A cartoon image of a man with Hispanic descent and short, dark brown hair, performing a two-handed basketball shot while suspended in the air. His muscular arms are stretched above his head, holding the ball securely as he aims for a shot. He's outfitted in a stylish red and gold basketball jersey, with shorts that have flame motifs on the sides, and his sneakers have a subtle sparkle effect. The expression on his face is one of intense focus and passion. The Pixar-style animation should be evident through the image's lifelike textures, expressive character design, and the vibrant, saturated colors. In the background, an animated crowd is depicted in a state of excited anticipation, with a focus on the player and the hoop ahead.

Pinoy Step Basketball Move: Everything You Need to Know

By / Shooting and Finishing, Skills and Training

The Pinoy step is a popular basketball move in the Philippines.

It starts with a shot fake before a drive to the basket. If you use the Pinoy step correctly, you can confuse the defender. This gives a clear path to the rim.

Let’s talk about the Pinoy step and how you can master this silky-smooth move.

How to do the Pinoy step

Here are the steps to perform the Pinoy step:

  1. Start your move as if you’re going for a layup. In a game, first, get past your main defender.
  1. As you near the basket, take a gather step. In the NBA, after the gather step, you can take two steps. Then, you must shoot or pass.
  1. Before going for the layup, do a pump fake. The pump fake aims to make the defender jump or mess up their timing.
  1. After the pump fake, go on and make a layup. You could also dunk the ball if you have excellent vertical jumping ability.

The key to doing the Pinoy step correctly is to do the pump fake after the gather step.

In basketball, players use the “gather step” as they start to shoot or lay up the ball after a dribble. In the NBA, after the gather step, you can take two steps.

Then, you must shoot or pass.

The gather step doesn’t count in the two-step rule. This is why you sometimes see NBA players seem to take three steps. But it’s allowed since the first step is the gather.

Who should use the Pinoy step?

In basketball, guards and forwards, often referred to as smaller players, can use the Pinoy step to drive from the perimeter to the basket.

The Pinoy step works well when there’s a clear path to the basket and you’re driving with speed.

This is why it’s not the best move to use if you’re a big man (power forward or center) playing in the paint area. Inside the paint, there’s limited space to execute the Pinoy step.

When should you use the Pinoy step?

After getting by your main defender, use the Pinoy step. Use the move on the next defender, usually the shot blocker, to disrupt their timing.

When combined with the layup, the Pinoy step becomes another variation of a layup in basketball.

Why is the basketball move called the Pinoy step?

“Pinoy” is another word for “Filipino.”

The basketball move is called the Pinoy step because many Filipino players popularized the move in social media and video highlights.

Filipino rising star, Ricci Rivero, is one of the best at using the Pinoy Step. Ricci, the 2023 PBA 17th overall draft pick, started using the move in college and even showcased it internationally.

The Pinoy step has a similar story to the “Euro step” and the “Yugo step” because fans named the move in honor of European players with great skills and footwork.

Who invented the Pinoy step?

No one knows for sure who invented the Pinoy step. However, Kiefer Ravena and Jericho Cruz are often credited for it. Both are Filipino basketball players. 

I found a tweet that shows Kiefer Ravena using the Pinoy Step. The video in the tweet is from 2010 when he played for the Ateneo Blue Eaglets in high school.

NBA players might have learned the Pinoy step from others, not just Ravena or Cruz. However, evidence suggests that Filipinos mastered the move well before it gained popularity in the West.

Often, terms are named after those who made them famous, not the inventors.

Many NBA players use the Pinoy step

NBA All-Star Zach Lavine is known for using the Pinoy step.

After his knee surgery in the 2022 offseason, he began using this move early in 2023. Zach Lavine needed new ways to drive to the basket effectively due to reduced athleticism.

“It started at the beginning of the year when I didn’t have my athleticism, I had to find a way to finish around the rim against big guys. So throwing fake passes, ball fakes, and messing the defender’s timing up essentially.”

– Zach Lavine

The move is gaining popularity in the NBA, especially with Indiana Pacers All-Star Tyrese Haliburton using it. On JJ Redick’s podcast, Haliburton gave LaVine credit for the move.

“Zach LaVine, he does it all the time. He doesn’t even do it for lobs. He does it to throw off your timing so he can get fouled and get to the free-throw line.”

– Tyrese Haliburton

I’ve noticed NBA players like James Harden, Ben McLemore, Mac McClung, and Rajon Rondo using the Pinoy step. Don’t be surprised to see the move used more often in the NBA.

What is the difference between the Pinoy step and the Euro step?

Both the Euro step and the Pinoy step aim to trick defenders and score. The Euro step uses side-to-side moves, while the Pinoy step uses a shot fake to disrupt the defender.

In the Euro step, a player takes one step in a direction and then a quick second step the opposite way as they drive to the basket.

This move is designed to misdirect the defender and create a clear path to the basket.

The name “Euro step” comes from its popular use by European NBA players.

The Pinoy step starts with a shot fake during a drive to the basket. Players then take one of their two legal steps before jumping for a layup or dunk.

“Pinoy” is a casual word for “Filipino,” linking the move to its roots in the Philippines. The move is believed to have been popularized or originated in Filipino streetball.

Scroll to Top