Donovan Mitchell found himself in a difficult situation. During the fourth quarter of a game against the Sacramento Kings on February 5, 2024, Mitchell`s Cleveland Cavaliers held a double-digit lead. However, the All-Star guard got into a tricky position after executing a pick-and-roll with teammate Jarrett Allen. Mitchell drove towards the top of the key with Kevin Huerter close behind and ended his dribble, spotting a potential pass to Allen. Domantas Sabonis intervened, blocking the pass and leaving Mitchell stranded near the free throw line, balancing on his pivot foot.
Huerter quickly closed in, pressuring Mitchell, who attempted several fakes and spins without success. The shot clock was ticking down. With Huerter defending his right hand tightly and Sabonis preventing a simple pass inside to Allen, Mitchell, facing limited time and choices, resorted to an unexpected maneuver: he threw the ball off the backboard to himself and jumped up to complete a self-assisted dunk.
“There`s genuinely no strategy involved,” Mitchell explained recently. “You`re trapped, with no viable options. You`re simply trying to find a way out.”
Similarly, Ja Morant executed this when he was mid-air during a recent play-in game for the Memphis Grizzlies against the Golden State Warriors. Finding himself in the air without a clear path to shoot, he spontaneously bounced the ball off the glass to himself, then caught it on the opposite side of the hoop to score a layup, resembling a game-time adaptation of the Mikan drill.
The “self alley-oop” was formerly a seldom-seen action, often associated by fans and players with a few legendary figures from the early 2000s who, when facing difficulty, employed it both as a solution to problematic situations and to generate spectacular moments. However, over time, this play has developed beyond its origins as purely flashy highlights and is now utilized more and more tactically by some of basketball`s most agile and inventive players. Furthermore, its actual beginnings, also strategic in purpose, date back nearly to the dawn of the NBA itself.
For many NBA enthusiasts, their initial encounter with this impressive maneuver was Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady`s powerful self alley-oop during the 2002 All-Star Game. Capitalizing on the relaxed atmosphere of the All-Star event, McGrady threw the ball off the backboard from outside the free throw line and leaped from within the free throw circle to perform an unchallenged dunk.
Several other athletic stars of McGrady`s era, such as Vince Carter and Kobe Bryant, were also known for using this move. However, another player, notably less airborne, also performed it.
As a newcomer in 1997, Tim Duncan, known as `The Big Fundamental` for his consistently straightforward style, was closely guarded by Houston Rockets player Kevin Willis. Duncan bounced the ball high off the backboard to create space to retrieve it and execute a simple two-handed dunk, as expected, without any showmanship. This act wasn`t about exhibition for Duncan; he simply found himself in a difficult situation, recognized the backboard as a viable escape, and utilized it.
Michael Jordan also tactically improvised with this move for the Bulls in the mid-1990s, using it for a layup rather than a dunk.
In complete contrast, both in terms of airborne height and audacity, was Shaquille O`Neal`s execution of the move during the 1996 Olympics. O`Neal`s self-oop was essentially a boastful highlight, a powerful player dominating his opponent during an open fast break opportunity.
However, the genuine beginnings of this play – using the backboard as a passing aid – trace back to a significant event in the early days of the NBA`s history.
With mere seconds remaining in double overtime of Game 7 of the 1957 NBA Finals, the St. Louis Hawks were down by two points to Bill Russell`s Boston Celtics. Hawks player-coach Alex Hannum, who reportedly hadn`t played in almost a month (according to Terry Pluto`s book `Tall Tales`), called a timeout and devised a daring strategy: Hannum would inbound the ball from under his own basket (as timeouts did not allow advancing the ball at that time) and throw it the entire length of the court off the backboard. The plan called for Hawks star Bob Pettit to position himself near the free throw line, catch the rebound, and make a layup to tie the game.
It came very close to succeeding.
Hannum successfully hit the backboard from 94 feet away, a remarkable feat on its own. The ball also touched the rim, and Pettit was positioned well enough to attempt to tip it back in while airborne, but his putback rolled off the hoop.
“I should have made the shot,” Pettit is quoted as saying later in Pluto`s book. “Alex`s pass was perfect.”
While video footage exists, it only shows the moments after Pettit`s missed attempt as the Celtics started celebrating their championship victory – the first of eleven titles in Russell`s distinguished career.
Although this was not a self alley-oop, the event plainly paved the way for strategic applications of the backboard beyond simply shooting. Sixty-five years subsequent, the Ohio Bobcats employed the identical play to compel overtime in a 2022 contest versus the Michigan Wolverines. And presently, some of the league`s most prominent players are discovering imaginative and tactical methods to use the backboard for purposes beyond creating highlight clips.
Boston Celtics star and 2024 Finals MVP Jaylen Brown performed a self alley-oop for a layup earlier this season that was practical, much like Tim Duncan`s approach. Brown noticed an open path to the basket from his position and, while airborne, chose to abandon his shot attempt and instead turn it into a pass to himself. Whether this was purely spontaneous or due to prior practice (as he has attempted this play previously), his coach was not taken aback.
“It`s simply an effective play,” stated coach Joe Mazzulla. “It`s a play that accomplished players have executed. It is permissible under the rules.”
Several individuals from the NBA`s officiating department confirmed the legality of the maneuver, even though it is not directly detailed in the official rulebook.
