Modern Moves: Giannis Antetokounmpo’s eurostep

Quite a few players in the NBA could claim the eurostep as their signature move. Manu Ginobili is often credited with bringing it into the mainstream NBA. James Harden often uses it as a way of turning a fastbreak into another trip to the foul line. Dwyane Wade has left plenty of opponents gasping for air as he found an open layup.

But in the modern NBA, the eurostep truly belongs to one player: Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Antetokounmpo has taken over the move in a short time thanks to a few unique aspects of his now famous “Gyrosteps.” The first is the way Antetokounmpo has started to punctuate the move. Early in his career, he finished his eurosteps the way most players do — with layups. After all, eurosteps are typically used in traffic and exploding up for dunks in a crowd of bodies after quickly changing directions is hard. But over the last few years, as Antetokounmpo has emerged into one of the 10 best players in the NBA, he has filled out.

Read More: There’s no stopping Giannis in transition

What that has meant in terms of his eurostep is that suddenly the eurosteps into traffic that were once layups have now become dunks. Considering his length and newly developed strength, that has made Antetokounmpo’s eurosteps almost impossible to stop.

Neither of those dunks should be that easy. Eurosteps are moves that involve players changing directions quickly and suddenly, which takes incredible balance. To then find the way to explode for a dunk is even more impressive. But the scary part is how easy Antetokounmpo makes it look. Time after time he is able to find just enough power to sky over defenders in his way and throw the hammer down.

It isn’t just the highlight reel dunks or the thing that makes it so modern that allow Antetokounmpo to claim the eurostep as his signature move. Check out this dunk on the Washington Wizards back in the 2015-16 season:

At the end of the day that dunk is worth just two points and is one most people probably saw and moved on from. But what the dunk represents is Antetokounmpo fully weaponizing his eurostep. The likelihood is a smaller player — like Wade or Ginobili — would have seen their shot contested on this play by a rim protector. While it may not have mattered, against Antetokounmpo, who easily dunks the ball, there isn’t even a contest. The play is over once the eurostep happens. And over the last few years, the dunk has been a more and more common finish to the play for him. For something as difficult as a eurostep in traffic and a dunk to become “boring” is an incredible feat for a player to accomplish. Antetokounmpo has done just that.

In reality, though, none of that is the reason the move has become synonymous with Antetokounmpo. The actual reason? Only Antetokounmpo has shown the ability to consistently execute eurosteps.

Before Antetokounmpo exploded onto the scene, the eurostep was a move mostly made on fastbreaks and close to the rim. When a defender stationed themselves in a spot where they thought they could take a charge or protect the rim, the eurostep gave the ball-handler a way to slither around and earn a layup. Eventually, the move became more and more common and players who mastered the move started using it in the halfcourt, but most usages still came around the rim.

Antetokounmpo isn’t like most players. At 6-foot-11, with limbs that extend into eternity, there are angles available to the Bucks young superstar that just don’t typically exist to the rest of the world. Take this example from a game against the Pistons way back in 2014:

(Vine via Brewhoop)

If any normal person tries to make that play they end up having to take a shot from about 10-feet away from the rim. But not Antetokounmpo. With his length, a eurostep that starts around the 3-point line ends with a (fairly) easy layup. The tough part for defenders is there doesn’t feel like a real way to avoid this move. Continue backpedaling and they give a 6-foot-11 elite finisher a free run to the rim. Which means setting up and forcing Antetokounmpo to avoid them is the best choice they have, despite it making the eurostep both possible and probable.

The scariest part is Antetokounmpo remains alone in terms of the distance he covers when using the move. Unlike one of the other ways Antetokounmpo has made the eurostep his own, it feels impossible for someone to replicate. Even with the NBA getting longer and more athletic every year, the combination of athleticism and length needed to pull off this variation of the move is just not possible for the majority of humans.

Next: The Encyclopedia of Modern Moves

Ultimately, that distance is probably where Antetokounmpo’s impact on the evolution of the game will come from. Go watch a game from any level of basketball, high school to the NBA, and it is easy to see the increase in eurosteps over the past few years. With Antetokounmpo stretching the limits of how, when and where the move can be used — and the players entering the league getting quicker, bigger and more athletic year after year — one thing seems certain: Eventually, someone will come for Antetokounmpo’s eurosteps and evolve them in the same way he did for Wade and Ginobili. And it will be one incredible thing to watch.