An Anatomy of the Swish: NBA Superstars and Their Shots

Kobe Bryant is possibly one of the most cold-blooded killers in the history of the NBA. Everything about him, from his squinted eyes, to his ice-cold smile, screams assassin.

Like his game, Kobe's swish is a model of efficiency. Kobe has very little arc on his shot, the way his body forms a weak "V" around his hips speaks to the frozen-rope nature of his shit.

When Kobe shoots, his legs seem to come forward in a 10 degree angle, and he bends at the waist, allowing his hands to go at almost a 45 degree angle in front of his face.

It is a remarkable example of the rock-solid technique that only hours spent alone on the hardwood can give you.

Since Kobe's shot is so angular, it's no surprise that is comes into the hoop at a very small angle, usually no more than 30 degrees.

His stroke is so precise that the ball passes over the front of the hoop like a plane coming in for a landing, and usually strikes the bottom of the back of the hoop, usually where the rim is attaches to the backboard.

The resulting swish causes only the slightest of movement with the net, as it parts to let the ball go through. There is no splash, just complete and utter surrender by the net.

Imagine throwing a basketball at a set of stairs, and hitting the stairs with such perfection that it hits the two perpendicular surfaces at exactly the same time, so there is no second bounce, just a single simultaneous bounce on two surfaces.

The ball falls through the back part of the net, which makes Kobe's shots almost seem to be like a pitch thrown to a catcher, except we all know Kobe can't be up that high.

Or can he?

Other proponents of the Kobe swish include: Paul Pierce, Tracy McGrady, Ben Gordon, Shaq, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul and Deron Williams.

Ray Allen, one of the best shooters the game has ever known. The Bulls-Celtics series is just the latest on the resume of a man whose abilities on the catch-and-shoot are unparalleled in the game today.

Ray Allen's stroke has everything to do with his certain brand of swish. The result of an unbelievable amount of repetitions, partly the result of his obsessive-compulsive nature have given him the sweetest stroke in the game today.

The wrist action is what gives Ray Allen's shot its signature. He almost flicks his wrist, which helps him get it off so fast, he doesn't have to move his arms much.

It comes in at a much higher angle than Kobe's shot, but also comes in very fast. The "splash" effect happens when it hits the bottom of the back of the next, the speed causes the net to flip up briefly, giving it that splash effect.

Proponents include: Mo Williams, Rashard Lewis, Rip Hamilton, Yao Ming (jump shot), Jason Terry, Shawn Marion and Stephen Jackson.

Dirk Nowitzki has a swish that is as unique as his one-legged fadeaway. His height, which helps to make the shot impossible to defend, also gives his shot the deep arc that makes his swish in a league of its own.

Dirk has a rather awkward shooting motion for such a good shooter, but it works for him. He doesn't jump particularly high, he doesn't need to. If he's stationary, like with a three-pointer, his legs spread out while in the air, resembling a "V" coming from his hips.

When he fades away, he really only jumps off of one leg, his back leg, while the front leg is bent and helps him keep his balance, while automatically giving him some space from his defender.

This, combined with his height, makes is very difficult for people to guard the shot. You have to have a pretty big wingspan, as well as the defensive smarts not to fall into the trap of his many pump fakes.

Once he gets the shot off, it's almost a lazy looking arc. It goes very high, and very slowly, and when it hits the back part of the net (similar to where Allen hits), it doesn't just go through the net.

It almost slides down the back of the net, giving the swish less of a splash. Once it hits the net, the ball follows the net all the way down, stretching the back part of the net in a straight line, and the net of the net must re-form to keep up.

The best part about this swish is the sound it makes. While Kobe's often doesn't make a sound, and Ray Allen's is much quicker, Dirk's shot gives it a very satisfying "swish" since it makes so much contact with the net.

In arenas that mic their nets, (like the American Airlines Center in Dallas) the sound reverberates throughout the entire arena. It's awesome. Dirk's foul shot is very similar, and given his skill from the charity stripe, viewers can count on many Dirk swishes throughout the course of any given game.

Players who have this type of swish include: Steve Nash, Chris Bosh, Dwight Howard, Tony Parker, Brandon Roy, David West and Kevin Durant.

Allen Iverson is the third most prolific scorer in the history of the league, so it comes as no surprise that he has his own signature swish. It's not a swish in the truest sense of the word, since the signature part comes as a result of contact, but it still works.

Iverson's shot shares a little bit from all three we've discussed before, which is sort of funny, considering he's been in the league as long or longer than any of the others.

Iverson's shooting motion is similar to Ray Allen's. Both use their wrists a lot, but given the five inch difference in height, Iverson relies a little more on the jump itself, which Allen does not.

Also due to his height, Iverson has the tendency to naturally fade away on his jumper, like Dirk.

Iverson's shot comes in low, but it hits slightly higher on the back rim than Kobe's. The result is the ball doesn't actually hit the back of the net, rather it hits the front of the net with a burst, as it is coming off the back of the rim.

Iverson's shot has that little pause when it goes in, as it catches itself on the front of the net briefly before dropping out.

LeBron James, Yao Ming (hook shot), Dwyane Wade, Vince Carter, Ron Artest, Manu Ginobili, Carlos Boozer and Amar'e Stoudemire all have shots similar to A.I.'s

Now, of course this doesn't apply to every shot taken by any of the players mentioned here. But I think it's a good breakdown of what you think of when you think of a signature Kobe, Ray Allen, Dirk or A.I. shot.

If I missed any type of swish, if you think I've mis-categorized some of the example players, please feel free to comment below.