One-Armed Crossovers Don't Exist

While we are on the subject of defining basketball terms, let’s take a stab at the phrase crossover dribble.

It’s tough to pick up a newspaper, turn on the television, or go to a playground without hearing about Rajon Rondo’s supposed crossover dribble for the ages, executed against two-time MVP Steve Nash.

Was it a wicked thing of beauty?

No doubt.

Was it a crossover dribble?

Now I will admit that at times I probably come across like I know everything. But let me be the first to assure you, I don't.

I'm still not totally sure where the elbow is on a court. In fact, if it is where I’m told it is, there would be two elbows, but no one ever uses the term elbow in the plural. So maybe I don’t even know what a freakin’ elbow is.

Now having said that, I did think I knew what was meant by the term crossover dribble.

How could anyone living in the Age of Allen Iverson not have a passing familiarity with that term?

But then came last week, and I gots myselves confused.

“Did you see it? Did you see it?” a friend asked me.

“Did I see what?” I responded.

“Rondo’s crossover, man. He just about broke Nash’s legs and sent him limping to a wheel chair.”

“Well, er, um, of course I saw it,” trying my best to hide my confusion, but failing.

“Dude, you don’t seem as impressed with it as me.”

“No, no. It was great.”

Whew. Got out of that one. Ok, I looked like a bone-headed dolt. Good thing the conversation only lasted a few moments.

Then the onslaught came.

ESPN News

Sports Center

TNT

You name it, they were talking about it.

That damned crossover dribble!!

There's only one problem. It wasn’t a crossover dribble.

According to the one source I consulted, a crossover dribble is defined as follows:

A basketball maneuver in which a player dribbling the ball, typically a point guard, switches the ball rapidly from one hand to the other.

Now watch the video again. Rondo does not switch ball from one hand to the other, rapidly or not. He starts the dribble with his left hand, and he finishes the dribble with his lefthand.

No hand-switching, no crossover!

End of discussion.

There.

I got it off my chest.

Feel free to tell me I'm all wet.

Or is it all whet?