With today’s NBA emphasizing shooting and scoring, some of the other components of the game can often get overshadowed by the fans and media.
But on Thursday, ESPN’s Jalen Rose (who also spent 13 years as a player) mixed things up by revealing his list of the Top 5 ball handlers in NBA history.
He originally picked Tim Hardaway first before rearranging his lineup. Here’s how it ended up:
Jalen Rose’s Top 5 Handles list:
Isiah Thomas
Kyrie Irving
Steph Curry
Allen Iverson
Jamal Crawford pic.twitter.com/ORuFIKHgKw
— NBA Retweet (@RTNBA) August 4, 2022
Matt Barnes also gave his list, which did look a little different from Jalen’s. He made sure to put Kyrie at that no. 1 spot before clarifying that 2-5 came in no particular order.
— 𝐋• (@clarkkent415) August 3, 2022
The common denominator for both lists was Curry and Irving, who are both still active today. There’s also Jamal Crawford, who retired very recently.
Despite all the drama and chaos that follows him, there is no arguing that Uncle Drew belongs right up there with some of the best ball-handlers in the game. His hands, footwork, and ball control allow him to create shots and find space with unprecedented efficiency.
Curry, meanwhile, doesn’t have the same bag as Irving, but the way he’s able to get around defenders and put up shots in motion easily puts him above most in this category. Good for Jalen and Barnes to recognize that aspect of Curry’s game.
Regarding Jamal Crawford, he might not be as accomplished as some other names in debate, but he made a living out of putting his opponents on the wrong end of ankle breakers, and it’s no secret that his control of the ball was key to Crawford’s 20-year career.
All-in-all, players who exceed at ball handling tend to also be some of the best scorers in the game, and it’s for good reason. As a skill that every player uses in any given game, those who have mastered the art of the dribble are in a category all of their own.
