How Warriors' Andrew Wiggins perfects art of signature spin move

How Warriors' Andrew Wiggins perfects art of signature spin move originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – Andrew Wiggins didn’t have a blueprint. He didn’t need to study the all-time greats. Whether it was dominating in Canada and earning his “Maple Jordan” nickname, coming to the States for one year of high school basketball, his lone college season at Kansas or the past nine seasons in the NBA, Wiggins’ signature move came to him as simply as dribbling and shooting.

The spin move always has been there for the Warriors star forward, and it always will be.

"I think it was kind of natural,” Wiggins said to NBC Sports Bay Area. “I don't remember when I started doing it, to be honest. It worked one time and I just stayed with it. And it just became like second nature to me, like a reaction kind of."

And in a variety of ways, too.

In high school, a Wiggins spin move meant someone was getting dunked on and could find themselves on one of his many highlight reels. Now, Wiggins can spin into a slam, a finish around the rim or into a jump shot. He even has brought back Penny Hardaway’s signature half-spin step-back into a jumper.

Steve Kerr played with a handful of Hall of Famers throughout his 15-year playing career and has coached a number of them already on the Warriors. Michael Jordan’s style was a combination of signature moves in his own right. There was him flying through the air with his tongue out, his double-pump dunks and rocking the cradle on a fastbreak. Even his jump shot was a silhouette that still can be imagined and imitated by so many.

Tim Duncan kissed it off the glass better than anyone, and Manu Ginobili was Eurostepping through the lane as a rookie in Kerr’s final season on the San Antonio Spurs. Steph Curry and Klay Thompson each have iconic 3-point shots in such different ways. Kevin Durant’s pull-up comes to mind, and so does Shaun Livingston’s turnaround jumper – backing down smaller opponents as a 6-foot-7 point guard.

Kerr when asked, couldn't remember a spin move like the one Wiggins unleashes, especially in his time coaching the Warriors.

"It's definitely a little different, but that's what you get with Wiggs,” Kerr said last season during the playoffs. “With his attack, he's so quick getting by people and then that's one of his counters. When someone beats him to the spot, he'll just spin back and he's got a floater or turnaround jumper."

Warriors center Kevon Looney and Wiggins are nearly exactly one year apart. Wiggins was born in late February of 1995 and Looney was born one year later in early February of 1996. Each spent one year in college, with Wiggins being the top pick in the 2014 draft and Looney going to the Warriors with the final pick in the first round of the 2015 draft.

Looney is entering his ninth season as a Warrior and admits he hasn’t had a teammate take the spin move to the type of level Wiggins can and does. Instead, Looney has marveled at it long before they became teammates.

"No,” Looney said in the 2023 playoffs. “He's probably the one that does the spin move the most. He's been doing it since high school. I've been watching him do it for a long time and it's always been tough to stop. He's such a strong driver, somebody's got to cut him off and he's so athletic and can just jump to the rim.”

Wiggins’ spin move, along with the rest of his game last season, took a bit of a backseat. Between injuries and a family matter, Wiggins was held to only 37 regular-season games, missing 45, which easily was the most of the durable All-Star forward’s career. But when he returned for the playoffs, so did his spin move.

To keep the Warriors’ season alive, Wiggins scored 25 points, his most since his return to the Warriors, and was 10 of 18 from the field in a 15-point Game 5 win against the Lakers in the second round of the playoffs. He utilized his spin move early, showcasing the aggressive mindset he brought into the game.

Wiggins used his spin move three times in the win, and was successful once. But when he’s playing downhill, Kerr knows the process is as important as the results.

“Andrew is at his best when he's aggressive and attacking the rim, and that spin move is one of his favorites,” Kerr said prior to Game 6 in LA. “He had the three-point play in the first half when he spun, drew the foul and put in a bank shot.”

Wiggins recently broke down to NBC Sports Bay Area all three of his spin moves from that Game 5 win. Below is a thread of all three, followed by Wiggins’ assessment.

First Spin: Guarded by Anthony Davis, Wiggins uses a screen from Curry, takes advantage of a smaller defender, spins when help gets overly aggressive and hits a floater over LeBron James while being fouled. He tied the game with a free throw.

Wiggins: “I kind of peep the other side and see it’s a smaller defender. So I know once I do my spin move, as long as I elevate I’ll be fine.”

Second Spin: Wiggins caught a pass in the air from Thompson, drove by Rui Hachimura and spun off him as Wiggins was cut off but missed a fadeaway jumper with Anthony Davis helping under the rim.

Wiggins: “It’s kind of a faster-paced spin. And then just being able to locate the basket after and seeing AD is right there. He’s a shot-blocker, a really good defender. I’m like, ‘OK, I might as well try to fade a little bit and get my shot up.’ It was a good move, but it just didn’t go down.”

Third Spin: Guarded by Austin Reaves, Wiggins uses a spin move off more dribbling. He spins to his left and is slightly too strong on his floater.

Wiggins: “I made a good move, I tried to attack the middle and they cut me off. That’s just a reaction to spin and I know I have a smaller defender. As long as I elevate, I’ll be all right most of the time.”

Without putting himself on a pedestal above others, Wiggins said there are many great spin moves around the NBA and loves watching his teammate, Jonathan Kuminga, use his athleticism with the move as well. Wiggins doesn’t remember Kuminga asking too often about the move, but there is one teammate who loves to bring it up: Looney.

“I'm always joking with him about his spin move,” Looney said. “I always tell him, early in the season when you're playing one-on-one and stuff, I told him that he can't do it on me, but it's definitely hard to stop.”

Looney is perfectly fine not having to be one of Wiggins’ victims and have him on his side. Wiggins knows what a great defender Looney is, but for how soft-spoken he is, stopping his spin move is going to take more than a few playful words.

"Oh, I don't think I have yet,” Wiggins said when asked about using his spin move on Looney. “But it's a long year, so we'll see."

So, what would happen?

"I mean, Loon's a good defender, but in my spin move, I believe in it, you feel me,” Wiggins said with a smile that held an extra dose of vigor behind his answer.

Before the Phoenix Suns possibly feel the wrath of a Wiggins spin move one week from now in the regular-season opener, some friendly vengeance might have to be taken care of inside Chase Center on the Warriors’ practice court.

Good luck, Loon.

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