James Simonson 

The Prominence of the Jump Shot in 

the NBA
Table of Contents: 

1. Overview

2. Basics of a jump shot

3. History of and changes in usage of the jump shot

4. Prominence in today’s NBA

Lebron James goes up for a game-tying jumper. ​[Source]

Overview 

Although the jump shot has been around

in the NBA since the league’s conception, the

way current NBA players use it has made it a

common method of scoring and a method that

favors the quicker and smaller guard positions rather than the traditional dominance of a power

forward or center. Big men have been the go-to players for scoring since their strength and

proximity to the hoop often made it easier for them to score, but now it is much more common to

see the league’s leading scorers originating from the point guard position, a position traditionally

occupied by the leaders who distribute the ball and run plays for their teammates. The jump

shot has transformed the NBA into a league driven by statistics and numbers more so than it
was before, and it is becoming increasingly harder to succeed as an NBA player without a

consistent jumper.

Basics of a jump shot 

In basketball, there are many different moves that players use to score. A versatile and

effective way to score from mid and long range, the jump shot is a method where the player

uses the player’s legs to create upward momentum to get the power they need to almost fling

the ball off of the player’s hand, enabling the player to get the ball to arc over opponents before

dropping through the net. Since the jump shot is a frequently used way to shoot a basketball,

there are many different shooting forms and other moves, some players can combine these

moves to make signature moves that are borderline “unguardable”, like Dirk Nowitzki’s

fadeaway jump shot (1). There are many different variations of jump shots, from the step-back

jumper, to the fadeaway, to the up and under. The different variations that players can add to a

jump shot can attempt to make it easier for a player to score while simultaneously presenting

more challenges for opposing defenses.

Notable shooters in the NBA like Stephen Curry use their entire bodies to get off a jump

shot. The shot begins when a player plants his feet down, then compresses his knees before

springing into the air where he then flicks the ball off of his hand using a catapult motion in his

elbow and wrist. Curry’s use of his legs allow him to use less energy in his arms to make the

shot more repeatable and consistent. As a result of Curry’s jump shot is very consistent and

efficient, allowing Curry to be one of the few players who can shoot longer ranged jump shots,

such as three pointers, at a very high percentage. Curry’s jumper has enabled him to become a

high volume scorer, and in 2016, Stephen Curry won the NBA MVP award unanimously,

something that had not been achieved in over 60 years of the NBA’s existence.
 Stephen Curry pulls up for a three point jump shot. ​[Source]

History and origins of the jump shot 

The jump shot has been around since the early days of the NBA, but was not one of the

fundamental concepts in Dr. James Naismith’s original basketball game (10). Although it was a

relatively common method of scoring in the NBA, the jump shot is thought to have originated in

the 1930s or 1940s (2). The jump shot was and still is used in the NBA traditionally by

undersized players or guards, both of which had issues playing near the hoop with much larger

frontcourt players, like centers and power forwards, guarding them. The jump shot was a way

that players could score without having to get too close to the basket, thus eliminating the threat

of a tall player blocking shots. Originally, the jump shot was used mainly by guards and some

forwards, as traditional big men could use their size and strength to fight their way closer to the

basket for a layup or a dunk.

As the NBA introduced the three point line in the 1979-1980 season, more players and

teams began to attempt longer jump shots as these were potentially worth three points, 50%

more than a regular two point shot. The season the three point line was introduced, teams

attempted an average of 2.8 three point shots for an entire game, meaning only around 3% of a
team’s field goal attempts were three point shots​ ​(3). As the league became more accustomed

to the new three point line, teams started attempting more shots from long range, and as of the

2016-2017 season, teams now attempt an average of 27 shots per game from three point

range, accounting for nearly 30% of all shots a team takes in the modern NBA (4). While a three

point shot does not have to be a jump shot, the overwhelming majority of three point shots are

jump shots, and there are almost no examples of three point shots that did not use a jump shot

form. The introduction of a three point line has made it a priority for NBA players as the number

of three point attempts continues to increase year by year, and since the jump shot is the most

common method of attempting three point shots, jump shots have increased in frequency as a

result (4). When nearly 30% of all shots attempted by a team are three pointers, this favors the

team that has better jump shooters as it is the primary way to score a three point field goal.

