When a NBA player realizes another player is special, it’s a rare moment #nba
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At one point, they were one of the best in their class, best players in the nation look at the Kevon looney mixtapes you would think he's Kevin Durant.
*But in the NBA, 95% of players are that kind of special* and so the extraordinary becomes ordinary. Players get used seeing 360s poster dunks, 30 footers, but every once in a while you get this.
And other times, certain players do something that just seems impossible for even NBA players. That’s what happened to Thomas and that’s way #1, be a freak of nature, but it’s also one of the hardest to prove.
Contrary to his teammates beliefs, he would start and immediately started going off. LeBron steals the pass, soars and dunks it. But even then, his teammates are calm, this bench reaction is weak . He steals the ball the next possession and as we gear up for some crazy bounce, he turns around and passes it to Ricky Davis. Instead of going to throw down another dunk, he passed it at 18 years old. And maybe that didn’t mean much, but it meant everything to his teammate.
A couple plays later, LeBron drives and glides in the air, switching shots mid air around the defender. And freeze right here, look at Davis, all excited, and gives up a strong high five.
The Pistons were the best defensive team in the NBA, at least that’s what Rip Hamilton thought, saying “"We thought we were the best defensive team in the NBA," "I can remember when we played against LeBron James his rookie year, me and Tayshaun [Prince] said to ourselves, 'When LeBron James figures it out, we're going to be in trouble.'”
It’s game 5 and the Pistons believed one guy can’t stop em, as soon as LeBron got into the paint, he was seeing 2-3 bodies, on the perimeter he was getting bumped, fighting through contact.
He was a tank, the ball in his hands every possession and it wasn’t enough, the Cavs were down by 7 with 3 minutes left. And well LeBron just decided nah. And 1, dunk after dunk, fastbreak, 3, getting fouled, he got the Cavs to overtime and kept taking hits like this and this but kept driving the hoop, fighting through contact and hitting jumpshots. The Pistons were doing everything and it didn’t matter. The game went into double overtime and LeBron just kept going. When it was all said and done, LeBron scored 25 straight points for the Cavs and the game winner.
The Pistons, the most physical team in the league, couldn’t stop the freak of nature with unlimited stamina.
The second way players can think your special is attitude. Kevin Garnett is maybe one of the craziest, most intense players in NBA history. Just look at his eyes. And that’s what makes Garnett’s moment of realizing another player being special even before he got to the league, that much more real. And I’ma let him explain.
Kobe was the exception. He had KG psyched out and that’s just unheard of.
You heard the stories of Kobe shadow practicing during games, *he was odd to everyone else but that was his norm to operate at a level none of us had.*
And just like that even Mike knew he was special beyond just the court.
*But while these reactions are of bewilderment,* there are players who never react to their opponent at all, except when someone is special and that’s the third way, step up to the challenge.
In a 2014 preseason game, Kobe is guarding Curry 94 feet, like a psycho Kobe would. It was the third possession in a row and Curry is gassed, but a 6’ 3” 190 pound Curry nudges a 6’ 6” 212 pound Kobe and pulls up right from that spot. The 30 footer goes in and Kobe starts laughing, and taps him from behind, an extremely rare sign of respect and awe for another player’s craft.
And that season, Curry would become an MVP for the first time. Game recognize game.
But it wasn’t the only time Kobe’s approval meant greatness. One year earlier, this was Kobe’s reaction to another opponent’s performance. It’s April 10, 2013, Kobe is trying to drag the Lakers into the playoffs. Coming into the game, he was averaging 27.3 points, 7.9 assists in 43 minutes a game in the last 8. You do not mess with this Kobe and against the Trail Blazers, he’s hitting shot after shot after tough shot. But the Blazers had a promising rookie Damian Lillard. And Lillard was going toe to toe with Kobe, hitting ridiculous one legged midranges, multiple threes, heck Kobe couldn’t stop him himself and was getting frustrated. It was a duel, Dame ended the game 38 points and 9 assists, but Kobe played every second of the game ending with 47 points and the win. When the game ended, Kobe went over to Dame, acknowledging just how good his performance was
And Dame would become one of the coldest players in the league, hitting some of the most iconic game winners in NBA history. So yeah he wasn’t afraid.