“The rules are quite clear,” noted Monty McCutchen, NBA senior vice president of referee development and training. “You cannot recover your own pass before it has touched the backboard or the rim. Once it makes contact with either the backboard or the rim, it becomes clear that anyone is permitted to touch it.”
The growing application of this play as a tactical option has coincided with players gaining a better understanding of pivot foot regulations and a subsequent rise in the use of “step-through” movements across the league.
Although this frequently resembles a traveling infraction to casual viewers (and even some experienced observers), NBA regulations permit players to jump off their pivot foot and land on their non-pivot foot after ending their dribble, provided their pivot foot does not touch the ground again before the ball is passed or shot.
In recent years, more players have realized the significant amount of ground they can cover using this technique, even after they have stopped dribbling. Consequently, the self-oop is among several plays that have seen an increase in usage.
Due to the coordination and precise timing required, the self alley-oop may never become widespread, but some of the league`s elite athletes have acknowledged its utility extends beyond mere spectacular highlights. Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo has performed it several times throughout his career, originating both from post-up situations and during fast breaks. LA Clippers guard Ben Simmons utilized this move multiple times earlier in his career, both in the NBA and during his time at LSU. Morant, Joel Embiid, Anthony Edwards, Jrue Holiday, Russell Westbrook, Jamal Murray, and Tyrese Haliburton have all employed it in competitive games, nearly always as a deliberate tactic rather than a showy move. Even Nikola Jokic of Denver used it for a layup in the 2021 playoffs, demonstrating that the play relies as much on intelligence and skill as it does on athleticism.
“It can be a valuable tool,” Mitchell remarked. “LeBron has used it in the playoffs.”
Indeed, not just in the playoffs, but also during the NBA Finals. Unsurprisingly, LeBron James has been one of the players who have executed the self-oop most frequently throughout his career. From All-Star events and regular-season matchups to the most significant games in the league, James has consistently shown willingness to use the backboard to pass the ball to himself.
However, it is likely Kobe Bryant who stands out as the modern innovator in using the backboard for self-assists. Renowned for his exceptional footwork, Bryant seems to be the first to have fully grasped the possibilities created by the space generated from a step-through off the pivot foot and the potential role of the backboard in aiding this maneuver. The Los Angeles Lakers legend accumulated a considerable collection of self-oops during his career, making it evident that he practiced this play routinely.
Bryant clearly considered this a clever strategy. Yet, at times, the distinction between using it tactically and merely showing off can become unclear.
The Utah Jazz held a narrow six-point lead just after halftime in their December 26, 2023 game in San Antonio when Collin Sexton gained possession from a turnover and had an open fast break opportunity towards the basket.
“I thought, `You know what? Why not try it,`” Sexton commented. What followed was unexpected: an even more spectacular form of the self alley-oop, this time bouncing the ball off the floor for a 360-degree dunk.
Although the play appeared to offer no strategic advantage beyond what a standard dunk or layup would achieve, Sexton saw it as a way to energize his teammates.
“It`s like a shift in momentum,” Sexton stated. “Occasionally, that can really excite the team.”
Three minutes after Sexton`s dunk, the Jazz extended their lead from six to twelve points and ultimately won the game. Whether the play itself acted as a motivating force is debatable, but it seemingly didn`t have a negative impact.
“`You had better make it,` said Jazz coach Will Hardy in a notably deadpan manner. `But Collin successfully completed the dunk. And our team found it quite amusing, largely because they were aware of my initial disapproval.”
“`There are likely people who would argue about the `sanctity of the game` and so forth. I am not one of them. However, I do advise that you successfully execute it if you attempt it. Because if you fail, then we have to deal with my considerable displeasure.`”
For his part, Sexton does not seem worried about that potential risk. He expressed a desire to attempt it again.
“`If I get removed from the game, then I get removed,` he said with a wide smile. `[Coach will] put me back in.`”
It is challenging to confirm if the self alley-oop is becoming more frequent in the NBA, as neither the league`s official data nor private optical tracking systems specifically record it. Even within standard NBA play-by-play records, different variations of self-oops appear to be logged inconsistently. Plays such as Mitchell`s or Sexton`s, where the player intentionally passed to themselves from the outset, are simply categorized as unassisted dunks. However, an action like Brown`s, where the player appears to change their intention while airborne, is recorded as a missed shot, followed by a rebound and immediate putback.
Concurrently, optical tracking systems tend to register these plays as missed shot attempts that are rebounded by the same player. Yet, even with specific data requests, these systems currently cannot distinguish between a self alley-oop and any other scenario where a player retrieves their own missed shot and scores soon afterward.
Nevertheless, Mazzulla mentioned that he and his coaching staff have discussed incorporating it as a potential element of their game strategy.
“The backboard could be utilized more often in particular game situations,” Mazzulla commented. “For instance, when driving towards the basket, if a smaller defender attempts to box out a taller player, throwing the ball off the glass allows the player with the height advantage to retrieve it.”
Regardless of how it is used, the self alley-oop remains a noteworthy event in any NBA game. Fundamentally, one might argue it perfectly encapsulates what makes basketball so compelling to observe.
“It can be something quite impressive,” Mitchell concluded. “It represents both creativity and spontaneous adaptation.”
