Shammgod or El Latigo or The Whip (one-handed crossover basketball dribble)
God Shammgod (born Shammgod Wells in New York City in 1976) became a New York City high school basketball legend who played at Providence College. He had a very brief professional basketball career with the Washington Wizards in 1997-98.
Shammgod, who played the guard position, was known for his crossover dribble. The dribble was called “The Shammgod” in the on March 28, 1999, and many videos have been made of the dribble.
The European basketball players Dragan Kićanović (born in 1953), Danko Cvjetićanin (born in 1963) and Dejan Bodiroga (born in 1973) have been credited with earlier versions of the “Shammgod” crossover dribble. European names for the move are ”El Latigo” and “The Whip” (English translation of the former).
Wikipedia: God Shammgod
God Shammgod (born April 29, 1976 and formerly known as Shammgod Wells) is an American basketball coach and former professional player. He is currently an assistant coach with the Dallas Mavericks. He played in the NBA with the Washington Wizards during 1997–98 after being drafted by them in the 2nd round (17th pick) of the 1997 NBA draft. He played in the Chinese Basketball Association for several teams, including the Zhejiang Cyclones. and Shanxi Yujun. He also played professionally in Poland and Saudi Arabia.
Wikipedia: Dragan Kićanović
Dragan Kićanović (Serbian: Драган Кићановић; born 17 August 1953) is a Serbian retired professional basketball player.
A 1.92m (6 ft 33⁄4 in) tall shooting guard, Kićanović played in the 1970s and 1980s, and is considered to be one of the best European players and scorers of all time, having won both the Mr. Europa and the Euroscar European Player of the Year awards in 1981 and 1982. He was named one of FIBA’s 50 Greatest Players in 1991.
Wikipedia: Danko Cvjetićanin
Danko Cvjetićanin (often credited as Cvjetičanin; born 16 October 1963) is a Croatian basketball scout and former player.
Cvjetićanin won two silver medals at the Olympic Games, one with Yugoslavia (1988) and the other with Croatia (1992). Cvjetićanin, who started his career with Partizan, won the European Club Championship with Cibona in 1986. He also played professionally in Spain and Italy.
Wikipedia: Dejan Bodiroga
Dejan Bodiroga (Serbian Cyrillic: Дејан Бодирога; born 2 March 1973) is a Serbian basketball executive and former professional basketball player. Listed at 2.05 m (6 ft. 8 3⁄4 in.) and 110 kg (243 lbs.), he mainly played at the small forward position, but he could also play point forward, and both guard positions.
A EuroLeague icon of the early part of the 2000s, Bodiroga proved himself to be a symbol of basketball excellence, by lifting consecutive EuroLeague trophies, with Panathinaikos and FC Barcelona, as he earned the EuroLeague Final Four MVP award both times.
12 July 1994, Newsday (Long Island, NY), “Summer Hoops: Parker Leads N.Y. To Victory in D.C.” by David Lennon, pg. A48:
Despite shuttling between doctor’s visits and summer school, LaSalle rising senior Shammgod Wells still was one of the highlights of the ABCD Camp. Just ask Dick Vitale, who visited the camp Thursday afternoon. Vitale saw Wells execute a few of his trademark crossover dribbles and then drive the lane for a layup. The display sent Vitale, who looked genuinely impressed, rummaging through his program to find Wells’ name and number.
28 March 1999, Daily Press (Newport News, VA), “Denbigh’s Timmy Smith Tops Daily Press’ All-Stars,” pg. C1:
It’s the shimmy and shake that leaves defenders drowning in Timmy Smith’s wake.
He dribbles between his legs, wraps the ball around his back, crosses over in front of his body and blows by would-be defenders before the blink of an eye.
A story in Sports Illustrated recently put the ankle- breaking crossover dribble moves of such NBA stars as Tim Hardaway and Allen Iverson in the same vein as a thunderous dunk for sheer crowd enjoyment. Judging from the reactions of Peninsula District crowds this season, Smith’s showtime-style repertoire of moves measured on a level with a 360-degree blindfolded dunk.
Smith, the Daily Press All-Star Boys Basketball Player of the Year from Denbigh High, calls it “The Shammgod.” Named after a move that current Washington Wizards guard God Shammgod first brought to fame in his playing days at Providence College,
12 March 2004, New York (NY) Post, “You Gotta Love This Game” by Peter Vecsey, pg. 118:
Argentinean Manu Ginobili does the “Shammgod” as well as any American.
YouTube
The Story of the Shammgod
hoopvision68
Published on Aug 25, 2012
God Shammgod, a college basketball player for Providence and briefly with the Wizards in the NBA, is well known for his unique dribble move. The move is known as “The Shammgod” in the US.
However, the move has been dated all the way back to 1980 by Danko “El Killer del Perimetro” Cvjeticanin. A former player from Croatia. Yugoslavian forward Dejan Bodiroga is credited with popularizing the move. Bodiroga’s version is called “El Latigo”, which is Spanish for “The Whip”.
The video tells the story of the Shammgod and features the following players:
Dejan Bodiroga, God Shammgod, Manu Ginobili, Danilo Gallinari, Chris Paul, Tyreke Evans, Brandon Jennings, Uncle Drew/Kyrie Irving, and Aquille Carr.
COMMENTS
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Marko Marković
This story is not true. This move was invented by the Serbian (Yugoslavian at that time) player Dragan Kicanovic during the ‘70’s. Kicanovic is one of the greatest European basketball players of all time, and his natural successor was Drazen Petrovic. Danko Cvjeticanin copied this move during the ‘80’s, while Bodiroga brought it to the perfection.
