[IknoBall12Participant]

Some people have different definitions of the best handles and who had the best handle in the history of professional basketball. If you ask older people you will probably hear the name magic Johnson or pistol Pete Maravich. Ask people from the new school you may hear Allen iverson, Chris Paul, etc. some people define handles as being able to do tricks with the ball while others define handles as being able to do crossovers and dribble moves. I think there’s a difference. For example I think lebron has handles but I don’t think he can do a crossover like say Kobe. I want to know who y’all think the top 5 NBA players with handles of all time. And if you want describe what handles means to you

[For_Never_EverParticipant]

Steve Nash
Kyrie Irving
Isaiah Thomas
Kobe Bryant
Tracy Mcgrady
Jamal Crawford

[Chilbert arenasParticipant]

My favorite three:

JWill
DWill
Jamal Crawford

[alingeParticipant]

Surely the greatest would be, Rafer “Skip 2 my Lou” Alston, average player insane handles.

Followed in by any order
Bob Cousy
Pete Maravich
Magic Johnson
Isaiah Thomas
CP3
Jason “White Chocolate” Williams
Jamal Crawford
Ricky Rubio

[For_Never_EverParticipant]

I would also put Penny Hardaway and Brandon Roy on the list. Both these guys could play pg full time against other pg’s faster hands and feet with their ball handling ability.

[Sewok15Participant]

Allen Iverson- He crossed up MJ worse than anyone in history.

Magic Johnson- He never had elite athleticism but also never had a problem getting where he wanted on the court because he was so crafty with the ball.

CP3- He is a wizard with the ball. If he wanted to score 30 a game like AI he could but his game is more valuable getting others the ball.

Jason Williams- White Chocolate took the NBA by storm. He is one guy that tried to turn the NBA into street ball. His run was short lived but he was certainly exciting from day one.

Kyrie Irving- You can already see he handles the ball as well as any guard in the league. When I saw the video of the Olympic team practice/tryouts I was instantly a believer.

[For_Never_EverParticipant]

I don’t think CP3 could score 30 ppg like AI could, even if that is all he focused on.

[Sewok15Participant]

Maybe not 30 but very close…especially on a team with less offensive talent. When Iverson scored 30 a game he shot like 27 times a game. The Sixers had no one else to score. Eric Snow and Aae ron Mckie were defensivguards. Ratliff, Mutumbo, Geiger, Lynch, Hill…washed up Big Dog and C-Webb. They never had any other player to consistently shoulder any scoring load outside AI.

Cp3 is a better shooter than AI although Iverson could get red hot. The only major difference in their games is Iverson always had the mentally to score first and relentlessly attack the basket. Paul was always pass first and score when you have to. He is a prototypical point guard but that is by choice.

[For_Never_EverParticipant]

Chris Paul isn’t as effective against size and athleticism. When he goes up against Rose or Westbrook and someone like Kobe guarding him, he hasn’t looked that great. AI on the other could score like that against anyone guarding him for the most part.

[Mr. 19134Participant]

ForNeverEver, I was about to blast you because I feel your comment about Paul being able to score like AI was ridiculously ignorant, and I was going to say how you’re clearly too young to remember AI in his prime. But then you redeemed your basketball knowledge by point out how AI had an uncanny ability to score against size. It’s for them reasons that I would like to point out Paul wouldn’t be able to average anywhere near as many points a game as AI did even if he wanted too. AI was often guarded by long wing players that were easily 6 inches taller then him, and would get doubled consistently on his moves to the lane, yet he somehow managed to slither through all that traffic and length and still kiss balls off the glass into the rim.

Plus AI was a way better athlete then Paul, which put AI in a rare class. I just hate when people act like AI scored so much because he shot so much. AI and Kobe were cut of the same cloth. They scored so much because they were stone cold ego maniacs who knew nobody could guard the one on one and went for blood on nearly every possession. That’s what makes them so rare, it’s their ability combined with their relentless aggression backed up by limitless endurance.

[esperanzafleet69Participant]

derrick coleman?

