"I was literally going to shake my own shadow" - God Shammgod on how he developed his ball-handling skills

God Shammgod is often mentioned when discussing the greatest ball-handlers of all time. After all, the 47-year-old can claim to have a basketball dribbling move named after himself. However, before showcasing his exceptional skills, the young 'Shamm' spent countless hours perfecting his dribbling on the concrete courts.

"This one particular light used to cast my shadow perfectly on the pavement. It was so crisp. That was my defender. My nemesis. This one summer, I got so nice that I was convinced that I was literally going to shake my own shadow. I'm not exaggerating," wrote Shammgod in an article for The Players' Tribune.

A former NBA great was his P.E. teacher

The talented guard, then known as Shammgod Wells, played high school basketball at La Salle Academy alongside Metta World Peace and Karim Shabazz. One summer, the New York native even played on the same AAU team as the late Kobe Bryant. However, another person would later have a profound influence on him. As Shamm recalled, it all started with him acquiring a random VHS "mixtape of all the best NBA guards."

"In the middle of the tape, they had this section for all the O.G. point guards," he reminisced . "So I'm sitting there and all of a sudden they show this dude named Tiny Archibald. The tube socks. The short shorts. He's nice."

Suddenly, the teenager had a dawning realization - the player in question not only looked like his P.E. teacher, but it was probably the very same person.

After mustering all his courage to address his teacher about it the next day, Archibald's status as a former point guard great was officially confirmed. However, more importantly, the ex-Kings player offered his student a valuable piece of advice, stating, "If you can dribble, you'll always have a job."

Shammgod's unwavering dedication

'Shamm' took this advice very much to heart. While others occasionally enjoyed the benefits of being a young teenager, he had only one goal: perfecting his ball-handling skills.

"I probably dribbled six hours a day - no exaggeration. I'd take the ball everywhere. It was like an extension of my body. My homeboys used to walk past the park on the way to some block party, and I'd be like, 'I'll catch y'all later,'" he recalled.

It certainly proved fruitful, as the 6-footer made the 1995 McDonald's All-American Team. During his two collegiate years at Providence, he also set the Big East freshman assist record and earned a spot on the Big East All-Rookie Team. Despite being drafted by the Wizards in 1997, the former guard played in only 20 NBA games before pursuing domestic and international stints, ultimately ending his professional career in 2009.

Remarkably, Shammgod now also imparts his knowledge, just like the former four-time All-Star Archibald did back then. Since 2019, 'Shamm' has served as the Mavericks' player development coach, thus bringing his journey full circle.