Explained: Why the James Harden step-back jumper is usually legal, but sometimes isn’t

There hasn’t been a single playtype extra prolific than the James Harden step-back jumper within the latest NBA previous. But it surely isn’t at all times authorized.

James Harden is a type of NBA superstars whose picture sticks immediately with the minds of informal viewers. The Beard has at all times been one of the trendy gamers within the league ever since he obtained drafted.

Harden leveled his recreation up a number of notches after he obtained traded from the OKC Thunder (who drafted him) to Houston. Rockets followers rejoiced  the addition of one other dynamic participant on the 2-guard place when it occurred. However nothing may’ve ready them for what then got here.

By 8 seasons and alter, James Harden set all types of ridiculous scoring, help and offensive information in H-City. Particularly, he turned the NBA’s deadliest, most prolific scorer from iso conditions.

It obtained so ridiculous that at one level, Harden averaged a near-supernatural 43.6 ppg for January 2019. A lot of that scoring onslaught got here by way of his patented step-back jumper.

The very first of many, many stepback threes from James Harden in a Sixers jersey 😎 pic.twitter.com/O0tmInTATI

— NBC Sports activities Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) February 26, 2022

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Nonetheless, there’s a faction of NBA followers who don’t fairly price the 3-time scoring champion on the degree that he deserves. One of many many causes offered by these viewers is the truth that Harden typically bends the principles. Particularly in terms of his simplest transfer.

Examples of James Harden NOT touring on a step-back jumper

James Harden didn’t develop his step-back jumper anew when he first joined the Houston Rockets. That is fairly a standard blacktop transfer – one which the likes of Larry Hen, amongst others, perfected of their heyday.

What the Beard modified in his method was his capacity to take advantage of the zero-step journey rule, instituted by the league again within the Sixties if we’re to believe former NBA referee Ronnie Nunn.

When it comes right down to lulling a defender right into a flat-footed place, there’s nobody higher than Harden. Part of the explanation why is his capacity to transition from a cling dribble to a backward step wickedly fast.

Harden’s stepback is simply NASTY 🤧 pic.twitter.com/CPJJNsKPlY

— ً (@arxanii) February 26, 2022

Harden needed to hit the stepback 💦 pic.twitter.com/R4BS2okmdp

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) November 11, 2021

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Actually, there are fairly a number of events when his footwork appears mightily suspect. If I needed to hazard a guess at a tough determine, I’d say about 20-25% of his step-backs in 2018-19 deserve their validity to be checked in slo-mo footage.

Unlawful examples of the Harden step-back jumper

About half of that 20-25% determine can be constituted by what NBA followers now name the ‘double stepback’. This explicit variation includes the Beard niftily hopping backward (in both path), at occasions taking an additional hop-step.

See what I imply? Future teammate Kyrie Irving, who hit the only most iconic step-back in NBA historical past, was completely bamboozled by this piece of footwork.

What Harden seems to do higher than anybody else (together with Giannis and LeBron) is complicated NBA referees. His pace for ability actions is usually so askew that it’s virtually unimaginable to inform what he does in actual time.

Having mentioned that, there are a number of apparent examples the place the Beard was clearly flouting the laws. Verify this step-back J over Ricky Rubio throughout his landmark 2018-19 season, for instance.

Verdict

It’s amply clear that Harden is ready to recreation referees in several, refined methods all through an NBA recreation. He’s often at all times cordial with them, and his popularity as a top-3 expertise man within the league often helps him.

On the finish of the day, plainly his double step-back jumper is a pattern that’s right here to remain. The likes of Kyrie Irving, Steph Curry, Luka Doncic and Zach LaVine have already perfected that individual model of J. They’ve even executed the transfer a number of occasions throughout actual video games.

Luka Hitting that Harden double stepback 😂 pic.twitter.com/sBbosJROpG

— CJ Fogler AKA Perc70 #BlackLivesMatter (@cjzero) October 26, 2019