Dribbling received a big rework in NBA 2K25, and to make sure that your handles feel responsive, it’s essential to use the best dribble moves, dribble styles, and playmaking animations possible.
Becoming a skilled ball handler requires a lot of practice, but no amount of mastery is going to make up for a terrible set of animations. If your dribble moves are slow and easy for defenders to stop, they are useless and a complete waste of VC.
For guards, this can single-handedly ruin your build, as dribbling is one of your main methods of getting open and creating good looks. However, wings and even big men can benefit from using the best animations too, as tall builds can now get high playmaking stats and unlock several meta moves.
To help you avoid missing out on the fun, we’ve put together this list of the best dribble moves in NBA 2K25, which you can use alongside the best jumpshots and contact dunks to create a truly dominant build, both inside and outside the arc.
Best Dribble Moves in NBA 2K25
These are the best dribble moves to use across all builds for under 6’5″, 6’5 to 6’9″, and 6’10” and above, with the required Ball Handle stat listed in brackets for each of them:
Under 6’5″
- Signature Size-Up: Trae Young (92), Derrick Rose (87)
- Regular Breakdown Combo: Isaiah Thomas (85)
- Aggressive Breakdown Combo: Ja Morant (87), Devin Booker (80)
- Escape Moves: Steph Curry (92), Damian Lillard (90), De’Aaron Fox (89)
- Combo Moves: Ja Morant (86), Zach LaVine (80)
- Crossover: Chris Paul (80)
- Behind the Back: Trae Young (92), Darius Garland (84)
- Spin: Steve Nash (80)
- Hesitation: Darius Garland (84), Tyrese Haliburton (79)
- Stepback: Luka Doncic (84), Zach LaVine (80)
6’5″ – 6’9″
- Signature Size-Up: Cade Cunningham (75), Ben Simmons (65)
- Regular Breakdown Combo: Paul George (75)
- Aggressive Breakdown Combo: Devin Booker (80), DeMar DeRozan (75)
- Escape Moves: Kobe Bryant (88), Jimmy Butler (70)
- Combo Moves: Zach LaVine (80)
- Crossover: Lonzo Ball (80), Josh Giddey (76)
- Behind the Back: KawhI Leonard (70)
- Spin: Steve Nash (80)
- Hesitation: Kobe Bryant (88), Tyrese Haliburton (79), Larry Bird (70)
- Stepback: Luka Doncic (84), Zach LaVine (80), Jimmy Butler (70)
6’10” and above
- Signature Size-Up: Ben Simmons (65)
- Regular Breakdown Combo: Giannis Antetokounmpo (74), Pro (70)
- Aggressive Breakdown Combo: Kevin Durant (73), Pro (70)
- Escape Moves: Kevin Durant (73)
- Combo Moves: Kevin Durant (73), Pro (70)
- Crossover: Pro (70)
- Behind the Back: Normal (40)
- Spin: Kevin Durant (73)
- Hesitation: Kevin Durant (73), Larry Bird (70)
- Stepback: Giannis Antetokounmpo (74), Joel Embiid (55)
These dribble moves are chosen as they are either the fastest available, the best for chaining into other dribble moves, or the animations that create the most space, letting you create more open shots.
Those wanting to have a build that gets access to the best dribble moves possible will want to aim for 92 Ball Handle on a guard, 84 Ball Handle on a wing, and 74 Ball Handle on a big man. Without these stats, you won’t be able to buy or equip all of the listed dribble moves from the Animations Store.
Best Dribble Styles
| Dribble Style | Stat requirement | Height requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Russell Westbrook | 87 Speed With Ball | Under 6’5″ |
| Darius Garland | 85 Speed With Ball | Under 6’5″ |
| Devin Booker | 80 Speed With Ball | Under 6’10” |
| James Harden | 75 Speed With Ball | Under 6’10” |
| Zion Williamson | 60 Speed With Ball | At Least 6’5″ |
Guard builds with elite ball handling will want to use either Russell Westbrook or Darius Garland, as these are the best in the game, offering unrivalled speed. Both are exceptional choices, so we recommend tying them out in your MyCourt to see which works best for you.
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Wing builds with reasonable Speed With Ball should opt for Devin Booker or James Harden, as these can be used on taller builds and are still fairly fast. Finally, builds with low ball handling will want to use Zion Williamson, an extremely good package that can be used with a low Speed WIth Ball stat to an extent where even 7’0″ Centers can equip it.
Best Passing Styles
| Passing Style | Stat requirement |
|---|---|
| Mike Conley | 90 Pass Accuracy |
| Tyrese Haliburton | 89 Pass Accuracy |
| Magic Johnson | 83 Pass Accuracy |
| Ja Morant | 75 Pass Accuracy |
| None | N/A |
Both Mike Conley and Tyrese Haliburton are fantastic passing styles that feature fast animations, making them much harder to intercept. Guards with lower playmaking stats, Point Forwards, and Glass Cleaners should use Magic Johnson instead, a new Passing Style added in NBA 2K25 that is easily one of the best in the game.
Most other builds should settle for Ja Morant, as it features great animations despite requiring a relatively low Pass Accuracy stat to unlock. Finally, those with low passing should just stick to the default None Pass Style, which is unspectacular but servicable.
Best Motion Styles
| Motion Style | Height requirement |
|---|---|
| Mike Conley | Height Under 6’5″ |
| Alex Caruso | Height Under 6’10” |
| Bam Adebayo | Height At Least 6’5″ |
| Drew Eubanks | Height At Least 6’5″ |
| Pascal Siakam | Height At Least 6’5″ |
For most guards, Alex Caruso is the best Motion Style in NBA 2K25, as it has a very fast base movement speed on shorter builds. However, Mike Conley is another good option, with both being comparable to one another.
Wing builds should opt for either Drew Eubanks or Bam Adebayo, as these perform similarly. Both are fast Motion Styles that will help you get around the court easier. Finally, big men will want to use Pascal Siakam, which remains the meta option for big men just like it was last year.
That’s all for the best dribbling moves in NBA 2K25. For more tips on creating your next build, check out the best build for every position and our individual breakdowns for the best PGs, best SGs, best SFs, and best Cs that you should make this year.