Some of the meanest crossover artists the NBA has ever produced

There have been so many sick moves in the NBA over the years. Some became signature moves that certain players are known for on the court, while others are seen as iconic moments when time seemed to stand still. The crossover dribble is one of those moves that gets fans to jump out of their seats, ooohing and ahhing at home after a player has their ankles shattered.

Just this week I saw one that made me put my thinking cap on (you’ll see...). So here are a few of the best we’ve ever seen in the NBA.

You may not agree with everything Kyrie does, but one thing we can agree on is his devastating handle with the rock. Irving has been praised since he stepped foot into the NBA for his dazzling artistry with the ball. Don’t blink when Irving has the ball, or you might miss a mean crossover.

One of the more underrated point guards of his era Rod Strickland is known for having one of the sweetest handles in the NBA during the 1990s. Watching his style on the court back then, it only makes sense that he’s the godfather of Kyrie Irving, and the similarity in their game is quite evident. Had Strickland come along 10-15 years later, he probably would’ve been a much bigger star in the league because of the way he could handle a basketball.

The kid was so smooth they called him white chocolate on the court. J-Will came into the league in the late 90s and made a name for himself, breaking down some of the best defensive ankles the game had to offer.

The Killer Crossover. The best name of any crossover move. Timmy was doing it before it became popular for every kid on the blacktop to try and break their BFF’s ankles in front of everybody. Hardaway’s crossover was smooth, and he did it in one fluid motion on his way to the basket.

Ball is already racking up a mega highlight reel in only one full season of NBA competition. He recently hit the Celtics with a mean behind-the-back crossover dribble that lit the internet and social media on fire. LaMelo is already one of the best young point guards in the league, and he’s only in his second year. Here’s the one that made me go, hmmmmmm...

Williams had one of the more underrated handles of the mid-2000s era and was considered one of the top three-point guards in the NBA for a short while in Utah. Then he left the Jazz for the Brooklyn Nets, and his career was all downhill from there. But the way he broke Jason Terry’s ankles one night in 2009 should be a criminal offense.

We all know that chef Curry is known for his shooting ability, but his handle is also top-notch. His ankle-breaking highlights can be matched up against anyone in his era or before. What Curry did to CP3 and the Clippers a few years back should rank him among the all-time great ball handlers in the NBA.

Stoudamire was another pure ball handler from the late 90s who also did his fair share of ankle snatching in his day. Just ask Ron Harper about that vicious crossover action Stoudamire was working with.

It’s been so long since the original Isiah Thomas played in the NBA, his ball-handling skills are often overlooked. In his prime, Thomas may have had the best handle in the league to compliment his potent crossover moves.

In the early 2000s, Stevie Franchise was one of the most exciting young point guards in the NBA with tremendous upside and one of the tightest handles in the league. Francis was incredible with the ball in his hand and sometimes looked like he should be on the And 1 tour when not playing NBA games.

Alston was never considered a star player in the NBA, but whenever “Skip to my Lou” came out to play, it was an entertaining time for fans and players alike. Well, at least it was for every player except the guy who just happened to be in front of Rafer when he started skipping.

Iverson’s crossover is the most imitated, rarely duplicated, iconic crossovers of all time. After the answer crossed up Michael Jordan, then backed up and crossed him up again, every kid around the nation was stealing Iverson’s crossover. Whether or not it’d be a carry now is debatable. But in his era, it was only the most feared crossover in the NBA.