The rookies in the NBA this season are fun.
You’d be hard-pressed to find a group of young ballers who came into the league with this much personality over the past decade.
This group is confident in who they are and refuse to shy away from the big moment. Case in point, Cole Anthony gave the Grizzlies buckets last night on his way to 26 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, and the game-winning three.
Yet the best part about Anthony’s night wasn’t even the game-winner, it was the postgame interview where he let everyone and their momma know exactly why he’s built for moments like these. He even slapped veteran Kyle Anderson in the face with a handful of shade during the sound bite.
Anthony is a part of a group of rookies who are just flat-out fun to watch. They play with joy and enthusiasm and aren’t afraid to tell you exactly what they are thinking.
The number one overall pick in that class, Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards, is a walking quotable every time he steps in front of a microphone. This man “singlehandedly” got A-Rod and J-Lo back together. Just look it up.
He also believes he’s a beast at every sport. Even baseball although he knows nothing about the MLB.
Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball is must-see television every time he steps onto the court. You just have no idea what this scrawny Chino Hills kid is going to do when he gets that ball in his hand. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t even know what he’s going to when he touches the rock.
Last night this man threw a full-court underhand pass that turned out to be a dime. He just slung it to Miles Bridges for two points like it was just a regular day at the park.
The gumption to even have this come across your brain at this moment is what is so fascinating to me and what makes LaMelo such an intriguing player. Last night was his first game back since suffering a wrist injury earlier in the season and boy he let everyone he was back with that pass.
Even Kings’ guard Tyrese Haliburton was joking around on IG live with Buddy Hield last week after being locked in the bathroom.
Haliburton has been on a tear recently, averaging 18.5 points and nine assists over his last four games.
While these rookies are great interviews and have likable personalities, what truly sets them apart is how good they are on the floor. In what many thought would be a weak draft class you are seeing a lot of these first-year players stepping up to help their squads.
As their careers start to take off, let’s just hope that these hoopers continue to keep it real and fun with us both on the court and off it.