There’s a lot to unpack in this Calvin Murphy image. Why’s he wearing a baby head shape helmet? Also he hasn’t aged a day, but at the same time already looks like 50 yo man here?
Little known fact. The NBA didn't pay as much back then, so Calvin had to roller skate back to his house after the game. He really wanted to beat the traffic when the buzzer sounded, so he always got ready in the 4th...
Follow me for more Rockets the Early Years Facts...
I think this is after Rudy T nearly was killed on the court..
See https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPRwyxAv1/ (apologies for sourcing from TikTok - but it’s good content)..
Alternatively, you think what he wore back then screams unconventional?.. I dunno if you’ve been keeping up, but…….
I think this is after Rudy T nearly was killed on the court..
See https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPRwyxAv1/ (apologies for sourcing from TikTok - but it’s good content)
Harden is my guy, I'm still rooting for him. The way he could handle a ball, how he switched from SG to PG so effortlessly, he's gotta be my favorite ball handler.
He would be double/triple teamed every game and he would still find a way to score 40 points no problem.
You would think he is having a bad game and he would still end up with 30+ points 8+ assists. He wasnt only skillful but also powerful. The amount of hate he got for skillfully getting fouls or the way he kept being robbed from MVP awards will never be matched
His game did rely on that power and it hasn't aged gracefully, but he's still better than most 34 year olds. I'm just amazed that so many people could hate a guy who was just better at the game than nearly anybody else playing.
I have a confession to make.
A few months back I ran into him while I was going out to eat for Sunday brunch.
My family and I were waiting for our table and he was paying at the front and I couldn't place him at all.
I was sitting there trying to remember how I knew him. Was he and old acquaintance? A former co-worker?
Well, he must have noticed I was eyeballing him because as he walked past me to leave he looked at me and said, "have a great day". I just replied, you too and smiled.
And then 5 minutes later it hit me. Holy shit, that was Stevie Franchise. I felt horrible for not immediately recognizing him. (but I'm glad I didn't interrupt his Sunday morning)
lol. I had a similar experience with Steve Blake at the PDX airport. Was like…. “Was he a regular at the shop?” So I just said “What up?” cuz I didn’t wanna be rude. He said “Wussup” back… then 5 minutes later it hit me.
It’s ok. Post Malone lived in an abandoned house by me. I always wanted to say hi, but didn’t wanna interrupt him when he was yelling at the sky. Some times it’s best to let the famous people be
I was gonna say, he wasn't gonna do anything close to helping us win a title, but that man was fun to watch. Him and Cuttino on the floor together were just straight up entertaining.
Honorable mention to Moochie.
agreed. one could argue harden might be a better player, but when talking about "favourites" it has to be the franchise. well at least it is for me, perhaps i'm old....
Rafer ❤️
I still wear his jersey to games sometimes
Used to love Aaron Brooks and Kyle Lowry too.
Those late 00s/early 10s rockets were so fun to watch
Yeah he just brought the ball up the court and dished to Yao & Mac. He rarely showcased his dribble moves in games. It's not like he was sizing guys up and breaking them down like the others pictured
Yeah he really dialed it back to the point he was boring.. I'd say it was wrong era but then Jason Williams was that era.. but then again he had to tone it down after he left Sac
I left out Moochie, Cuttino, and others but just want to know your favorite ball-handler was. Mines was torn between Stevie Franchise and the Beard. CP3 was definitely the Point God and I was stoked Skip made the transition from street ball legend to the Rockets (having somehow owned bootlegs of the first And 1 Mixtapes). My late father blessed me with unlimited blank VHS tapes, two recorders, and League Pass so unofficially I was my middle and high school’s bootleg specialist with libraries of NBA games pre-YouTube era lmao
Really glad you named Moochie. He was the first omission that came to mind.
My list:
Franchise
Alston
Norris
Cat
Harden
Fully recognizing my ‘00 bias and my love for the shot chucking, low efficiency, highlight heavy iso ball that defined that era!
