Throwing a basketball off the backboard to oneself is rapidly becoming a loophole. The most recent NBA player to execute this move was Tyrese Haliburton, and he didn’t do it to set himself up for an alley-oop. The point guard for the Indiana Pacers halted his dribble, almost committed a double dribble, and then tossed the ball off the backboard, only to catch it and pass it out to an open Pascal Siakam for an uncontested three-pointer.
Siakam successfully converted the open three, which is comparable to a player finishing a lob with a layup. I must admit that self-ooping off the glass is a bold move, and when executed naturally, it makes for a fantastic highlight. However, recent instances of this play demonstrate players dribbling themselves into trouble with no other option but to attempt a poor imitation of Tracy McGrady’s All-Star instant classic.
Perhaps it’s because Chet Holmgren and Giannis Antetokuonmpo have been self-ooping since the age of 15, or maybe it’s because Halliburton’s highlight resulted in an assist. That moment of improvisation felt like a jazz student realizing, for the first time ever, that they could deviate from the sheet music.
Do you recall when a between-the-legs dunk guaranteed a player a perfect score of 50 in the dunk contest? That’s the stage we’re at with these off-the-glass maneuvers. The level of difficulty has decreased, but the fan reaction remains unchanged.
Indiana emerged victorious with a score of 125-111 against New York, thanks to an excessive use of a dated basketball move that should technically be considered traveling. Passing the ball to oneself without the assistance of a backboard is typically deemed a travel, but the NBA relies on viral clips to showcase its impact. The more attention-grabbing highlights the league accumulates, the better.
However, this isn’t NBA Street Vol. 2. There’s no additional boost to the special meter for going “Off the heezy,” and if you ever throw the ball off an opponent’s face, expect to face retaliation.
Now, observe this magnificent, completely unscripted dagger three-pointer from Steph Curry at the end of the Suns-Warriors game, securing a victory for Golden State. Tell me, is a self-oop truly superior to Chef Curry cooking up a win?
Curry received an errant, off-schedule pass and swiftly pivoted to sink a game-winning shot against Phoenix, resulting in a 113-112 triumph. There was no backboard to bail him out, only a tiny sliver of daylight to launch something towards the basket. The day this becomes a routine occurrence in the NBA is the day I give all highlights a free pass.
According to the Source deadspin.com