LeBron James on how he looks at Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s skyhook: “The most unguardable shot, weapon that’s been created”
LeBron James could dethrone Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA’s all-time scoring leader tonight. “King James” is 36 points away from moving past the “Captain’s” 38,387 career points.
As spectacular and consistent as James has been, there’s one shot that’s lacking in his arsenal. Heck, it’s a shot that no player has consistently attempted since the six-time MVP retired in 1989.
Here’s the current LA Lakers superstar on Abdul-Jabbar’s skyhook:
(2:28)
“It’s the most unguardable shot, weapon that’s been created and I think why it’s the greatest and most untouchable shot is because normally you get other guys that either try the move and perfect it even more or you got guys that just emulate it and do it as well as the guy before him.
"There’s never been nobody else that’s come close to even trying to emulate it. … It is an unguardable, untouchable signature move.”
It isn’t just LeBron James who hasn’t had an interest in mimicking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s skyhook. Joel Embiid, perhaps, the game’s premier low-post scorer, patterned his game after Houston Rockets legend Hakeem Olajuwon.
While “The Dream” had the best and shiftiest footwork for a big man, the skyhook never became a part of his diet of shots. He became known for the “Dream Shake,” a signature shot that Embiid studied for hours.
Back-to-back NBA MVP Nikola Jokic grew up playing the European style of basketball. He’s an artist with the ball who can put up any shot he wants. Jokic relies more on his set shots, nifty layups and occasional pushup shots to get buckets.
Karl-Anthony Towns, who calls himself the greatest big-man shooter in NBA history, has never used the patented hook shot of Abdul-Jabbar. The Minnesota Timberwolves big man’s main reason for not having it in his arsenal was that he was never taught how to execute it.
Here’s LeBron James on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s influence on his game and whether he’s put in the work to use the skyhook:
(2:20)
“I’ve toyed with it more recently than I did when I was a kid. When I was younger, I grew up in an era of the fadeaway sensation, the MJ kind of story or the crossover sensation that Allen Iverson created, or the no-look pass that J-Kidd and actually Magic kind of had.
"But, I never toyed around with the skyhook unless you’re playing a game of horse. … I never put it into the lab.
LeBron James has relied more on the three-point shot to chase Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time scoring record
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, in his 21-year NBA career, attempted 18 three-point shots. He made just one of them. LeBron James, who is playing in his 20th season, has launched 6,488, hitting 2,233 of his trifectas.
In the loss to the New Orleans Pelicans two nights ago, he attempted seven shots from deep, making just one of his attempts. The shot from long-range added three points to his 27 for the game. It also moved him closer than ever to Abdul-Jabbar’s hallowed scoring mark.
Over his last five seasons with the LA Lakers, LeBron James has depended on his three-point shots to put up buckets. He is averaging 4.6 attempts, making 1.6 per game for a 34.4% clip.
How LeBron James became the most prolific scorer in the modern NBA.
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Before arriving in LA, the most attempts per season he averaged was 5.0 3PA. Last season, he averaged 8.0 3PA and is currently at 7.0 3PA.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s shot might have been unguardable and untouchable, but LeBron James and the NBA haven’t paid much attention to it.