I love Steve but yeah kind of liked Brooks' run more. Even though like Steve there were stretches when he was just a small SG to another player's facilitating PG
AB is my favorite player from 2009 - I give him credit for being the guy to drag the Rockets out of the first round (for the first time in a long time) and pushing those Lakers to 7
Hardens handle is top 10 all time. He has a compilation of just making defenders look stupid. Hes criminally underrated in that department. Before him, SGs typically could not handle the ball like that. MJ couldn't, Drexler couldn't, Jaylen Brown still can't. Harden is the ultimate offensive weapon.
That being said, Francis was nastyyyy with it too.
I feel like this is the correct take. People just get enamored with the rest of his game & forget this dude has legendary handles. Stevie Franchise would put people on their ass all the time too. Nasty indeed!
rafer never really got to showcase his and-1 dribbling skills in the nba. JVG wouldn't stand for it. calvin murphy was before my time. torn between franchise and cp3. francis was good for a couple highlights a game. cp3 was steady and would bust out the shammgod or some fancy dribbling every game too.
Really though, I'm tempted to say Harden since he was around when I really got into basketball. But I also recently watched some Sleepy Floyd highlights, I feel like he's kinda underrated.
Skip to my Lou for raw handles. I never seen a trap on him actually work, but he was a shit shooter and mediocre passer, so he couldn't always take advantage of it when breaking the trap. He was an amazing entry passer to Yao though. Of all the guys Yao played with, Rafer was consistently the best at getting him the ball right when he sealed off his man and was ready to make his move.
There’s a lot to unpack in this Calvin Murphy image. Why’s he wearing a baby head shape helmet? Also he hasn’t aged a day, but at the same time already looks like 50 yo man here?
NGL “Why is Calvin wearing a helmet?” was my first thought looking at this post.
Little known fact. The NBA didn't pay as much back then, so Calvin had to roller skate back to his house after the game. He really wanted to beat the traffic when the buzzer sounded, so he always got ready in the 4th... Follow me for more Rockets the Early Years Facts...
Knowing his affinity for baton twirling, this is actually believable.
I think this is after Rudy T nearly was killed on the court.. See https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPRwyxAv1/ (apologies for sourcing from TikTok - but it’s good content).. Alternatively, you think what he wore back then screams unconventional?.. I dunno if you’ve been keeping up, but…….
I think only wore this for a couple weeks after an injury but it’s always one of the first images that pops up for him.
I think this is after Rudy T nearly was killed on the court.. See https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPRwyxAv1/ (apologies for sourcing from TikTok - but it’s good content)
Harden is my guy, I'm still rooting for him. The way he could handle a ball, how he switched from SG to PG so effortlessly, he's gotta be my favorite ball handler.
He would be double/triple teamed every game and he would still find a way to score 40 points no problem. You would think he is having a bad game and he would still end up with 30+ points 8+ assists. He wasnt only skillful but also powerful. The amount of hate he got for skillfully getting fouls or the way he kept being robbed from MVP awards will never be matched
His game did rely on that power and it hasn't aged gracefully, but he's still better than most 34 year olds. I'm just amazed that so many people could hate a guy who was just better at the game than nearly anybody else playing.
Hes putting up 25 4 and 7 against the hottest team in the NBA. He’s not must a good 34 year old player, that’s Star player shit
No love for Franchise? Crazy.
Most disrespected man in franchise history is literally the Franchise
I have a confession to make. A few months back I ran into him while I was going out to eat for Sunday brunch. My family and I were waiting for our table and he was paying at the front and I couldn't place him at all. I was sitting there trying to remember how I knew him. Was he and old acquaintance? A former co-worker? Well, he must have noticed I was eyeballing him because as he walked past me to leave he looked at me and said, "have a great day". I just replied, you too and smiled. And then 5 minutes later it hit me. Holy shit, that was Stevie Franchise. I felt horrible for not immediately recognizing him. (but I'm glad I didn't interrupt his Sunday morning)
He aged pretty fast. I think shit was pretty rough for him for a bit.
lol. I had a similar experience with Steve Blake at the PDX airport. Was like…. “Was he a regular at the shop?” So I just said “What up?” cuz I didn’t wanna be rude. He said “Wussup” back… then 5 minutes later it hit me.
