Carter Bryant Was Born To Be A Hockey Player, Set The Tone By Absolutely Steamrolling Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
I'm not a basketball guy. I don't think that's any secret. I think there's a ton of potential in the sport, but the way it's played is mostly unwatchable. Winning in the NBA has turned into who can flop and foul-bait the best.
But you know what? I might just start to be coming around on the NBA if they can give me a little more of what we saw out of Carter Bryant last night. This is a straight up hockey play.
You see the best player on the other team, and you have a chance to inflict some damage. So you lower your shoulder and bury the shit out of him. That's how you set the tone. Was it dirty? Absolutely. But this is the playoffs we're talking about here. It's win or go home. Kill or be killed. And if SGA is going to be flailing around on the court all game anyway trying to draw fouls, you might as well get your money's worth.
The San Antonio Spurs might just be crazy enough to save basketball. Who would have thought it would take a 7'4" alien from France to bring some physicality back to the game.
Hard not to love that. That's the way sports are meant to be played. Toe the line always, and cross it every once in a while if you have to.