An Anatomy of the Swish: NBA Superstars and Their Shots

Basketball is a complex game. You've got X's and O's, high screens and the low post, halfcourt sets and full court presses.

But the most important thing at the end of the day is putting the ball in the basket. Assists, rebounds, steals, all are nice, but they don't get put on the scoreboard.

Dominant scorers of all sizes have filled the NBA. Whether a fearless slasher like D-Wade, an outside sniper like Peja Stojakavic, or a low post machine like Tim Duncan, there are many ways to score points.

But every point has something in common. It happens when the ball breaks the plane of the basket, into the net, falling to the ground. And there is no sweeter way to score a point that with a swish.

Possibly the greatest example of onomatopoeia, a swish is the perfection of a lifetime of execution. It's hard enough to get a ball with a 9.39" diameter into an 18 inch hole. But to do so without touching anything but net, from long distance, with NBA-level defenders who exists solely to make you miss, is something extraordinary.

This slideshow will examine a few players who I feel have a "swish" that is their signature, including a diagram and explanation of how their shot leads to a swish.

The red line on the diagrams show the path of the ball as it enters the basket, and the green line shows the path of egress.

I hope you enjoy.

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