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CroPETROforever
I see this video borrowed clips of Bodiroga from my video about him, and I am glad it did lol… anyway… When it comes about this MOVE Bodiroga was really and truly the best, but the move itself was invented by Dragan Kicanovic back in 70’s and than used by Danko Cvijeticanin in 80’s, and trust me… He used it very very very well… I have tons of clips of Danko Cvijeticanin I just never made a video about him lol… he played alongside great Drazen Petrovic back in 80’s in Cibona (before Drazen went to Real Madrid and NBA), and Danko never managed to be a star alongside Drazen ofcourse… but Danko was really really great with this move, he would USE IT 10 to 15 times in one game… and it would always work… I am not sure, but I think Bodiroga got from him this move, ofcourse… because Bodiroga was a generation after Cvijeticanin (Bodiroga was 90’s star), they even played in the same time, when Bodiroga was in early days of his career… anyway… It’s a great move, and it looks easy… but It’s not… 😊 Anyway people, if you wanna check up my video of Bodiroga, the newest, just type: dejan bodiroga 😊 My channel dedicated to NBA & Basketball in general is CroPETROforeverNBA, this one is more about History etc… lol
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ggsimmonds1
Good move but it seems shammgod did not use it as effectively. Bodiroga looked like he was far better in transitioning to attacking the rim with it, while Shammgod did it for style points. As to why it is not used more in the NBA—its a combination of speed and ballhandling skill. It is a difficult move to pull off. It is more of a deceptive move to use if you have good ball handling skills but aren’t particularly fast (Hi Manu). Superstar guards in the NBA don’t use often it because it is unneeded due to their quickness.
YouTube
Vassilis Spanoulis - The Kill Bill Crossover Dribble
European Basketball
Published on Aug 31, 2013
Vassilis Spanoulis demonstrates his Kill Bill Crossover move.
Players that got crossed in the video clip are, in order:
1. Robert Garrett - German national team
2. Andrew Ogilvy - Brose Baskets
3. Vladimir Mićov - CSKA Moscow
4. Mindaugas Kuzminskas - Lithuanian national team
Players who have used this move over the years…....
Dragan Kićanović - Kićanović‘s Move, or Kićanović Dribble
Danko Cvjetićanin - El Killer del Perimetro (“The Killer of the Perimeter”)
Dejan Bodiroga - Bodiroga’s Move, or El Latigo (“The Whip”)
God Shammgod - The Shammgod
Manu Ginóbili
Vassilis Spanoulis - The Kill Bill Crossover
COMMENTS
netoserbia
Many crossover connoisseurs credit 80’s Croatian baller Danko “El Killer del Perimetro” Cvjeticanin as the inventor of the move but Dragan Kicanovic — a Cibona teammate of the late great Drazen Petrovic and members of the FIBA Hall of Fame– was doing it years earlier. After them came three-time EuroLeague Champion Dejan Bodiroga, who Carmelo Anthony is a little familiar with 😊
YouTube
“Bič” Dejana Bodiroge (El latigo, The Whip, Shammgod)
ex-yu kosarka
Published on Jan 18, 2014
YouTube
The Shamgod Move Tutorial
Professor Live
Published on May 26, 2017
YouTube
Best Shammgod Crossovers Of All Time
HoopsTube
Published on Jul 1, 2017
YouTube
The Shammgod: How God Shammgod’s Legendary Crossover Lives on in Today’s Stars
Bleacher Report
Published on Oct 11, 2017
God Shammgod is responsible for creating one of the most vicious crossover moves in NBA history.
What is “The Shammgod?” When was it first used? How do today’s NBA players still use the move?
Watch the video above to find out.
BallisLife
GOD SHAMMGOD & THE ORIGINAL PRACTITIONERS OF THE “SHAMMGOD” CROSSOVER
David Astramskas
October 11th, 2017
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WHO REALLY INVENTED THE “SHAMMGOD MOVE”
The Shammgod is kind of like “Coke” and “Aspirin.” You will hear people ask for a Coke when they are really asking for a soda and will settle with a Pepsi. People ask for aspirin but will take any Ibuprofen. Long before Shammgod pulled off the move in the 1997 NCAA regional finals vs Arizona, players in other countries were doing the move that’s been called the”El Latigo” and “The Whip.”
Many crossover connoisseurs credit 80’s Croatian baller Danko “El Killer del Perimetro” Cvjeticanin as the inventor of the move but Dragan Kicanovic — a Cibona teammate of the late great Drazen Petrovic and members of the FIBA Hall of Fame– was doing it years earlier.
After them, came three-time EuroLeague Champion Dejan Bodiroga, who Carmelo Anthony is a little familiar with (21-second mark of the following video).
Washington (DC) Post
God Shammgod created a legendary move. His NBA coaching crossover could be even bigger.
Is dribbling the next NBA coaching specialty? If so, the man behind “the Shammgod” will be a pioneer.
By Michael Pina March 5, 2019
God Shammgod only played 20 games in his NBA career, all of them in 1997-98 with the Washington Wizards, and yet, more than 20 years later, he still has a legendary reputation around the league. “If you don’t know who he is, then you’re probably not very good,” Portland Trail Blazers guard Seth Curry says with a laugh.
As the creator of a deceptive one-handed crossover dribble — appropriately named “the Shammgod,” and which, when pulled off, is as aesthetically satisfying as any move in basketball — the former Providence point guard is sought by current stars for instruction.
Twitter
SLAM
@SLAMonline
D-Lo with the shammgod 🔥 (via @BrooklynNets)
Brooklyn Nets
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7:54 PM - 6 Mar 2019