Zavier Simpson or Captain Hook?: Reinventing a Unique Basketball Shot

 

The hook shot: a shot immortalized in basketball from giants such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Tim Duncan, as well as one of the most difficult skills to master. This shot consists of a player extending one's shooting arm completely, and flicking the ball over one's head in an appropriately-named hook-like manner. Once mastered, the shot is virtually impossible to block, thus allowing a player an open look for a basket nearly whenever he or she desires. The catch: this shot has historically been used exclusively by post players, meaning players in men's basketball often approaching or exceeding 7 feet tall. It is a "big man's" shot, something that would be unthinkable for shorter players to attempt. That is, of course, until Zavier Simpson.

(Pictured: NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar shooting a "hook shot")

Zavier Simpson is a generously-listed 6'0" guard currently playing for the Oklahoma City Blue of the NBA G-League (the professional minor league of the NBA). Before his time in the pros, he was a decorated player at the University of Michigan, playing four seasons before graduating in 2020. He holds numerous accolades and awards, such as graduating as the all-time winningest player in the program, being the second-leading assist leader in program history, a 2-time All-Big 10 selection, an All-Defensive team selection, a 2-time Big 10 Conference champion, and a member of the 2018 Final Four team. Needless to say, he was, and is, quite accomplished in his career. Despite all of this success, he is most well-known for one of the most unique shots in modern basketball: his use of the aforementioned hook shot.

(Pictured: Simpson shooting a hook shot while at Michigan)

As a relatively short basketball player who has had his fair share of struggles in his career as a typical shooter (he is a below-average 3 point and free throw shooter for his size), Simpson found the need to develop a shot that would still allow him to score effectively in the college and professional game. In came the hook shot. Practically no other player his size in the domain of basketball had ever attempted such a shot, as it was reserved purely for taller players. Simpson, however, recognizing its use as a practically un-blockable shot, mastered it as part of his game, becoming an anomaly in his domain. This creative product of his allowed him to thrive as a scorer despite his minute stature and traditional shooting limitations, transforming his domain of smaller basketball players completely.

In regards to how Simpson developed such a unique shot, there are a few different creative concepts and mechanisms at play. First, Simpson used the mechanism of collection, as he modeled his shot after past larger players such as Abdul-Jabbar, while also practicing a layup drill known as the Mikan drill. By combining these two aspects, his unique hook shot was created. Furthermore, Simpson developed his hook shot through problem-finding. As a smaller player with shooting limitations and average vertical athleticism, he needed to find a way to score, and developing the hook shot was the creative solution. Finally, in Simpson's own view, his creative hook shot was partially an idea that came to exist through insight. While shooting in the gym one day, he claims he "found the shot on accident," and realized how effective it truly could be. With this, a variety of different creative mechanisms were used in Simpson's development of his shot along the creative process.

(Pictured: Simpson playing for the Oklahoma City Blue)

With the creative process of this hook shot that is so unique for a player so small in stature, Simpson has generated a significant reaction from the greater field of basketball players and commentators. Many express surprise and awe in the shot, as former teammate Jon Teske once noted: "He kind of throws that on you. You're not really expecting it." Opposing coach Mark Turgeon exclaimed after one particularly devastating game, "That kid makes four sky hooks. Are you kidding me?" while Simpson's own coach John Beilein gifted him the moniker "Captain Hook." The sheer creativity and skill involved in the shot has created an outward reaction from the field that is not typical of a player who has never played in an official NBA game. However, when you develop a shot as lethal and innovative as Simpson has, the field has no choice but to react accordingly.

Sources:

https://mgoblue.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/zavier-simpson/20388

https://gleague.nba.com/player/zavier-simpson/

https://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/wolverines/2019/01/10/michigan-basketball-zavier-simpson-hook-shot/2529060002/

https://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/2019/3/5/18250624/zavier-simpson-hook-shot-michigan-basketball-big-ten-maryland-video-stats

https://www.mlive.com/wolverines/2019/03/michigans-zavier-simpson-captain-hook-dazzles-in-win-at-maryland.html