Stepovers, Points and Finger Wags: NBA’s Greatest Taunts in Honor of Allen Iverson’s 45th Birthday

Allen Iverson is 45 today. That sentence alone makes me feel well past my prime, even though I’m only 27. It seems just yesterday that this guy was the pinnacle of swagger and bravado in the NBA, an undersized guard whose confidence allowed him to stare Shaquille O’Neal in the eye.

Iverson’s signature moment, aside from the entire 2001 season, was the brash stepover at the expense of Tyronn Lue after sinking the game-clinching shot in the 2001 Finals opener. In honor of that and A.I’s birthday, I present you with the other best taunts in the history of the NBA (or at least in modern history).

The Crossover-Stepover Combo

As far as defense on an Iverson crossover goes, this wasn’t too bad from Ty Lue. Sure, his ankles worked overtime to recover, but he got a decent contest on the shot. That said, 2001 A.I. was as smooth and unflappable as they came, and he used that sick crossover to create just enough space to sink the iconic shot of the 2001 Finals.

But no one cares about the shot. What they care about is Iverson’s defiance, the culmination of every NBA fan’s dismissal of the 76ers chances against the juggernaut Lakers. Here’s your 4-0 sweep, NBA universe, Iverson says. You can check out my big balls once Ty Lue is done with them. Of course, that was he Sixers’ only win of the series, but hey, leave the history lessons to the historians.

The Stepover, Vol. 1

Before Iverson gave Lue the ol’ Jock Walk, the most iconic stepover in NBA history belonged to Scottie Pippen. In my opinion, this was the No. 1 most disrespectful thing that ever happened on an NBA court, egged on not only by on-court rivalries, but also by Scottie’s post-M.J. chip on his shoulder. Those two factors coalesced to turn what ultimately could have been merely an impressive, posterizing dunk into a signature moment.

Scottie has every right to be enthused about the jam; his takeoff point is insane and he meets Ewing — one of the best shot blockers ever — a solid four feet away from the rim. And he is still able to go not just over, but also through Ewing and knock him to the ground with a swift, totally subtle swipe. Then, just to make sure Ewing and the Knicks know what’s what, Pippen takes his sweet time stepping over the downed center, giving him an unadulterated look up the shorts of the game’s most well-endowed poster maker.

Oh, and Spike Lee gets some grease too, which is always a bonus.

Ewing Gets It From the Other Bull

Poor Patrick Ewing. Sometimes being a great shot blocker means being willing to get put on posters, and other times it just means everyone says mean things to you whenever they get a key bucket over your outstretched arm.

This isn’t a crazy jam like Pippen’s, but it is every bit as impressive a physical feat. Both Ewing and Xavier McDaniel forgo the whole shot contesting thing in favor of driving their arms into Jordan’s body from all sides as Michael skies for the jam. Instead of affecting the GOAT, however, they both bounce off of him and crash to the floor while Jordan gets the bucket and lands on his feet. Then for good measure, he screams in Patrick’s face what looks like “I’M TOO STRONG.” This clip is, for my money, the basketball equivalent of Ali standing over Liston.

Your Face

For some reason, this clip shapes my entire view of Tim Hardaway’s NBA career, and it makes me laugh every time. The Kevin Hart-esque high-pitched voice, the stature of the guy he’s screaming at, the general elementary school playground vibe of the taunt, it’s all perfect. What’s even better is that, based on the back of his head, Charles actually seems a bit perturbed by Hardaway’s words.

Pure Dismissal

LeBron hates Steph Curry. I don’t know if it’s personal or what, but everything Curry represents is offensive to LeBron the NBA player. Maybe it’s that a small, slender man with mediocre facial hair became the NBA’s poster child while LeBron was still in his prime. Maybe it’s three Finals losses in four years. Maybe it’s just jump shooting in general. Whatever the impetus for the hatred is, if there was any doubt that LeBron loathes Curry’s game, this play cast that all aside.

“Pure dismissal” is the best way I could describe that look. It’s the look every youngest sibling gets the first time they tries in earnest to score on their older brother. It’s the look someone makes when they know with every fiber of their being that you do not belong on the floor with them. Of course, that’s not reality in the case of LeBron-Curry, but LeBron thinks it is, and that makes his contempt for Steph entertaining as hell.

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The Coolest Point Ever

Alton Lister played a lot of years as an extraordinarily average starter. Sixteen NBA seasons is nothing to sneeze at, no matter how unimpressive his production was. And had these 10 seconds of his life never happened, he would have been able to sink into obscurity with a nice stack of cash and a career worth envying.

Instead, he is forever “This Guy.”

Kemp was so quick to throw this badass point Lister’s way. There was no thinking about it, no searching for the guy he just murdered, just natural instincts to know exactly where his victim was and point him out to the crowd. It was as if he knew right away that Lister was going to have his name attached to one of the best in-game dunks ever and he made sure everyone, including Lister, knew. “Hey you, yeah you right there. You’re in my highlight reel forever now. Congrats.”

The Choke

Like, who does this? Who makes a very public choke sign on the court in the middle of a game? And not just any game, an Eastern Conference Finals game. And not just an Eastern Conference Finals game, but one that the Pacers entered down 2-1 in the series. That’s the mindset of someone who got into basketball solely because of how much they love trash talking, and needed a safe outlet to do it.

The Wag

This isn’t a singular moment, but rather a career that earned a signature taunt. It is without question the most iconic recurring move in the history of trash talking, so Mount Mutombo deserves a compilation of finger wags.

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