The real Shammgod: The story of Dejan Bodiroga and the famous move / News - Basketnews.com

Phoenix Suns superstar Chris Paul performed the so-called Shammgod move against Dallas Mavericks'Jalen Brunson during the NBA Playoffs.

Dejan Bodiroga

Position:SFAge:49Height:205 cmWeight:110 kgBirth place:Zrenjanin, SerbiaProfileNewsStatistics

The name Shammgod is attributed to Brooklyn's street ball legend, God Shammgod. Former streetballer, who also had a short stint in the NBA & a lengthy career overseas, popularized this move in the United States.

After the game, CP3 tweeted out about pulling the move off with the move's creator in attendance.

However, numerous NBA players from Europe disagreed. Bogdan Bogdanovic responded by joking that the real Shamgood is currently in Belgrade. Nikola Vucevic was even harsher, saying wannabees don't count, and there is only one Shammgod - Dejan Bodiroga.

Bodiroga popularized the move in Europe throughout the 90s. Originally, it was called 'El Latigo', translated from Spanish as 'The Whip'.

The actual origins of the move go even deeper as the creator of it is considered to be the Croatian legend Danko Cvjeticanin (currently a scout for the Nets).

We could draw parallels to the Eurostep move, which became known for Manu Ginobili's frequent use of it in the NBA, despite it being introduced by other players in the past, namely Sarunas Marciulionis. The same happened with the Shammgod move, as Bodiroga became the master of using the move frequently.

Perhaps that's why Europeans feel it's not fair to attribute the move to a streetballer rather than to a European legend who perfected the move and used it not only way earlier but also on a much higher level.

Dejan Bodiroga is more than just one move, though. The Serbian is considered one of the best, or arguably the best, European to play the game outside of the NBA.

Although he was drafted by the Sacramento Kings in 1995, he never stepped foot on the NBA floor. Instead, he pursued a legendary status in Europe and, similarly to Vassilis Spanoulis, inspired many current NBA Europeans.

Besides the Shammgod, 6'9 Bodiroga had an arsenal of dribble moves and incredible footwork breaking down defenders and creating space for himself and others. Like Luka Doncic, Dejan did not possess elite athleticism and rather relied on his skills rather than his physical abilities.

Pump fakes, counter moves & changing directions were all part of Bodiroga's success. Add to that an ability to shoot from inside or outside the arc, plus his extreme confidence in clutch situations, and you have yourself a rare offensive talent.

While he wasn't elite on defense due to the lack of athleticism and his thin frame, he was still a reliable defender.

His footwork and lateral quickness helped him switch out on guards while enabling him to maintain a solid defensive stance against the bigger players.

After being selected by the Kings in the 1995 NBA Draft with the 51st pick, Bodiroga declined the offer to play in Sacramento and remained in Europe, skipping the possibility of having an unclear role across the Atlantic.

Instead, Dejan Bodiroga became the face of the two iconic European clubs - FC Barcelona and Panathinaikos Athens. Only a few players can say that they have won the EuroLeague three times while being the MVP or Top Scorer in each of the finals.

It's possible that if prime Dejan Bodiroga came to the league, Chris Paul would've paid his respects to the Serbian, and the fans would know this signature move as''El Latig''.

Full story:

Thank you for reading us! We have even more content for you.