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1
George Mikan
Born
The first dominant big man gave his name to a drill: the Mikan drill, alternating left- and right-handed hook shots under the basket, is still taught to young post players. Mikan's Minneapolis Lakers won five titles in six years from 1949, and the league widened the lane partly to limit him. Watch him for the basics: a balanced drop step and the ability to finish with either hand.
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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Born
The skyhook is the most reliable post move in history, and it depended on footwork: Kareem would catch, turn his shoulder to the defender, step away with the inside foot and release at full extension where no one could reach. It helped him become the NBA's all-time scorer for nearly 39 years. Study how little space he needed: one step and a raised arm.
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Adrian Dantley
At 6ft 5in, Dantley was usually shorter than the man guarding him, yet he scored heavily from the post for Utah in the 1980s with pump fakes, ball fakes and jab steps that drew fouls. He led the league in free throws made several times. He is the best example on this list of footwork and patience beating size outright, so he is ideal viewing for smaller forwards.
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Kevin McHale (basketball)
Opponents called McHale's low post the torture chamber. With long arms and an array of up-and-unders, step-throughs and fakes, he could score from either block for the 1980s Celtics. His step-through after a shot fake is the move to study: he would pivot past a defender who had left his feet and finish with a short layup.
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Hakeem Olajuwon
The Dream Shake is the gold standard: Olajuwon, who played football as a youth in Nigeria, combined spins, shoulder fakes and up-and-unders so fluidly that defenders guessed wrong repeatedly. He won back-to-back titles with Houston in 1994 and 1995, outplaying David Robinson and Patrick Ewing. Later stars from Kobe Bryant to LeBron James went to him for private footwork lessons.
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Shaquille O'Neal
Born
Shaq is usually filed under power, but his drop step was quick and precise for a man of his size: one hard dribble, a spin baseline and a dunk before the help arrived. He won four titles and three Finals MVPs. Study his first step from the block and you see that even the most physical post player of his era relied on timing and footwork to get there.
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Tim Duncan
Born
The Big Fundamental's bank shot from the left block, set up by a jab step and a quick turn, is the most studied move of the 2000s. Duncan won five titles with San Antonio and rarely wasted a step: he used the glass as a teammate and countered with a hook to the middle when defenders overplayed. He is the textbook for economical footwork.
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Pau Gasol
Born
Gasol brought European finesse to the Lakers' back-to-back titles of 2009 and 2010: left-handed hooks, up-and-unders and patient pivots, plus passing from the post that kept defences honest. He was not physically overpowering, which makes his footwork more instructive. His duels with Dwight Howard and Kevin Garnett show skill beating strength.
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Zach Randolph
Born
Z-Bo rarely jumped high, yet he scored and rebounded for Memphis's Grit and Grind teams with pump fakes, shoulder bumps to create a sliver of space, and a soft left-handed touch. His 2011 playoff run, when eighth-seed Memphis beat top-seeded San Antonio, is a lesson in below-the-rim post craft. He is especially useful viewing for less athletic bigs.
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Lisa Leslie
Born
Leslie's face-up game from the post set the early WNBA standard: catch on the block, turn to face, jab and either rise for a jumper or drive past a defender who had closed out. Her balance on the turnaround was exceptional, and she won three MVPs with Los Angeles. Watch her for how a tall centre can use footwork to play facing the basket rather than only with her back to it.
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Al Jefferson
Big Al was one of the last pure back-to-the-basket scorers before the three-point boom, and his 2013-14 season in Charlotte earned an All-NBA place. His collection of shoulder fakes, up-and-unders and a soft right-handed hook against single coverage was old-school and very hard to stop. Watch him as a library of counters: he always had a second move ready when the first was taken away.
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Sylvia Fowles
Born
Fowles was strong, but what made her a two-time Finals MVP with Minnesota was positioning: sealing her defender early with her lower body, catching deep and finishing before the help came. Her drop step and quick spin off a seal are clean, repeatable moves. She retired as the WNBA's career rebounding leader, which also comes from footwork, getting position before the ball arrives.
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Dirk Nowitzki
Born
Nowitzki's one-legged fadeaway from the post is now copied by Kevin Durant, LeBron James and many others. The footwork is the key: he would back down, pivot on his inside foot, kick the other leg out for balance and release high over the defender. It made a 7-footer's shot almost unblockable, and it was the signature of his 2011 title run.
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Joel Embiid
Born
Embiid learned the game late in Cameroon and modelled his post moves on Hakeem Olajuwon's videos; you can see the Dream Shake in his spins and fakes. The 2023 MVP combines that footwork with face-up jumpers and drawing fouls. Injuries have limited his availability, a real caveat, but his best seasons are a modern update of classic post craft.
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Brittney Griner
Born
Griner is 6ft 9in, but the reason to study her is the turnaround over either shoulder that she developed with Phoenix, plus a hook she can release before defenders get set. She won the 2014 title and two scoring titles. Her career also includes her detention in Russia in 2022, which made her a public figure well beyond the sport.
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Nikola Jokić
Born
Jokić is famous for passing, but his post footwork is just as clever: a slow, deliberate pivot that keeps defenders guessing, then a one-legged Sombor Shuffle fadeaway or a short hook. He is not fast or explosive, which makes him the best modern example of space created entirely through balance, angles and timing. Pause on his shoulder fakes before the fadeaway.
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A'ja Wilson
Born
A'ja Wilson's footwork is the engine of her record five WNBA MVP awards: a quick spin baseline, a face-up jab into a pull-up and a soft turnaround from the elbow. She uses her pivot foot to create a half-step of separation without needing to overpower anyone. Las Vegas's title runs are full of examples of how she reads a double team before it arrives.
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Alperen Şengün
Born
The Turkish centre has drawn comparisons to Hakeem Olajuwon for his spins, up-and-unders and no-look passes out of the post with Houston, where he became an All-Star. He is not a great leaper, so his scoring relies on pump fakes and pivots. Şengün is the young big to watch for how classic post footwork fits into a modern, fast offence.
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