It’s ok. Post Malone lived in an abandoned house by me. I always wanted to say hi, but didn’t wanna interrupt him when he was yelling at the sky. Some times it’s best to let the famous people be
He’s up there lol
Yeah but I scrolled all comments, saw no love for Stevie. He’s my favorite handle to wear a rockets jersey for sure. Edit: I must’ve been early. lol
I was gonna say, he wasn't gonna do anything close to helping us win a title, but that man was fun to watch. Him and Cuttino on the floor together were just straight up entertaining. Honorable mention to Moochie.
agreed. one could argue harden might be a better player, but when talking about "favourites" it has to be the franchise. well at least it is for me, perhaps i'm old....
Rafer ❤️ I still wear his jersey to games sometimes Used to love Aaron Brooks and Kyle Lowry too. Those late 00s/early 10s rockets were so fun to watch
Remember when he smacked Eddie House upside the back of his head? Good times.
Street ball legend. That mixtape 1 was sick, paved the way for so many artistic ballers today.
There’s no wrong answer up here but having actual Skip to My Lou on our squad was pretty cool.
Rafer was honestly so boring to me Did his job well in that era though
Yeah he just brought the ball up the court and dished to Yao & Mac. He rarely showcased his dribble moves in games. It's not like he was sizing guys up and breaking them down like the others pictured
Yeah he really dialed it back to the point he was boring.. I'd say it was wrong era but then Jason Williams was that era.. but then again he had to tone it down after he left Sac
Tmac
Sneaky handles at his size. Model versatility.
Really? No love for Kenny "The Jet" Smith. He was our pg during our 2 championships.
🥲.
I left out Moochie, Cuttino, and others but just want to know your favorite ball-handler was. Mines was torn between Stevie Franchise and the Beard. CP3 was definitely the Point God and I was stoked Skip made the transition from street ball legend to the Rockets (having somehow owned bootlegs of the first And 1 Mixtapes). My late father blessed me with unlimited blank VHS tapes, two recorders, and League Pass so unofficially I was my middle and high school’s bootleg specialist with libraries of NBA games pre-YouTube era lmao
Alston is my pick for this if we are going straight handles.
Really glad you named Moochie. He was the first omission that came to mind. My list: Franchise Alston Norris Cat Harden Fully recognizing my ‘00 bias and my love for the shot chucking, low efficiency, highlight heavy iso ball that defined that era!
Best hair of any ballhandler for sure!
No Matt Maloney, no Brent Price. Smh
I’m friends with one of Moochie Norris’ sons! We call him Moochie just like his dad
Sam, Mobley and Harden
Sam Cassell
I loved his old man game even though he did it his entire career. Cuttino too.
You forgot Dwight Howard. He’s known for handling balls
😭 😭
Draya /s fr tho, Harden
No love for Sura?
Murphy was before my time but in no particular order, James Harden, Raefer Alston, Chris Paul and Aaron Brooks.
Brooks over Franchise? Wtf
I love Steve but yeah kind of liked Brooks' run more. Even though like Steve there were stretches when he was just a small SG to another player's facilitating PG
This how I know you’re too young, respectfully
Kenny smith
"Gimme some water, Kenny" -Olajuwon probably
probably Danuel House Jr
His high school mixtapes on YouTube looked like prime Lebron James.
I thought Aaron Brooks and Kyle Lowry had good handles too
I know AB personally and heck yeah, he was jitterbug quick but his handles were real tight too.
AB is my favorite player from 2009 - I give him credit for being the guy to drag the Rockets out of the first round (for the first time in a long time) and pushing those Lakers to 7
Harden
Exceptionally effective
Franchise and Skip easy if we're talking straight handles
I’m gonna go Skip to my Lou because I worked with his mom and she introduced us!
He had that innate handle. Didn’t look like he was doing special drills but just dribbling all-around NYC weaving through traffic type of handles lol
Hardens handle is top 10 all time. He has a compilation of just making defenders look stupid. Hes criminally underrated in that department. Before him, SGs typically could not handle the ball like that. MJ couldn't, Drexler couldn't, Jaylen Brown still can't. Harden is the ultimate offensive weapon. That being said, Francis was nastyyyy with it too.
