Jayson Tatum downplays the Los Angeles Lakers legend’s most dominant skill’s effectiveness in the modern NBA.
Over the years, the NBA has gone through a plethora of playing style changes. However, there are a few skills that experts believe would work regardless of the era.
There are general skills such as monstrous dunks or long-range three-pointers. On the other hand, some moves that have become iconic due to specific players.
Speaking of which, it doesn’t get more iconic than Los Angeles Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s ‘sky hook.’ Many have dubbed it as the unstoppable shot.
Jayson Tatum thinks Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s sky hook wouldn’t be effective in the modern NBA
Throughout his 20-year career, Abdul-Jabbar heavily relied on the sky hook to score a vast majority of his points.
In fact, KAJ was so effective with the move that many used to believe it was an unstoppable shot. Since Abdul-Jabbar’s retirement, the shot is notably absent from modern-day stars’ arsenals.
On that note, Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum was recently asked if the LA Lakers legend’s sky hook would still be unstoppable in the modern era.
“The short answer would be no, but would he [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar] adapt and still be effective? Yes,” Tatum said on the New Heights podcast.
He added: “The game is not played like that today, but he was so talented and skilled that he would have found other ways to score.”
While Tatum doesn’t believe in the effectiveness of the iconic shot, he still gives Kareem his flowers. After all, the Hall of Fame center was the NBA’s leading scorer for 39 years before LeBron James broke the record in 2023.
One modern-day NBA star could bring back Kareem’s iconic shot
Since Kareem’s retirement, the NBA has moved on from the 6x NBA champion’s iconic skill. Many have even dubbed that the shot is now dead.
However, what if there was a player who could bring it back? Well, the safest bet in this hypothetical scenario would be on Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic.
For starters, similar to Kareem, Jokic has a unique playing style as compared to his peers of this generation.
Moreover, Jokic has already earned the Abdul-Jabbar comparison from Magic Johnson. Another thing to keep in mind is Jokic’s ability to score circus shots on the floor.
Combining that with his 6’11 physique, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Nuggets superstar brings back the sky hook during the twilight years of his NBA career.