[kingofbumsParticipant]

i think he definitely could…maybe not 30 but pretty damn close. we are talking about a 20 and 11 guy. take away those 11 or more times hes in the paint looking for teammates and replace it with looks for shots…yeah i think he could avg around 30. he plays to win though so we will never get to see it. i think when we talk about all time great pgs he gets overlooked…maybe thats just me.

[ItsVictorOladipoParticipant]

He never reached the great heights he was supposed to but Kenny Anderson sure had some sick handles back in the day.

[IvoLParticipant]

and tough choice…

Cousy, the first man revolutionizing the game
Pistol Pete, the second one
Magic, the way he controled the ball man he was insane and started the fastbreaks genial
Isiah
Iverson
CP3, he have a lot of tricks in the bag
Irving
Jason Williams (Kings)
Jamal Crawford
Kobe i think for me he is the best SG with ball handling not counting Jamal Crawford
Durant best SF with ball handling, yes Lebron is better handling the ball but Durant is better crossing up people and creating space for his shot
i don’t know why but everyone is forgetting DRose man he is insane and some of you guys forgot Tim Hardaway too lol

some guys we should give credit and we kinda forget

God Shammgod he was the man teaching Kobe
Booger Smith, a streetball legend with amazing ball handling skills
Alimoe (R.I.P)

[theprophetParticipant]

pistol pete handles best. allen iverson, isiah thomas, god shammgod, rafer alston,and jason williams are right there. ricky rubio has the best today who could be on this list as well.

[BA30Participant]

Saying Rubio has the best handle in the NBA right now is laughable. Kyrie Irving, CP3, Jamal Crawford are all better ball handlers than Rubio.

[Ny2daDeathOFmeParticipant]

Shamrock .. muggsy bogues and Allen iverson are definitely top tier for me

[WetalkinboutpracticeParticipant]

Nobody mentioned the UTEP Two Step, Tim Hardaway.

Also Tiny Archibald.

Jamal Crawford is my favorite to watch dribble the rock, the man has that ball on a string.

[kingofbumsParticipant]

plus 1 for tim hardaway

[kingofbumsParticipant]

penny
magic
timmy hardaway
white chocolate
AI

just misses…paul, crawford, isiah, and kyrie

[For_Never_EverParticipant]

Sorry, this doesn’t have anything to do with the topic. I just wanted to post it here because his name will get mentioned a lot.

[IknoBall12Participant]

Surprised I didn’t hear more about Tim hardaway. I felt like he most def would be on most people’s list

[20 out of 10]

I’m new school. Chris Paul has the best PG handles I have ever seen. To me, is not even as close as some people think.

[King CaluchaParticipant]

The game is always in evolution, but let’s pay some respect to some guys who did great back in the day: Cousy, Pistol Pete, Earl Monroe, Magic, Isiah, etc.

[Meditated StatesParticipant]

Tim Hardaway and Rondo. Rondo never gets stripped of the ball. Barely ever.

[keopsaosoParticipant]

Jason “White Chocolate” Williams

[Ahkasi ClayParticipant]

Scott Skiles, micheal Adams, were some of my favorites

[Taylor Gang MikeParticipant]

Jamal Crawford
Steve Francis
Kobe
J Will
Baron Davis
Ai
Pistol Pete
Earl The Pearl
Marbury
Cp3
Kyrie
Deron Williams

NO ORDER

But then you can say guys with street style like Skip, God ShamGod, Lamar Odom or Flip Murray

[esperanzafleet69Participant]

i guarentee half of you put players you’ve never seen. cousy? cmon.

[alingeParticipant]

Have seen enough video of Cousy to see how good his handle was, I also never saw Wilt, Russell or Havlicek play but I can confidently say they were pretty good players.

[esperanzafleet69Participant]

if you’ve seen cousy play enough, then you honestly cant compare him to hardaway or iverson.

[alingeParticipant]

Yes I can and I will, Cousy had as good a handle as AI, just Cousy didn’t show it off as much.

[Meditated StatesParticipant]

Boston you can see Cousy play all the time so not sure what you mean buddy. Based on what I seen he never carried. All the guys you people are naming come from todays time and thesr dudes carry by Cousy standards. Watch old tapes of games sometimes and you will trully know the game. Handle is barely ever getting stripped and getting where you want with ease not just aa carrying crossover. Learn the game. Rondo,Cousy, Hardaway all have that.

