Celebrating the sultans of celebration

There wasn't much to celebrate in the world of Princeton basketball this season, so in order to satiate your desire for hardwood self-congratulation, we relive the 15 greatest celebratory gestures in the history of the National Basketball Association.

15. Vince Carter's engine rev — For the player who turns his game on and off more frequently than anyone else in the league, this is the perfect signature move. When Carter lifts both hands above his head and flicks his wrists like he's squeezing the handlebars of his motorcycle, New Jersey Nets fans know they are in for 10 to 15 minutes of truly awe-inspiring basketball, during which Carter will perform like one of the five best players in the NBA.

Unfortunately for the Nets, there is no corresponding gesture for when Carter decides to turn his engine off — no fair warning before "Bad Vince" produces an endless procession of airmailed fade-away 27-footers and flailing reverse layups that end up lodged beneath the shot clock. Maybe Jason Kidd could just pantomime slitting his wrists, or the entire team could act out a car wreck.

14. Michael Jordan's frozen fist pump — The Coca-Cola Classic of this list, only His Airness could ever really pull this one off (despite the frequent attempts of Kobe Bryant and others to make it their own). After hitting a game-winner, Mike only had to go through half a pump, then hold the pose — right arm extended, fist clenched, gaze locked on some imagined adversary — to give everyone pause to reflect on who really owned the court. Frozen in his triumph, it was as if MJ's career was one perpetual fist pump.

13. LeBron James' "Roc Sign"/"Diamond Cutter" — This one is a perfect example of how complex the world of NBA celebratory gestures has become since Jordan's retirement. When LeBron throws his thumbs and pointer fingers together to form the outline of a diamond in the space between his two hands, few fans are aware of the history behind the sign.

Back in December 2005, James' gesture actually led former WWE wrestler Diamond Dallas Page to file a lawsuit against the hip-hop mogul Jay-Z. While sitting courtside at a game, Page noticed James tossing up his trademark "Diamond Cutter," which Page claims to have been using on the wrestling mat since 1996. James, however, wasn't drawing inspiration from Page, but rather from his close friend, Jay-Z. The rapper had turned the "Roc Sign" into a trademark for his Roc-A-Fella Records label, featuring it on the cover of his 2000 album, "The Dynasty." The Roc Sign and the Diamond Cutter are indeed virtually identical — the only difference being that the Diamond Cutter tends to be held higher above the head — so it's really a surprise that Page didn't take Hovi Baby to court earlier.

Meanwhile, LeBron wasn't even the first player to bring the sign to the NBA. Future hall-of-famer Karl Malone was known to bust out the Diamond Cutter back in the late 1990s, but that was actually because he was a dedicated follower of Page and professional wrestling.

12. Shaquille O'Neal's giant walk — Back in the day, Shaq used to regularly shatter backboards with his monster dunks. Once you've left the court strewn with shards of glass, no further celebration is really required to assert your supremacy. But since the introduction of polycarbonate technology, backboards have become indestructible, and the Diesel has had to add a few moves to his repertoire. One of the best is the trek he takes back to the defensive end of the floor after flushing home a big one. With a wide-eyed look on his face, Shaq stomps back down the court in plodding, bowlegged fashion, often unleashing a long "WOOOOO!" as if he is both exhilarated and frightened by the violence of his own throw-down.

11. Mark Jackson's cross — Jackson's most significant contribution to this list is yet to come, but his simplest celebratory gesture may be among the most replicated of all time. Famous for helping to bring New York City streetball to the professional ranks, the former point guard's innovations didn't end with look-away, behind-the-back bounce passes. Jackson was always introducing new ways of celebrating his own brilliance — which showed up on national TV cameras and then made their way back to the city courts.

While a member of the Indiana Pacers, Jackson influenced a whole generation of NBA posturers by breaking out what he later dubbed "the cross" during Game 5 of the 2000 Eastern Conference Finals against his hometown Knicks. After every big basket or assist during that game, Jackson formed an "X" with his two forearms in front of his chest or above his head. When asked about the gesture by the Associated Press after the game, Jackson came through with a surprise.

"Rather than the helicopter or a jiggle or anything else," Jackson said, referring to trademark moves of his early career, "I thought of glorifying God."

Thus "the cross" was born, and the NBA had its equivalent to the gold cross earrings favored by Major League Baseball players of that era. Jackson's gesture spread to pickup games across the country, where very few — if any — knew they were getting religious by busting out that "X" in front of their chests.