After Donovan’s combined 55 points in the first two games, Billy Donovan and the Oklahoma City Thunder took the bait and shifted their game-plan to shutting down the rookie shooting guard. Quin could only smile for what happened next (click spoiler):
They got Rick-rolled. Hard.
Feeling the agony, Westbrook makes his game 4 promises in his game 3 post-game interview.
Expect the Thunder to be Rick-rolled once more as Slick Rick drops 20 assists and Donovan goes for 35.
Glendale, Utah
A mile west of Jazz practice facility, Zion’s Basketball Center, lies a small, abandoned field. Five years ago, I had the opportunity to drive through the Glendale neighborhood of Salt Lake and snap this picture:
I know it’s hard to imagine, but on the other side of that second fence is a place where kids of yesteryear used to play… a Sandlot.
Donovan before basketball
Donovan Mitchell comes from a baseball family, as Donovan Sr. played in the minor leagues.
Baseball, in fact, was Donovan’s first game where he played pitcher.
Donovan liked playing with his close friends at the sandlot.
One day, a new kid with ambition showed up.
But he had some fundamental struggles early on.
But the group took him under their wing and watched him grow.
But then there were some overhyped and overrated kids from OKC who showed up.
But Ingles, master of trash talk, would have none of it.
But this overrated windbag was the least of their worries. The boys had bigger fish to fry. The Beast had been devouring every ball that left their hands.
They were initially deathly afraid of this monster.
But one night Rudy had a vision…
Karl: I’m here ‘cause you’re in some kind of a pickle, right? A ball came off a rim and you can’t get it back, right?
Rudy: Yeah, right.
Karl: Then just go into the paint and get it.
Rudy: I can’t.
Karl: Can’t what?
Rudy: There’s a beast down there.
Karl: What kind?
Rudy: A giant Kiwi-dog thing that ate a bunch of people already.
Karl: Let me tell you something, kid. Everybody gets one chance to do something great. Most people never take the chance, either ‘cause they’re to scared or they don’t recognize it when it spits on their shoes. This is your big chance, and you shouldn’t let it go by.
Rudy: You’re saying I should drive into that lane and take out The Beast?
Karl: Think about that, kid. I’ll see you later. Remember, kid, there’s heroes and there’s legends. Heroes get remembered, but legends never die. Follow your heart, kid, and you’ll never go wrong.
Rudy, determined, confronts the beast.
As Rudy takes it to The Beast, he finds his aggressiveness rewarded.
Rudy and Co. discover that the beast is not as big and bad as they had assumed, and is a friendly puppy-dog who is now content to just sit down and watch them play ball from the sidelines.
The Beast concedes all the balls that he used to take and the boys of the Sandlot celebrate.
But the boys from OKC have their own game plan.
They got Rick-rolled. Hard.
Feeling the agony, Westbrook makes his game 4 promises in his game 3 post-game interview.
Expect the Thunder to be Rick-rolled once more as Slick Rick drops 20 assists and Donovan goes for 35.
Glendale, Utah
A mile west of Jazz practice facility, Zion’s Basketball Center, lies a small, abandoned field. Five years ago, I had the opportunity to drive through the Glendale neighborhood of Salt Lake and snap this picture:
I know it’s hard to imagine, but on the other side of that second fence is a place where kids of yesteryear used to play… a Sandlot.
Donovan before basketball
Donovan Mitchell comes from a baseball family, as Donovan Sr. played in the minor leagues.
Baseball, in fact, was Donovan’s first game where he played pitcher.
Donovan liked playing with his close friends at the sandlot.
One day, a new kid with ambition showed up.
But he had some fundamental struggles early on.
But the group took him under their wing and watched him grow.
But then there were some overhyped and overrated kids from OKC who showed up.
But Ingles, master of trash talk, would have none of it.
But this overrated windbag was the least of their worries. The boys had bigger fish to fry. The Beast had been devouring every ball that left their hands.
They were initially deathly afraid of this monster.
But one night Rudy had a vision…
Karl: I’m here ‘cause you’re in some kind of a pickle, right? A ball came off a rim and you can’t get it back, right?
Rudy: Yeah, right.
Karl: Then just go into the paint and get it.
Rudy: I can’t.
Karl: Can’t what?
Rudy: There’s a beast down there.
Karl: What kind?
Rudy: A giant Kiwi-dog thing that ate a bunch of people already.
Karl: Let me tell you something, kid. Everybody gets one chance to do something great. Most people never take the chance, either ‘cause they’re to scared or they don’t recognize it when it spits on their shoes. This is your big chance, and you shouldn’t let it go by.
Rudy: You’re saying I should drive into that lane and take out The Beast?
Karl: Think about that, kid. I’ll see you later. Remember, kid, there’s heroes and there’s legends. Heroes get remembered, but legends never die. Follow your heart, kid, and you’ll never go wrong.
Rudy, determined, confronts the beast.
As Rudy takes it to The Beast, he finds his aggressiveness rewarded.
Rudy and Co. discover that the beast is not as big and bad as they had assumed, and is a friendly puppy-dog who is now content to just sit down and watch them play ball from the sidelines.
The Beast concedes all the balls that he used to take and the boys of the Sandlot celebrate.
But the boys from OKC have their own game plan.
Last edited:
