John Calipari’s current Kentucky team may be in the dog-days of the regular season, but his former Wildcats, like John Wall, are doing big things in the NBA.
There are 22 players in the Association who played for Calipari at Kentucky, and they are flooding the league with highlights every night. John Wall, noted mastermind behind The John Wall Dance, was the first to show off his athleticism for a Calipari-led Kentucky team. If Wall was dancing for fun in college, he’s performing with ballet-precision in the league.
I mean, just look at it:
The #WallStar gets tonight's #AssistOfTheNight! pic.twitter.com/mQTVG7ljPT
— NBA (@NBA) February 14, 2017
I just teared up a little bit. It’s that beautiful.
You know what my favorite part is? It’s not even that on-the-run pass between the legs. It’s that joyous ‘I’m-Making-SportsCenter’ skip Wall breaks into as soon as Otto Porter Jr. catches the ball. Wall immediately retreats down the court in a frenzy, soaking it all in with the Wizards faithful on the sideline. Amazing.
Another thing: that bucket put Washington up by 29 over Oklahoma City. It was a standout play in a dominant performance, leading to the Wizards’ 14th victory in their last 16 games. There is a lot for Wall and the Wizards to smile about right now.
Karlito’s Way
Karl-Anthony Towns showed Kyrie Irving some love on Valentines Day.
That was sweet of him, right? I’m sure Karlito recommended gifting that block to Uncle Drew.
By now, Kentucky fans are spoiled enough to take highlights like this for granted. But consider the details here. Towns did more than show up to swat Irving on short notice. He sent the ball close enough to Ricky Rubio, who pushed it up the floor in time to set up an Andrew Wiggins transition bucket from beyond the arc.
Next: Kentucky Takes Care of Tennessee
It’s that kind of play-making that makes Towns one of the most valued young players in the league. Keep an eye on this column, and I’m sure we will be seeing much more out of Minnesota as the season continues.
Boogie Clutchins
Alright, that’s a little corny. But the Sacramento Kings said it, not me.
Boogie Clutchins! Forget what I said before. I’m in.
How could you not be? DeMarcus Cousins nearly put up a triple-double, posting 40 points, 12 rebounds, and eight assists. The Kings may be a bad franchise, and I may hope every former Kentucky player there gets traded, but right now we have Boogie Clutchins making mid-range jumpers to win games. And that’s worth celebrating.
"‘He Did What?!’ is a weekly column recapping the most wild NBA moments of the week from former Kentucky Wildcats. Don’t be shy; if you catch a Wildcat making a great play, send your tips to Jonathan Coffman at @jcoffmanky on Twitter."