[For_Never_EverParticipant]

This is one of those threads if you don’t name the obvious Cousy, Pistol and ects. Guys that were all time greats in there time, you will get negged.

[IvoLParticipant]

i actually did and even reminded some people about Tim Hardaway and Rose and i got negged xD… shame on them or me? xD

[For_Never_EverParticipant]

I understand how great those players are, but at the same time people shouldn’t be blind to progression and players surpassing there elders. I didn’t watch Tim Hardaway much, so I didn’t have anything to say about him. Rose I believe is a great ball handler, but I don’t think he is a all time great. Rose has elite speed, athleticism and strength that enhances his handles from people being able to defend against it. Rafer Alston name was mentioned, he wasn’t that good in the NBA because he wasn’t allowed to carry and travel like he does when he played for And1.

[IvoLParticipant]

i wasn’t saying it was you was i brother? of course the new school can surprass his elders, but if you carry the ball to much is that progressing? if i see someone like Rondo or CP3 doing things that i already saw old school guys doing it where this leave us? you see guys using a spining move, when Earl was alreday doing it, i can actually say this the crossover moves are the thing that evolve the most in the handling the ball departement, the rest i don’t thing so that’s all unfortunally i can say this the NBA, is not the same i’m an huge fan of Basketball, a huge fan of the NBA… but in order of seeing the game playing by the rules my order is this NCAA, ACB League and Euroleague because they will call you travel when you are actually traveling they will call you for carrying when you are actual palming the ball and more physical not stupid nonsense calls is the meaning of more physical not athleticaly of course but if you ask me what i watch the most easy and love the most NBA, NBA, NBA, March Madness and Euroleague Final Four that’s all, i like streetball if you actually play by the rules, in the streetball category there are only 3 players that had insane handle and could play without travel and carry the ball… Booger, God Shammgod and Alimoe that’s all, for me it’s Basketball the most but pure feel and honest game nothing else matters for me

[IvoLParticipant]

everyone that actually tries to talk about a subject they really don’t care or don’t know about Old School players and for me that’s a shame… my bad on me i forgot to put Marbury and Steve Francis, oh Baron Davis was good too, but if we want to talk about crossing or handling there is a difference if we want talk about both there was only some players that i actually saw could do both without carrying like the shit they do now in the NBA… CP3, Cousy, Maravich, Magic, Isiah, Tim Hardaway, DRose yes i said it go watch some tape of his best crossovers then come talk to me, best ball handler in the nba today CP3, best player using his crossover DRose

[For_Never_EverParticipant]

My statements weren’t directly directed at you. It was in general, because it seems like anybody that didn’t mention players from black and white screen days were getting negged.

[IvoLParticipant]

I know that my brother i was not accusing you i hope we cool

[theprophetParticipant]

it depends on what one defines as best ball handler. magic was a good ball handler as far as protecting the basketball. he could not dribble handle the ball the way pistol pete could. today, chris paul is quick, fast and has a nice cross over and protects the ball. in that sense he’s arguably the best today. but ricky rubio has more tricks up his sleeve when he dribbles than chris paul. that’s more of how i came up with the guys i named. didn’t forget about hardaway and the killer crossover or the utep two step. he is more like chris paul in that sense. going by that way though, john stockton should be on someone’s list. allen iverson could do more while he is dribbling though along with marbury. just a different way of looking at handles i guess.

[IvoLParticipant]

theprophet, you are right

For me the best is Pistol Pete, creativity the passing the crossover but was he good controling the ball not really TO career wise he has 3.7 topg

CP3 is the best because he is more complete, creative, and controls the ball and the pace of the game like no one… why is Pistol Pete ahead of CP3, just because he was the man playing the game with love and showing that the Game of Basketball was actually an ART and could be ENTERTAINING that’s all, and if no one believes me i have 2 full games with Pistol on my hard drive one with the hawks the other with the jazz, and i will post a link here if i can search it on youtube

[esperanzafleet69Participant]

its really because of the fact that the nba has evolved so much, hand checking has changed, among with so many other things, that you cannot even compare most of these players.

