The 5 Greatest Dribblers in the History of the NBA
1. Allen Iverson
2. Tim Hardaway
3. Kyrie Irving
4. Steve Nash
5. Jason Williams
Do you agree with our list of the best ball handlers? If not, join the debate here thesporting.blog/blog/greatest-dribblers-in-nba-history
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OK so looks like we got it wrong with no Pistol Pete - Hands up 🤚🤚 - what about our Top 5 MOST CLUTCH players? kzhead.info/sun/Z66vYJaefJWEq6c/bejne.html
MJ hands down right?
Yep. Pete had some real magic.
Pete maravich was a basketball magician: greatest dribbler ever ;;; pioneer basketball dribbling
Was coming here to mention that. Not sure how he got overlooked.
None of today's NBA, holds a candle to the Greatest Dribbler ever, Pistol Pete Maravich! Glad you finally 'fest up! 😁👍
There needs to be 2 lists. One......the Pistol Pete era when you weren't allowed to carry/palm the ball with impunity and two.....the post Pistol Pete era when you were allowed to do anything almost anything with ball in hand. I can only imagine what some of the so-called "best ball-handlers" would look like if they were held to the same standard of dribbling as Pistol, the Big O, Bob Cousy, etc......
Great idea... We're on it 👏
💯🎯
JERRY WEST❣️
Right! Palming the ball used to be a turnover to the opposing team. Notice now how many times a drive to the basket involves 3 steps that are not called for traveling.
Ever heard of Pete Maravich?
Yes.
Someone went to sleep on this video. Pete Maravich was the greatest ball handler, passer and showman. And could score at will.
The people behind this greatest dribbler group have no credibility. They left out Pete Marivich,who was not only the greatest ever, he had no close second. They most certainly didn't do their homework.
Where is pistol pete
Peter Maravich. Nuff said.
Pistol Pete was by far the greatest dribbler/ball handler of all time. No euro step, no jump stop:aka traveling!
I absolutely agree. I have NEVER seen anybody in the entire world that could dribble the ball like Pete. He did things with the ball that I still have not seen anybody do.
Agree! Steph Curry should be in top 2 or 3!
Agree 100% players travel on most plays now compared to the rules in the old days
How can they leave out Pitol Pete???
💯🎯‼️ I don't have to make a comment because I read yours!! 💯 🎯
These guys are good, even great players. However they are hardly in the class of "Pistol" Pete Maravich. Sorry guys but that's just the way it is.
You missed the mark by not including Pistol Pete in your list he was one of the best.
We'd love to read more about him from a fans point of view. Up for writing a piece?
@@thesportingblog23 Instead of being sarcastic and showing yourself to be a young casual, why not just read the comments under this video. 90% of them are ABOUT Pistol Pete.
@@petep5207 we literally asked if you'd like to write a piece?
@@thesportingblog23No you asked @mrk8599.
@@ClinttheGreat ok but at no point were we being sarcastic in any way. If people have strong opinions or stories we'd love to publish them.
Pistol Pete ⭐⚡ 6'5" Unstoppable and Show Time.. The first..
Any list without Pistol Pete isn’t a list.
Pistol Pete. Ask Larry bird
Good list but Rod is correct, Pete Maravich belongs on the list. Isiah Thomas…well top 5 is very hard😎
The omission of Pistol Pete Maravich tells me that this list lacks credibility.
Pete Maravich I've never seen any basketball player like him a very very good dribbler long range shooter and a pin point passer etc
No PISTOL PETE????
Bob cousy
Pete Maravich and Nate Archibald from the 70's, when they called a carry on occasion. Nate could dribble two balls the length of the court faster than most NBA players could run. Most of the dribbling drills used today come from Pete Maravich and his father, from the late 60's/early 70's. Then again, modern fans/writers don't realize how Wilt was and have no idea what averaging 23 rebounds for a career is.
Yeah, you can’t say best ball-handlers in NBA “History” and not include Pete Maravich. He revolutionized it and did it without carrying, travelling, double-dribbling, etc…
Not complete-Pistol Pete #1
The fact that Pete Maravich isn’t on your list, makes your list null and void.
