The Killer Crossover September 6, 2007
Posted by Marquis Chapman in Basketball, College Basketball, NBA, Sports.trackback
Websters dictionary defines the crossover as a basketball manuever in which a player dribbles the ball quickly from one hand to the other. Yet, the crossover is so much more. It’s a very basic concept, but is arguably the most potent move on offense. If mastered, it can be the most feared move by defenders and is no longer referred to as simply just a crossover, but is called a killer crossover. All basketball players have made someone a victim or have been victims of the killer crossover. With the exception of a few elite defenders, every player is at risk when guarding the crossover. Even the great Michael Jordan was a victim.
In extreme cases, players that have executed the killer crossover have caused defenders to fall, freeze, or severly stumble when attempting to play defense. This is known as having your “ankles broken” and it is the worst thing that can happen to a basketball player. When defenders gets their ankles broken, they are ridiculed by the fans, the opposing team, and sometimes by their own teammates. The streetball basketball players of And 1 make players leave the court if they get their ankles broken. The killer crossver is the #1 cause of broken ankles.
There have only been a handful of players that have mastered the killer crossver. One master of the killer crossover is NBA point guard Tim Haradaway. Hardaway has broken hundreds of ankles on the playground and in NBA arenas. Hardaway would dribble between his legs when executing the crossover and blow past the defender, often leaving him frozen. The move was unguardable and although defenders knew it was coming, they still couldn’t stop it.
No crossover strikes more fear in the heart of defenders than the crossover of the great Allen Iverson. Iverson mastered the killer crossover in college while at Georgetown, but his true claim to fame occured in a game against the Chicago Bulls. Remember when I said, even the great Michael Jordan was a victim? Well, Mr. Iverson was the guy that broke Jordan’s ankles.
Iverson was guarded by Jordan at the top of the key. Iverson gave Jordan not one, but two killer crossovers, putting Jordan out of postion. Then, Iverson shoots a jumper in his face. To break the ankles of the greatest basketball player of all time with a killer crossover not once, but twice is a monumental achievement. Then, to finish with a jumper in the face instantly makes you a legend on the playground. For years, that was the most talked about crossover in all of the playgrounds in America. Iverson has continued to break ankles and has shown no signs of slowing down. There is a long list of victims, and it’s only going to get longer.
What was once a simple move has now become a deadly offensive weapon. The killer crossover has broken millions of ankles around the world, and has caused ridicule for baskettball players in high school, college, and the pros. Defenders Beware.
Click here to see Iverson’s crossover on Jordan
Click here to see Tim Hardaway’s best crossovers
All Talk Sports 
A.I. certainly claimed his share of “ankles” while he was with us in Philly. In the NBA, I think a lot of guys play more off the ball in some cases when an “ankle-breaker” is in control of it, just to avoid the kind of images you have here!
SICK Timmy H. vid there.
Though GP is MY BOY….this is one of the sickest crossovers I’ve ever seen:
Playing off the ball is the best way to avoid getting your ankles broken, but sometimes people can still get you.
Tim Hardaway certainly was one of the best. That dude was doing that in college at U.T.E.P. But he exploded when he became a pro. The move that Jason Williams put on G.P. several years ago was classic. For all of you old heads there was a guard back in the late sixties early seventies Named Archie Clark who played for the Lakers, he had the killer crossover for that generation. What makes the crossover so effective is if the offensive player has a good jumpshot,then you have to play him honest. We have all seen guys with good crossovers on the playground who couldnt shoot you just stand back and let them dribble them selves out.
A jumpshot certaintly does make the crossover that much more deadly. Too many players today focus on the flashy moves like the crossover and forget to work on their broken jumpers.
A.I. cross over on joran was nice. You can already tell A.I. was going to get jordan because A.I. was aready playing around with him with the side to side movements. I bet you A.I. eyes just lit up when he got jordan on the first cross because he knew jordan was going to bite on anything he was going to do.
I think the A.I. crossover was the best crossover we’ll ever see. Two crossover on the greatest basketball player ever! Amazing. And he definitely was playing with Jordan on that play.
yea, the crossever is wut i like to call “the decimater” which will bring even NBA giants to their knees (i.e. the g.o.a.t. MJ). let us not forget tho white chocolate himself, jason williams. yes, this young man has broken an ankle or 2 in his day.. check him out.
Jason Williams was a magician with the ball. I think he may have crossed Gary Payton. That’s something I thought I would never see.
It’s only unbelievable to look allen”the answer” in his feeling crossovers;
but michael jordan is still the”master”…
Yeah, Jordan will always be the master, but Iverson did get him that night.
this is sick
sweet..
At least MJ didn’t fall like many other AI opponents he got a half decent contest in. I nominate Baron Davis as well as one of the best in the game breakin ankles. Do you guys remember when Marbury made Yao Ming fall when they were matched up on a switch? Hilarious!
@ dannie
where can i find copy of that video? i wanna see that! that must’ve been hilarious!
Fouledout – here you go: http://youtube.com/watch?v=iPtZFt00O5c&feature=related
The entire PHX bench is hysterical. So funny.
I crossed over M.J. So What?! I can do the same!
hi mickey its naomi gerke how are you doing love your sis ,naomi