Finger roll
Encyclopedia
The finger roll is a specialized type of basketball
layup
shot where the ball is rolled off the tips of the player's fingers. The advantage of the finger roll is that the ball can travel high in the air over a defender that might otherwise block a regular jump shot or dunk
, while the spin applied by the rolling over the fingers will carry the ball to the basket off the backboard. The shot was pioneered by the center Wilt Chamberlain
in the 1960s .
The finger roll is notorious for being very difficult to master, and few players use it as their primary shot. Another disadvantage is that the shot is one-handed, and therefore harder to protect the ball while executing. One famous exception was San Antonio Spurs
forward George Gervin
, who turned the shot into a nearly invincible weapon when he led the National Basketball Association
in scoring between 1978 and 1980.
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
layup
Layup
A layup in basketball is a two-point shot attempt made by leaping from below, laying the ball up near the basket, and using one hand to bounce it off the backboard and into the basket. The motion and one-handed reach distinguish it from a jump shot. The layup is considered the most basic shot in...
shot where the ball is rolled off the tips of the player's fingers. The advantage of the finger roll is that the ball can travel high in the air over a defender that might otherwise block a regular jump shot or dunk
Dunk
Dunk or Dunking may refer to:* Slam dunk, type of basketball shot that is performed when a player jumps in the air and manually powers the ball downward through the basket with one or both hands over the rim...
, while the spin applied by the rolling over the fingers will carry the ball to the basket off the backboard. The shot was pioneered by the center Wilt Chamberlain
Wilt Chamberlain
Wilton Norman "Wilt" Chamberlain was an American professional NBA basketball player for the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers; he also played for the Harlem Globetrotters prior to playing in the NBA...
in the 1960s .
The finger roll is notorious for being very difficult to master, and few players use it as their primary shot. Another disadvantage is that the shot is one-handed, and therefore harder to protect the ball while executing. One famous exception was San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
forward George Gervin
George Gervin
George "The Iceman" Gervin is a retired American professional basketball player who played in both the American Basketball Association and National Basketball Association for the Virginia Squires, San Antonio Spurs, and Chicago Bulls...
, who turned the shot into a nearly invincible weapon when he led the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
in scoring between 1978 and 1980.