Back when basketball was a real sport, these guys would be just ordinary travelers.
What about Pistol Pete??? He was the earliest and still the greatest.
You totally left out Pistol Pete. The greatest ball handler of all time. Preceded all these guys.
I played in a pickup game as a middle-aged guy in the mid-90's. No one under 30 had EVER EVEN HEARD of a carry infraction. It had to be explained to them. None of them could play --- at all--- without carrying. We had to let them carry --- but then we got to carry and they couldn't stop the old guys. What did beat the old guys was respiration!!!
You make strong valid points. I've been watching NBA basketball and I noticed as far back in the early 1980's some point guards were starting to carry the ball. As a fan always rooting for the 76ers, my old man started noticing Mo Cheeks carrying the ball frequently without the refs calling a violation. Mo' Cheeks was arguably the fastest pg in the NBA up to the mid 1980's until he started getting older. Overall, Mo Cheeks was no joke and often underrated until he officially got inducted into the HOF.
@@toddsands6000 Earl "The Pearl" Monroe is the first guy I remember carrying the on his signature spin move
Nice choices, but I guess that you have not seen Pete Maravich, Huh. He is the greatest dribbler that basketball has ever seen!!!!!
You bet your sweet bippy...Pistol Pete, was the best. Our Coach invited him to do a B-ball Camp and he gave our team quite the show. Then Pete, took on our whole team, one on five Half-court. We couldn't stop him from scoring and of course he beat us. It was the greatest experience of our lives and he taught us a lot of 🏀 moves.
@@48WEHA Humility wears very well!
Pistol Pete. Not taking you seriously if you don’t put the man that transformed the game here.
The moment they removed the lifting and palmimg the ball violations in basketball .. dribbling became a thing of the past..
Honorary mention goes to Jamal Crawford and Pistol Pete, who arguably should be on this list as many others have already stated.
If Pistol Pete was left off, the they can stick the list,where the sun don't shine. He should have been at the top of the list, period.
Lol no one gonna bring up how the video claimed Irving won 4 MVPs? 😂😂😂
Pistol Pete no one comes close
missed pistol pete
Great lists just missed on Maravich who was similar to Jayson Williams' dazzling style.
The real dribblers were way back in the day .Pistol Pete was so smooth with the ball that the Harlem Globetrotters wanted him .My second choice would go to Earl the Pearl Monroe.The players today palm the ball ,and carry it sometimes plus take little shuffling steps that amount to traveling with the ball.
Pistol was the best.
These guys were all great ball-handlers/dribblers....but none could out-dribble or ball-handle better than Pete Maravich.
Looks like we need a video on Pistol Pete for sure. We're on it 🏀
Pistol Pete should have been #1 on your list
On everybody's list!
No doubt!
Totally agree. No one before or since could do the things with a basketball that the pistol could do. To leave him off this list demonstrates your ignorance!!
Bob Cousy too
That is what I was thinking
Most dribbles today carry the ball. Legit dribbles - Isaiah - pistol pete-tiny Archibald-Steve Nash-Bob Cousy-Earl Monroe-Jamal Crawford-White Chocolate- Tim Hardaway-Kobe Bryant-Kenny Anderson -kyrie Irvin.
Maravich number 1.
Isiah Thomas and his machine gun dribble was it for me. Never saw Maravich or Earl Monroe or Big O or Cousy but heard amazing things.
Thomas was legit... Plus a genuine competitor. Would he even be on the court by the end of a game now?
Oscar Robertson ( Big O) was the most technically perfect player to ever play the game. He could do everything almost perfect. He never had a big ego . Just played the game. Never saw him dunk even though he was 6 ft 5 inches. Not flashy just perfect.
@@terryhoffman2760 He could get over 20 inches above the rim. He could have done anything he wanted to. Also did you ever dunk on a goal before 1980?? I did, you could easily break your hand, it had zero give and was simply riveted onto a fiberglass backboard which also had no give.
