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NBA: 30 most unguardable moves in league history

By Dylan Carter

INGLEWOOD, CA - JUNE 1982: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar #33 of the Los Angeles Lakers shoots over Caldwell Jones #11 of the Philadelphia 76ers during the 1982 NBA basketball Finals at The Forum in Inglewood, California. The lakers won the Championship 4 games to 2. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
INGLEWOOD, CA - JUNE 1982: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar #33 of the Los Angeles Lakers shoots over Caldwell Jones #11 of the Philadelphia 76ers during the 1982 NBA basketball Finals at The Forum in Inglewood, California. The lakers won the Championship 4 games to 2. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /
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Kawhi Leonard
Kawhi Leonard (Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports) /

30 most unguardable moves in NBA history: 23. Kawhi Leonard, steal-and-slam

So Kawhi Leonard doesn’t necessarily have a signature shot, but he certainly has a signature player that encapsulates what makes him such an incredible basketball player. Since he was a young project near the back of the San Antonio Spurs’ rotation, Kawhi’s aptitude for defense has been far beyond that of his peers. No matter how many record-setting offensive performances he chains together, the root of what makes him an undeniably great player is the fear that he instills when matching up against opposing ball-handlers.

There’s a conversation to be had about his fadeaway jumper, but Kawhi’s signature move is something I like to call the ‘Steal-and-Slam.’ Whether it be by jumping into a passing lane, picking an opponent’s pocket, or straight up ripping the ball out of their hands with his colossal mitts, Kawhi generates steals like a madman and when he does, I advise you look into the man’s eyes.

When Kawhi grabs a steal and enters the open-court, the half-man, half-robot goes into ‘instant-kill mode’ like Spider-Man does in his Tony Stark-designed super suit. The man’s only intention is to turn this steal into two points on the other end and nothing will get in his way.

Kawhi jets up the court as fast as he can and usually spikes a one-handed dunk on the other side. If he’s feeling fancy, which doesn’t happen quite as often, Kawhi will dunk it with two hands or even cock it back a little bit to show that he’s still got the athletic ability he displayed at San Diego State way back when.

By now, we should all know that Kawhi has massive hands that help him generate turnovers at an unusually high rate. The ‘Steal-and-Slam’ may not be a conventional move and it may not be as offensively-oriented as most others on this list, but it’s something unique to Kawhi that should be regarded as highly as a crossover or a flashy pass. At the end of the day, it’s all about effort and Kawhi Leonard doesn’t rest until he claws out a win for his team.