Prominence of the jump shot in the modern NBA 

While the jump shot has been around for over half a century, the use of it as the main

way to score is relatively new, as basketball has traditionally been a sport that has favored taller

players who were able to increase their field goal percentages by using their size and strength

to get closer to the rim. This increases their chances of making a successful shot since there are

more variables that can go wrong and attribute to a missed long range shot. As the NBA has

evolved and rules have changed, so has the way that the game is played. In today’s NBA, the

league’s most prolific scorers use a jump shot. Many recent players like Tim Duncan, LeBron

James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant, all have incorporated the jump shot into their arsenal

of moves to help their teams win, and to cement their legacies in the sport of basketball. Michael

Jordan, a player who won six NBA Championships and six NBA Finals MVP awards, often used

the jump shot to score over opposing players. While Michael Jordan was a prolific dunker and

was able to finish near the rim with layups, his ability to knock down mid range jump shots made
him even harder to guard, as opposing players could get close to Jordan to try to prevent him

getting off an easy jump shot, but then would have to worry about Jordan driving past them to

score at the hoop. If defenders gave Jordan too much space, Jordan could just rise up and

shoot the ball over the defender using the space given up by the defender in an attempt to

prevent Jordan from driving to the rim.

Other players have used the jump shot as their primary offensive weapon, with examples

of this being Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry. Both players are above average at shooting the

ball so defenders must start guarding Curry and/or Durant much farther out than a player like

Shaquille O’Neal. Curry and Durant have both shot at or over 40% from three point range while

averaging over 25 points per game (5)(6), a very difficult feat to accomplish, meaning that their

three point shooting is amongst not only accurate but effective at scoring in the NBA. On the

other hand, O’Neal only hit one three point shot in his entire career, allowing defenders to sag

off of O’Neal when he had the opportunity to shoot longer ranged shots since he was widely

known as a poor jump shooter and excelled at scoring in the post, the area nearest to the

basket. The addition of the jump shot to a player’s collection of scoring options enables them to

score in more ways which in turn makes it harder for opposing teams to guard said player

because there are so many potential moves a player can perform to score.

While the NBA has evolved to use jump shots as a primary method of scoring over the

past 50 or so years, there are still players that can succeed in the league even without a fully

developed jumper. Notable instances of these players in recent NBA history include Giannis

Antetokounmpo (pronounced “\YAHN-iss ah-deh-toh-KOON-boh\”[7]), a 6’11” small forward

whose athleticism, length, and “long strides make it virtually impossible to stop him” (7)​. ​Giannis

is shooting an inefficient 30% on three point shots during the 2017-2018 season (8) when the

average NBA player shoots around 5% better (9), but Giannis overcomes this weakness by

attempting over 65% of his shots from within 10 feet of the rim, close range for someone with a

7’0” wingspan, and is known for his powerful dunks and long legs which allow him to power past

defenders, where he uses his massive hands and long arms to score. As a result,
Antetokounmpo is currently 2nd in the NBA in scoring for the 2017-2018 season, behind guard

James Harden (9). The less a player relies on a jump shot to score, the more they have to hone

their abilities at other methods of scoring to be a successful offensive player, so the jump shot

can help a player become a better scorer if that player already has other scoring abilities that do

not rely on the shump shot. Giannis presents many challenges for opposing players because of

his size, and his work on developing a jump shot has the ability to add another aspect that

opposing players and coaches will have to take into account when attempting to prevent

Giannis from scoring.

As the league has changed, so has the way players score. From the 1950s to the late

1970s, the league was dominated by big men like Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell. As the

league grew over time, new players with different skill sets were able to succeed, and new

tactics began to emerge as the league evolved. The emergence of the jump shot as one of the

most widely used ways to score has changed the league forever, and continues to play a major

factor in the success of both individual players and teams as a whole.

Bibliography

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Business Insider​, Business Insider, 12 Nov. 2014,

www.businessinsider.com/dirk-shot-2014-11​. Accessed 7 March 2018.

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2015, ​www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/feature/25067625/jump-shot​. Accessed 7

March 2018.

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www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_1980.html​. Accessed 7 March 2018.

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www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_2017.html​. Accessed 7 March 2018.

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www.basketball-reference.com/players/a/antetgi01.html​. Accessed 22 February 2018.

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www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_2018.html​. Accessed 7 March 2018.

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2010, ​www.espn.com/espn/page2/story/_/page/stevens%2F100111​. Accessed 7 March

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