5 Best Basketball Tricks

If you are an aspiring Michael Jordan, Lebron James or Shaquille O'Neal, knowing the 5 best basketball tricks could definitely help you rise to stardom. Knowing these tricks will not only give you a flashier and more professional play style, but most tricks will help you improve your skills that will allow you to score more baskets and win more games.

1. The Crossover This basketball trick is actually a basic dribbling trick, but is still one of the best tricks of the game for the simple fact that it is necessary. It is done by simply passing the ball from whatever hand your dribbling to the next hand. This is crucial for an offensive player as it will allow you to quickly get the ball away from the defender in most cases.
2. The Slam Dunk One of the most famous basketball tricks, the slam dunk has been a staple of almost every big name basketball player and it can be for you, too. If you have never seen a basketball game, here’s a quick how-to on the trick. Dribble the ball up to the goal, jump and slam the ball into the hoop, making sure not to touch the rim!
3. The Jump Shot Probably the most basic, but also best basketball shooting trick. This trick is done by simply doing what it says, stopping and taking a jump while shooting. One tip you need to know about the jump shot if you want to master it: 99 percent of the power should come from the jump in the knees, not the arms, hands or wrists.
4. The Alley-Oop One of the more advanced basketball tricks that actually involves two players. To pull off this trick, one player needs to throw the ball so it is near the side of the rim the other player is near. The other player jumps up while the ball is still near the rim and slam dunks the ball.
5. The Layup Another very basic but necessary basketball trick, the layup is done by simply running up to the goal and “laying” the ball off the backboard right into the net. Be sure to practice with alternate hands and sides when doing the layup to avoid those pesky defensive players!