A hook shot, in basketball, is a play in which the offensive player, usually turned perpendicular to the basket, gently throws the ball with a sweeping motion of his arm in an upward arc with a follow-through which ends over his head. Unlike the jump shot, it is shot with only one hand; the other arm is often used to create space between the shooter and the defensive player. The shot is quite difficult to block, but few players have mastered the shot more than a few feet from the basket.
Sky hook
The hook shot became a trademark of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the National Basketball Association's all-time leading scorer. It was called a sky hook, because the ball was so high when the 7-foot, 2-inch center released it. Blocking his sky hook was a rare feat, accomplished by few players.
Magic Johnson used a similar shooting technique during the 1987 NBA championship, which he called the "junior sky hook" in deference to his teammate.
Jump Hook
Currently, due to the increasingly physical nature of low post basketball, the jump hook is a more popular hook shot (particularly by Shaquille O'Neal). The player jumps off using two feet instead of taking steps before jumping off using one foot. The jump hook provides for better balance as well as quicker release, although the shot will not be released from as high in the air.
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