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College basketball is a notoriously fast-paced game, and teams with skilled ball-handlers have a huge advantage. On many teams, the best player is the one who controls the ball, and it pays off to ...
- Kyrie Irving. Topping our list is Kyrie Irving, whose ball-handling skills are nothing short of mesmerizing. Irving’s ability to control the ball with an artistic flow, combined with his incredible body control, agility, and quickness, makes him the most aesthetically pleasing ball-handler in NBA history.
- Allen Iverson. If not for Kyrie Irving, Allen Iverson would have easily claimed the top spot. Iverson’s crossover is legendary, and he had the quickness of a cheetah on the court.
- Isiah Thomas. Isiah Thomas revolutionized ball-handling with his use of crossovers and direction changes. He combined speed, lateral movement, and a supersonic burst toward the hoop, making him nearly impossible to predict.
- Pete Maravich. Pete Maravich was ahead of his time with his dazzling array of pull-up jumpers, no-look passes, ball fakes, and wraparound dribbles. His style of play would fit seamlessly in today’s NBA, and his influence can be seen in many modern ball handlers.
Feb 12, 2024 · He led Michigan State to the Elite Eight in 1978, and the National Title one year later over Larry Bird and Indiana State in one of the most viewed finals in college basketball history. There have been plenty of great big men at all levels of basketball, but Sampson is one of the elite, especially in college. The 7-foot-4 Sampson is one of two ...
- Point Guard – Oscar Robertson, University of Cincinnati. College basketball has produced some legendary point guards. Designated playmakers, these skillful ball handlers and ball distributors guided some of the best teams in NCAA history.
- Shooting Guard – Pete Maravich, LSU. There may be some inclination to put our next player in the point guard category. Like Robertson, he led the NCAA in scoring three-consecutive seasons.
- Small Forward - Elgin Baylor, College of Idaho and Seattle University. We could obviously look to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, to find a special player to start at our small forward spot.
- Power Forward – Elvin Hayes, University of Houston. Over time, the difference between small forward and power forward emerged. Often, power forwards were mistakenly grouped with post-players or viewed as part-time centers.
- 20 Derrick Rose
- 19 Kenny Anderson
- 18 18. Michael Jordan
- 17 17. God Shammgod
- 16 16. Steve Francis
- 15 15. Steve Nash
- 14 14. Oscar Robertson
- 13 13. Rafer Alston
- 12 12. Nate “Tiny” Archibald
- 11 11. Dwayne “Pearl” Washington
It’s been awhile since we have seen Derrick Rose 100% healthy, but when he is, he is one of the most gifted dribblers this league has ever seen. Rose has a special blend of speed and power to his dribbling. Rose on an isolation is a scary thought for a defender. He has one of the most explosive crossovers to get the initial step and then once he do...
New York is the mecca of street ball, with many great players with sick handles coming out of the city. Many of the greats from the city consider Kenny Anderson the all-time best. Kenny Anderson was a high school legend, and one of the first from the city to grab national headlines. Anderson parlayed that into a scholarship to Georgia Tech, where h...
Michael Jordan is not often mentioned as one of the great dribblers in league history. This tends to be because he was so skilled in other areas, and it is hard to put one skill above the others. Nobody will argue that Jordan was one of the most skilled scorers in history, but when you break down how he got in position to score, you start to see hi...
God Shammgod may not be a household name as he only played in 20 NBA games, but amongest his peers he is regarded as one of the best dribblers to have ever played the game. Another street baller out of New York, Shammgod would have a great college career in Providence leading his team to an unexpected Elite Eight appearance in the 1997 tournament. ...
In Steve Francis’s prime there were few better dribblers then him. He had an array of moves that could break ankles, and he did them with such explosion. The biggest knock against Francis was his high turnover rate, as he was often very careless with the ball, bringing a street ball swag to the NBA court. But, that street ball mentality often made ...
For some players it seems as if the game is moving in slow motion, and that is what it seemed like when watching Steve Nash. One of the most cerebral players in NBA history, the two time MVP has been a joy to watch. One thing that stands out about Nash’s dribbling skills is his ability to maintain the dribble. Watching Nash navigate the paint among...
The legendary announcer Chick Hearn once described Oscar Robertson as “the greatest dribbler who ever lived.” When you watch Robertson’s highlights you are not going to find any killer crossovers, or flashy behind the back dribbles. What you are going to see is sound fundamentals, and control. Robertson was renowned for having tremendous control wi...
Rafer Alston and his alter ego “Skip to My Lou” could have been two different people. Rafer Alston was a middling NBA guard that played 11 years in the NBA with six different teams. Skip to My Lou was a New York street ball legend, that had some of the most creative and unique dribbling skills ever seen. Skip to My Lou got his name for a dribbling ...
In the 1972-73 season Nate “Tiny” Archibald became the only player in NBA history to lead the league in both points and assists. At a time when the game was dominated by the big man, Archibald proved that there was still a place in the game for a small, quick guard, with uncanny dribbling skills. Archibald was tenacious on the dribble, playing like...
In the early 1980’s Dwayne “Pearl” Washington was the face of college basketball. His electrifying shake and bake style of play elevated the Big East into a big time conference as fans flocked to watch him. Pearl used an array of moves to get to the basket, and for those who watched him it appear he was getting there at will. Pearl is considered on...
- TS Staff
Nov 8, 2022 · Jamal Crawford. At 6ft 5” Jamal Crawford is taller than most elite ball handlers with a terrific 6ft 10” wingspan. He’s so good, his opponents can never stop what they see coming. He is ...
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Nov 8, 2022 · 10 Greatest ball handlers in NBA history. NBA basketball has come a long way since Bob Cousy's videos of extraordinary dribbling techniques in the 1950s and 60s.
