One of my all-time favourite quotes in basketball was by NC State alumni Charles Shackleford who was renowned for his unique ambidextrous versatility.

“Left hand, right hand, it doesn’t matter. I’m amphibious.” — Mr Shackleford

Shackleford was suspended in his sophomore-year due to poor grades.

But then how do we define an ambidextrous shooter? Is it a player like Kobe who was able to shoot either left or right handed? Is it a cross-dominant player who shoots with their off-hand like Lebron? Or is it a player who shoots with both hands, in which case Joakim Noah becomes the best in the business?

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines ambidextrous as: “using both hands with equal ease or dexterity.” Based off this definition I think it’s fair to say that, to a certain degree, all players in the NBA are ambidextrous. In competitive basketball, it is a fundamental requirement for players to be able to use both hands on the court when passing, dribbling or finishing around the rim.

In a shooter’s league where microscopic variables could mean the difference between winning and losing a game, this had me thinking. What if the next phase in basketball evolution is ambidextrous shooters? Imagine a Steph Curry who is able to pull up with either hand. He’d be more unstoppable than the introduction of UNSW trimesters.

Although there are definitely merits to being able to shoot with both hands, it may also cause a series of problems as well. Shooting mechanics may crumble, and indecisiveness in which hand to use when open for the three might result in more harm than benefit.

However, there are times when learning to shoot with your off-hand can work miracles. Lebron has a highly underrated ability to knock down shots when they count. His ex-teammate Tristan Thompson also saw a hike in his shooting percentages when he brazenly decided to switch shooting hands in the middle of his NBA career. Up until 2012, he shot a mere 55.2% from the charity stripe, though after switching hands at the beginning of the 2013 season, this improved to 69.3% (Markelle take note).

But, there are also cases where shooting with one’s off-hand has worked not so well…

Notably, shooting with the off-hand might not always have a strategic motive. Lebron openly stated; “I have no idea how I became a right-handed basketball player. I think maybe it was because of Michael Jordan, Penny Hardaway, guys that I looked up to growing up. Seeing those guys shoot righty, I guess I’ll shoot righty. I guess I thought it looked cool.”

This still leaves the question, of whether the next age of ‘unicorns’ in the NBA will have the uncanny ability to be ambidextrous in every aspect of the game. In fact, there seems to be evidence that this inconceivable phenomenon could be happening right now…