After recently suiting up for the Oklahoma City Thunder, NBA fans are saying Zavier Simpson has ‘the best skyhook since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.’
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is unequivocally one of the best players in NBA history. The all-time leading scorer also happened to have one of the most unstoppable shots in NBA history too – his patented skyhook.
Sadly, the art of the skyhook has somewhat died over the years, and has (rather unfairly) been deemed ‘uncool’ by many. According to the man himself, the skyhook’s rarity is due to previous generations wanting to emulate high-flyers like Michael Jordan or Julius Erving.
More recently, Kareem said it’s because, “everyone is so enamoured with the three-point shot.”
However, new Thunder player Zavier Simpson is making the skyhook cool once again.
Thunder recently signed Simpson to a 10-day contract
Zavier Simpson is a point guard who played college basketball for the Michigan Wolverines. He recently signed a 10-day contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The 25-year-old has played in 47 games with the team’s G-League affiliate Oklahoma City Blue this season. During that time he has averaged 14.5 points, 6.7 assists, and 5.1 rebounds. He has also shot 47.4% from the field and 32.3% from 3-point range.
The Thunder are hit by several injuries and are essentially battling for lottery positions now. On Tuesday against the Portland Trailblazers, Simpson scored 10 points, and had five assists, and three rebounds. The Thunder edged the game 98-94 with Simpson seeing 44 minutes of action.
Zavier Simpson has the best skyhook since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Zavier Simpson, also known as ‘Captain Hook’, also happens to have one of the best hook shots we’ve seen in recent years.
Footage of Zavier Simpson’s skyhooks went viral recently, and some were saying that he has the best hook shot since Kareem.
Many people reacted to his G-League highlights, commenting that it was cool to actually see the hook shot in action. Others asked why we don’t see it in the league more often as it can be an effective weapon.
His career in more detail
Simpson was born on 11 February 1997, in Lima, Ohio, and attended Lima Senior High School where he won the 2016 Ohio Mr. Basketball as a senior. He was also part of the 2017–18 team that reached the Championship Game of the 2018 NCAA Tournament, and made two Sweet 16s with the team.
The 6-foot, 190-pound guard actually signed with the Lakers in the offseason but was cut before the season started. In January 2022, he was offered a 10-day contract by Oklahoma City but he was forced to enter health-and-safety protocols, negating the contract.
He was sent to the G-League where, despite being one of the shortest players, managed to impress. His patented right-handed hook shot stood out as he finished the season averaging 21.7 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 7.4 assists.
As the Thunder continues its years-long rebuild, it will be interesting to see how ‘Captain Hook’ adjusts to life in the NBA.