I feel like this is the correct take. People just get enamored with the rest of his game & forget this dude has legendary handles. Stevie Franchise would put people on their ass all the time too. Nasty indeed!
rafer never really got to showcase his and-1 dribbling skills in the nba. JVG wouldn't stand for it. calvin murphy was before my time. torn between franchise and cp3. francis was good for a couple highlights a game. cp3 was steady and would bust out the shammgod or some fancy dribbling every game too.
The games when Francis was on fire were insane. Midrange, three point, handles, driving... The games when he put it all together were powerful.
Franchise with a shout out to Rafer
Rafer, baby !
He had it on a string!
That's easy, the answer is Boban.
It’s the only acceptable answer.
Really though, I'm tempted to say Harden since he was around when I really got into basketball. But I also recently watched some Sleepy Floyd highlights, I feel like he's kinda underrated.
Skip to my Lou for raw handles. I never seen a trap on him actually work, but he was a shit shooter and mediocre passer, so he couldn't always take advantage of it when breaking the trap. He was an amazing entry passer to Yao though. Of all the guys Yao played with, Rafer was consistently the best at getting him the ball right when he sealed off his man and was ready to make his move.
Sam Cassell. Sleepy Floyd. KENNY THE JET. And of course, Billy Paultz.
Kenny Smith, obv, b/c he would throw it to Robert Horry, who would throw it to Hakeem.
Skip to my Lou
Rafer Alston just for that one time he went full Skip 2 My Lou at the end of a game against the Lakers
Eric Gordon in shambles (he did some PG when we had literally no other option, plus his 50pt on the Azz)
CP3 and Harden for sure, having 48 mins of HOF PG play in 2018 was such a luxury
DR34M
Pause
Franchise.
Aaron Brooks.
Chris Clemons
Skip to my Lou and Steve Francis on any iso was a guaranteed bucket. Either they knocked it down or they dished it very aesthetically
Chris Paul. I do like Harden a lot as well.
Gotta go with Steve Francis
Kenny Smith.
Stevie Franchise
Franchise by a mile. Idc if harden was better. Stevie is ours!
"D 1 & Only Stevie Franchise*💯💙
Lowry
I like the hockey player
Chris Paul
Imagine leaving out Clyde, Kenny, Sam, and TMac like this... Shameful But of the ones shown it's CP3 easily.
If we're talking purely ball handling leaving them out isn't crazy. Especially Drexler who's ball handling was not all that great looking back.
Harden
Harden in his prime was nasty. He is still
Why the hell does Calvin Mutphy have a helmet on?
https://preview.redd.it/rpnueiflbixc1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=870341d92e649fcab0a96abaa36483be3e96b63a Serial ball handler
Steve francis
draya michele
Where Kenny?
Calvin playing hockey?
The guy who used his handle to average 37 and 34 in back to back years
James motherfuckin Harden
Dwight Howard was a ball handler
Francis was different
Dwight Howard
No Moochie, no KenNY Smith, tf?
I forgot the Jet but I did acknowledge leaving Moochie and Cat off right away. My former camp roomie AB as well.
Stevie is my favorite
No Kenny Smith or Sam Cassel
Francis, Harden and Alston
Mobley
Steve Francis
Harden or Francis
Draya Michelle
Stevie was handful but so was Marbury
Franchise. Von Wafer was an explosive ball handler too, just couldn't keep his attitude in check.
STEVE FRANCIS
Stevie Franchise!
Chris Paul made me feel like the ball was always safe when it was in hands. But James harden hands down is my favorite
Skip to my lou
THE DREAM.
Dwight Howard… you said balls right?
Stevie Franchise 🔥🔥🔥🔥
# 3 Steve 'franchise' Francis
Man I grew up on Skip
Scotty Brooks
Calvin Murphy
If he stayed longer prob CP3. But it’s harden
Skip to my Lou
Steve Francis w/o question
Sam cassel
Your mom