Front-flip trick shot vs. behind-the-back half-court heave: Which was better? (VIDEOS)
The next time some crusty adult tells you that the youth of today are unmotivated and lackadaisical, please feel free to point them toward this clip of high school sophomore/parkour enthusiast Maciah Thomas nailing a long-distance bomb launched in the midst of a front flip following a back-acre free run. That ought to clam 'em up, especially because said adult will only be familiar with one out of every four words in that preface.
No, seriously, though: This is ridiculous.
This seems like the kind of thing that takes some ingenuity to envision, plenty of motivation to attempt enough times to stick it, and an absolute lack of regard for one's own safety, all of which are qualities likely to be valued by most any employer, and especially one specializing in the production of viral videos. Which is good, because according to most labor experts, that now accounts for roughly 87 percent of all job opportunities.
Question: How do you put this on a college application? Like, you have to let admissions officials know that you are capable of canning front-flip jumpers, right? Seems like something most athletic departments would want to know about incoming freshmen. Could this technically be construed as an extracurricular activity, like how I once tried to claim on a job application that selling merch at rock shows in the back of VFW halls meant I was a "freelance tour manager"? Seems like it could work.
Another question: Is this even the best, most ridiculous shot you've seen today? AND BEFORE YOU ANSWER: Please join me — and my dear, dear friend Armands Šķēle, of the Estonian professional basketball team BC Kalev/Cramo — after the jump.
Yep, that just happened for real in a game played in Estonia's top professional league — and according to our friends at the Y! Eurosport blog World of Sport, it was in the fourth quarter of a playoff game.
The 28-year-old [Šķēle], who comes from neighbouring Latvia, ended up doing much more than [saving the ball] as he astonishingly managed to control the ball, before scooping it behind his back and into the basket for an amazing three point play.
It helped Kalev to secure a 92-84 victory in Game One of the two sides' best of three semi-final contest.
His team was down by six when he made that save; this put them down by three with three minutes left; they went on to win the game. If that happened in New York, we'd already be modeling the statue of Šķēle to go up in Times Square.
Personally, I prefer Šķēle's shot. Trick shots are awesome — they've certainly made a living for the guys from Dude Perfect — but to me, a meticulously planned stunt just doesn't have the same level of awe-inspiring spontaneity and randomness that an in-game marvel like Šķēle's has. Plus, it calls to mind the "play of the decade" turned in by Isaiah "J.R." Rider for the Minnesota Timberwolves all the way back in 1994:
Anything that makes me think of a J.R. Rider highlight is likely to be my favorite.
But that's just me. Which one do you think was a better hoist? Let us know in the comments, on Twitter or at the BDL Facebook page.
Hat-tips to Sweater Punch on Thomas' shot, Joshua Riddell by way of Ballin' is a Habit's Rob Dauster on Skele's shot, and Our Fearless Leader on Rider's shot.
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