there’s not too many guys that are using it and they don’t try to get the shots off in a game. So, it’s kind of gone out of style and out of the game.”
While it’s rare to see any modern NBA player use the skyhook during games, it could change in the future. 2023 No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama recently revealed that he is planning to add Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s skyhook shot to his arsenal.
At 7’4″, Wembanyama has the perfect height to not only learn the shot but perfect it as well. Considering he is expected to become the face of the league one day if he uses the shot during games, its popularity can resurrect in the coming years.
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