Did Fidel Castro invent the Euro Step? How former Cuban revolutionary went viral for basketball prowess on TikTok

By | March 1, 2024
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History finally absolved Fidel Castro.

The late Cuban revolutionary was a bulwark against capitalism and Western imperialism, not just in Cuba but across the global South. He has become an icon for his dedication to working-class struggles throughout the 20th century. For some, that makes him a hero. For others, he’s a despot, because he had the audacity to break apart the American monopolies (and all their affiliates) that ruled over his home country during Fulgencio Batista’s U.S.-backed regime.

Castro was a lot of things over the course of his political career. And yet, according to various social media users, the leftist legend captivated the masses not with his slick tongue or command of the Communist ideology.

Rather, he owed his popularity and legacy to one thing and one thing only: his sultry basketball moves.

Castro has been making the rounds on social media as of late, with a great many crediting the invention of the Eurostep — one of basketball’s more unstoppable soirees.

Did one of history’s greatest ideologues shape the tone and tenor of one of the world’s popular games? The Sporting News has answers.

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Did Fidel Castro invent the Euro Step?

Castro’s penchant for revolution knows no bounds. He was a student of history, taking inspiration from Jose Marti, Mao Zedong, Vladimir Lenin and countless others that preceded him.

Apparently, he was also a hoop fanatic, too. There are countless examples of Fidel Castro gracing the hardwood with his presence, many of which occurred during his pomp as Cuba’s political leader.

Some have even argued that Castro got into an ideological tussle with longtime ally and advocate Che Guevara on account of his basketball skills. At least, that’s the narrative that exists across social media appears to be — spurred on by a viral clip showing a purported Guevara diary entry referring to Castro’s newly-minted two-step.

“In his frequent basketball matches, Fidel has started using a new move he simply calls ‘The Step.’ It is undeniably effective, yet is its goodness equally undeniable? As revolutionaries we must not merely pay attention to ends, but to means. I worry that this flash and pomp is not befitting of the revolutionary leader. It serves to separate him too much from those caught in the chains of a maudlin life, marred by oppression and economic strife. Yes, it leads to a basket, but at what cost to the communal spirit?”

Castro’s purported invention of the maneuver, coupled with Guevara’s disillusionment, took the internet by storm. 

So, did Castro invent the Euro Step?

Of course not.

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The article that claimed Castro and Guevara saw differently ideologically based on the move was a satirical piece penned on Medium by Micah Wimmer. He appeared tickled by the concept that the masses could be duped so easily into believing someone of Castro’s disposition would claim such a loaded term as the “Euro Step.”

Castro never invented the Euro Step.

It was a product of Wimmer’s imagination, one that has since become foundational to building Castro’s legacy among leftists — along with his daring assassination attempt escapes, his dogged combativeness against colonialism and Western imperialism and the example he and Cuba set for Global South countries across the world.

History has absolved Fidel Castro. But it has nothing to do with his perceived basketball proclivities. Rather, it’s centered around his impact on the political, economic and social conditions in Cuba and abroad that continue to make waves. Whether he started the Euro Step or not, that impact is never going to die.

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