Chicago’s Cliff Alexander recreates Jumpman logo over some poor soul, is a man among boys
There's posterizing someone, and then there's reenacting Michael Jordan's "Jumpman" logo over a defender as if he weren't there. This is the latter, courtesy of Ballislife Midwest.
With Chicago (Ill.) Curie High only leading 10-8, Kansas-bound power forward (emphasis on power) Cliff Alexander decided his team needed a lift, so he provided one. This ridiculous dunk sparked a 30-6 run that included five more Alexander slams and resulted in a 53-26 win over Chicago's DuSable High, per the Chicago Sun-Times game story.
Alexander, Rivals.com's fourth-ranked senior recruit, amassed 17 points, 11 rebounds and six blocks in limited minutes, but it was his first-quarter dunk -- which Curie coach Mike Oliver told the Sun-Times was the best prep slam he's ever seen -- that changed the game.
"We just needed to get going," Alexander told the Sun-Times. "We were flat and I wanted to do something to get us started. I couldn't even tell you what I did. It was a great pass. I just went up and grabbed it and threw it down as hard as I could. I knew it was a good one, just by looking at everyone's faces after it happened."
As always, the reactions are the best -- fans just running for the exits like the building's on fire while Alexander played with his fingernails at the free throw line, seemingly feeling sorry for the DuSable player whose confidence he just destroyed.
The dunk came on the same day Sun-Times columnist Michael O'Brien posted a wonderful piece entitled, "It's time to stop and appreciate Cliff Alexander." Here's an excerpt.
Cliff Alexander’s dunks send shockwaves through the gym. The raw strength and power reverberates around the rim, the backboard, the support beams and the walls of the structure. The act is that much fun to watch, the single greatest high school basketball dunk show since Ronnie Fields was playing for Farragut.
Adjectives cannot properly describe the Curie big man’s all-around performance this season. Alexander is a true spectacle, a dominating force the likes of which the Chicago area is unlikely to see for another generation.
Imagine Eddy Curry’s size and strength with Tyson Chandler’s athletic ability. Then add an aggressiveness and raw power that neither player has ever displayed.
Not 24 hours later the 6-foot-8, 240-pound man among boys lived up to that hype. Then again, Alexander, somewhat overshadowed by the presence of No. 1 ranked senior Jahlil Okafor across town, has been doing just that all season, averaging somewhere around 25 points, 17 rebounds and six blocks in perhaps the nation's most basketball-rich city.
You can almost hear Chicago Bulls general manager Gar Forman tanking for 2016.
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is a contributor for Prep Rally on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at preprallyblog@yahoo.com or follow Prep Rally on Twitter!