Good call. The original IT and Pistol should be in any top 5 dribbler list.
Zeke👍
Nate the skate aka tiny archibald led the league in scoring and assists
Pete always had his basketball with him in high school,in college at College,always every day ,every month. I have to agree that he would have been better than anyone had he lived. The good Lord gave him the ability to play any did he ever do so .
i dont think any of the nba players had the same dribbling skills as marcus haynes
These guys don't exist without Cousy, and Pistol Pete!
Isaiah Thomas, Pete Maravich, Steph Curry
all these guys moves are all based on maravich's work.
What . To make a list like this and leave out Pete Maravich is like listing the greatest horses of all time and leaving out Secretariat
Pistol not on the list? Who came up with this list?
A 16 year-old
How do you not have Isaiah Thomas, Pistol Pete, Rod Strickland, and Magic or Steph Marbury on this list somewhere? Cmon now. Best dribbling shouldn't just be confined to the point guard neither.
How could the 5 GREATEST Dribblers NOT include Pistol Pete Maravich? You kidding? Or maybe you just don't know!
If you don't have Pete at the top of the list, then your list is a joke
Overlooking palming the ball is ruining the game.
Yes and traveling.
Someone needed to enter the pronunciation of "Iverson" into the narration program, because the computer could not make up its mind.
Another generationally influenced "all time" greats list. Nash over Pistol, hell no, not even close.
So, you believe the NBA started play in 1985?
Calvin Murphy and Pete Maravich--who were contemporaries, were likely the two best. Since I didn't see any Murphy comments below, I would ask, "How does someone 5'9" get into the Hall of Fame if he's not a great dribbler?"
Toni Kukoc too a 6'11 who can dribble like a point guard. He can drive the ball to the other court.
if this doesnt take the cake. and the cookies, too. they make dribbling a million times easier, and now all the best dribblers are newer players. most people today dont even know what dribbling is. a couple of clues - you cant walk with the ball, carry it over, or crossover, or any of the other stupid things they allow, today. back then you actually had to dribble the ball. put somewhat simply, there was no changing the direction of the ball, as it bounced upwards. so it was more difficult to keep it from being stolen. but in order to dumb the game down so the average fan would enjoy it, they wanted to encourage more offense. so they gave the dribbler a lot easier time of it.
Quote, Jason Williams "was known for his unorthodox dribbling style which included behind-the-back passes, no-look passes..''
It is hard to take this list seriously since Pistol Pete was not included.
The list is missing Pete Maravich. Can't leave him off any list of dribblers & ball handlers.
Wow ! And that White Chocolate, use to make defenders look real bad out there 🤦🏾♂️
You could still watch Pistol Pete's videos and learn a lot today. If I had a kid coming up that's who I'd want him to learn from.
Good list!
Jason Williams 😁👍
Any "great dribbler" list without the Pistol is BOGUS!
Pistol Pete ? Westbrook ?Jordon ? You should have done a top 10 list.
Where is Pete "Pistol" Maravich? Jason Williams got his moves from Pistol Pete, the GOAT.
My handles where awesome!!!! For many years love this
As others have said, the omission of Pistol Pete makes the whole video pretty ridiculous. Having watched Calvin Murphy in high school, college, and the NBA it seems like he should have been considered too. Bob Cousy was spectacular and way ahead of his peers. He suffers because of the era he played in, but unlike some on this list that play under rules that ignore what once was called palming he was a fantastic ball handler and leader on his team.
I agree with most of your picks but you must not have watched Pistol Pete Maravich ! Whew ! What a talent !
Young bloods on the deck, what can we say 🤣. We'll sharpen up with a vid on Pete.
Kyrie has not won 4 MVP Awards 😂💀💀
The NBA sometimes is such a mean-spirited league. I remembered when Jason Williams was getting benched and to a degree the Kings had to make changes and traded Jason Williams for Mike Bibby. At that time, it was a good trade as the Kings lost a controversial 7 game series against the LA Lakers. One of the best redemption stories I liked about Jason Williams is that he earned a ring with the 2006 Heat.
