It’s hard to imagine a scenario where an NBA player would have to play a game with one shoe and one hand. But if Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ever encounters such a situation, he’ll be prepared.
During Friday’s game against the Indiana Pacers, Gilgeous-Alexander went in for a layup. He made the layup but took a lot of contact, losing his shoe in the process. After briefly arguing that a foul should have been called, Gilgeous-Alexander picked up his shoe and ran down the floor to play defense.
With his shoe still in hand, a missed shot bounced Gilgeous-Alexander’s way. He turned his body around, moving the shoe from his right hand to his left in the process. Then, with his right hand, Gilgeous-Alexander secured the rebound, dribbled, then made a bounce pass to Luguentz Dort.
Eventually, play stopped, allowing Gilgeous-Alexander could put his other shoe back on.
While we’re used to seeing NBA stars make plays that require tremendous athleticism, timing and concentration, this isn’t something we see a lot of. As such, the NBA world was equal parts impressed and amused by the sequence.
https://twitter.com/HoopsComplete/status/1641961019147681797
For Gilgeous-Alexander, it’s good to know that he can do this. But for his sake, let’s hope he doesn’t have to do it again any time soon.
[NBA on ESPN] Photo Credit: Bally Sports Oklahoma