[IvoLParticipant]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlgiuZ3gkKg- the evolution of the crossover
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fE5SDgXLb1g- Cousy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIu6t7VWzZI- Pistol
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLYlKN5OOY4- CP3

[20 out of 10]

CP3, 10 assist and 2 TOs
…
Ball on a string. to me handles is dribble around slithering thru open spaces without loosing the ball and being able to create for yourself using moves….
Chris Paul is head and shoulders above everyone. Rondo is the other guy but he turns it over 2 times more and only get one more assist… not to mention his iso handles are not as nasty as CP3.
.
Kyrie Irving cant make donuts around defenses while looking at everyone in the court, yet.
So cant Rose, Jamaal and pretty much everyone.
.
.
CP3s handles are plain unreal. The man got the ball on a string. He doesn’t loose it, he doesn’t get stripped, he cant be forced into picking up his dribble. He will look at everyone on the court while doing so, that to me is best handles.
.
Allen Iverson doesn’t have more handles than CP3. a crossover? yes. Better pure handles? no.

[20 out of 10]

When i meant head and shoulders above everyone i meant players i have actually watched.

[theprophetParticipant]

while we are on the subject of handles, i do a crossover that i can’t even find on youtube. it’s a spin off the shammgod, but has another step. i saw iverson pull the move once, and it was footage years ago of him not even playing in an nba game. try bouncing the ball behind the back between your legs. then take the same hand you dribbled with and bounce it behind your back to the same hand again and go in a forward motion the entire time. it’s kind of like rubio going behind his back with the same hand twice in a row in a forward motion the other night, but instead you substitute the first behind the back with going behine the between legs first and then doing the behind with the same hand. anyways, if anyone can follow what i’m trying to say, try it! it’s a fun move!

[IvoLParticipant]

if i’m reading right and i remember right i think it’s the whip cross move am i right?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_zvev7vDMI- the story of the shammgod watch it then tell me if it’s this?

[theprophetParticipant]

nope, even seen that video before looking for it. did you see nate robinson’s dunk last night? before he dunked it, he bounced the ball between his legs to set up the dunk. when he bounced the ball between his legs, he bounced it behind his legs to get it between his legs. pretty simple to do, but does that part make sense?
so i use say my right hand to bounce the ball between the legs. the ball bounces between my legs and is going forward as if it’s going to my left hand, but instead i take the ball with my right hand again and reach way out to bounce the ball with my right hand around the left side of my waste and behind my back, retrieving the ball back to my right side into my right hand again. do it in a forward motion. (it’s actually easier in motion)
might just be to hard to understand, but if you can, kudos!

[IvoLParticipant]

i saw Robinson’s Dunk and yes i see what you are saying unfortunally i’m curious to find it

[theprophetParticipant]

good luck finding it! try walking it through in a motion without the ball and you might get it though.

i know another video i couldn’t find, not handle related but dunk related. tom chambers on a fast break goes way high and barkley for a second decides he wants to challenge him. within the same not even a second he realizes he has no chance at stopping chambers from dunking the ball and gets this “oh shit” face and moves out of the way. i thought it was as good as his over mark jackson dunk, yet i can’t find it anywhere. another challenge if you are up for it. hahaha.

[Mr. 19134Participant]

Allen Iverson was the most dominant ball handler of all time. He redefined the game with his dribbling ability. He was probably the first player to exclusively use ball handling as a way to get an open shot. And you rarely if ever saw a player prevent AI from getting a clean shot off. Unlike the great ball handlers before AI, he would use his dribbling to score points instead of setting up teammates. This was a semi new skill because it’s harder to get the ball into your shooting pocket for a clean look off of an advanced dribble then it is to simple dish off a nice pass.

What made AI’s ball handling so special was his pull up ability. He could get the ball from a double behind the back crossover into his shooting pocket for a clean shot, better, a quicker then anybody you’ll ever see. He literally dominated the league with his dribbling and speed.

Chris Paul and Steve Nash are 2 and 3.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1elVavHJQg

[ProudGrandpaParticipant]

Ostertag

[theprophetParticipant]

yes! lol!

[Author]

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