He's a nice dude too.
No Pistol, no legitimacy. C'mon, man!
Was not surprised to see all the comments asking "where's Pete Maravich?"-add me to the list-aside from the obvious omission of the Pistol that list was one "pundit's" opinion-I could add some names to that list (no offense to those mentioned)-anybody ever hear of God Shammgod?-there is a move called the Shammgod Crossover- and BTW Kyrie did not win 4 MVP's which I believe the commentator said-in fact he never won one, unless you count the 2014 All Star game
Being the best ball handler doesn’t neccessarily mean being flashy. Muggsy Bogues should absolutely be on this list. He also barely turned the ball over.
Good point! Missing Muggsy was an error too.
@The Sporting Blog SB: Muggsy is without question the fastest player with the ball in the history of the NBA. We're talking blazing coast to coast speed. Not to mention the fact that he always controlled the tempo of the game. To be one of the best (if not the best), in assist/turn ratio, while zipping down the floor constantly is truly an amazing feat. The guy played totally under control and was a maestro handling the rock. I appreciate you admitting the error. The fact that he is never considered among the best ball handlers, with the countless people who make these lists, is an egregious oversight imao.
You lost ALL CREDIBILITY not having the ABSOLUTE GREATEST NBA DRIBBLER OF ALL TIME on your list?! Don't even see how you could have researched this video without KNOWING and ACKNOWLEDGING PISTOL PETE!
No Pistol Pete. No List.
When did Kyrie git 4 MVP awards?? 🤔🤔🤔😄😄😄
Pistol Pete, and an honorable mention for Isaiah "Zeke" Thomas.
Jwill the best. Flair and so graceful to watch🔥🔥
NBA players also get sn xtra step or step and s half while they carry the ball.
You missed the #1 Pistol Pete !
wth,no pistel pete,no deal
you got a lot to learn.
I'll go back a little further in time. The first really great dribbler was the big O, Oscar Robinson. He was the first NBA'er to do behind the back passes.
Where is the Pistol?
Giannis 1 dribble from beyond 1/2 ct line to a dunk...being able to Euro "step" , throwing the ball out in front of yourself, and palming being ignored has changed everything
🇬🇷
No Pete M. No Rafer Alston. No Shamgod... You have no idea what you're doing here.
I don’t know why they even require dribbling anymore, they palm the ball, they stop dribbling at the top of the circle, then take 4 more steps for a layup
White chocolate was great but not Elite. He was definitely a Top 5 passer though for damn sure.
I think this robot purposely left Pistol Pete out for the responses so desired 😏
THIS WAS INTERESTING...........
How sad Pistol Pete wasn’t in the video
Come on man, Hardaway did not invent the crossover.
No but he is credited with inventing the killer crossover.
So happy to c so manny Commenters who actually know what it means to "DRIBBLE" a basketball. The only person on this list that could actually "Dribble" in terms of pre-90's rule book basketball is Tim Hardaway!
Yep Hardaway was a bad man. So was Isaiah. My "real dribbling" list would include Pete, Isaiah, Hardaway, Tiny and Earl Monroe in no particular order. HM to Bob Cousy.
God Shamgod, Jamal Crawford, and Detroit's Isaiah Thomas. Can't forget Dwayne Pearl Washington.
Pistol Pete was the Best ball handler in history of the NBA!
He not only was the best, he's the best that will ever be. He could do more tricks with a b-ball than a monkey could do with 6 ft. Of rope, and he had more moves than a major moving company.
Real top 5 ball handlers. 1 A.I. 2 Kyrie Irving 3 White chocolate J. Will 4 Jamal Crawford 5 Tim Hardaway.
Iverson revolutionized ball handling with the cross over and the step back. He also revolutionized the hair styles and the tatoo trend. He was criticized ( by racists) for it but it stuck and the NBA players can express themselves through fashion now, which is a good thing.
Without question! That's the first name in the conversation.And yes by faaaaaaaaaaaar!
I think Iverson was great because of his exceptional speed, without that he is just a another good dribbler.