Apr
04
Chris Johnson Goes Dr. J On Mavericks
By ShalamarClark Posted in: Blazers, Mavericks
I remember when I was a young boy, about eight or nine years old during the mid 90s, I would always ask my mom if I could spend the night at my God brother’s house just to play basketball in his driveway.
It seemed like on every occasion, our basketball game always turned into a makeshift dunk contest. We would ask our parents to sit in as fans, while we set up an old, worn down milk crate to help boost our wanna be Jordan hops.
For every jam that went through, I would react like Mike. Maybe a little shoulder shrug or an in-your-face muscle flex or even a quick circle around the driveway to pump up the crowd.
It was my imitation.
Chris Johnson also had his.
Well all knew that Johnson was a talented shot blocker. And offensively, he could even throw down a jaw-dropping dunk when the opportunity presented itself.
But after Sunday’s demolishing of the Dallas Mavericks, 104-96, I received a text message as I walked out to the Rose Garden about another Johnson feat:
“Did you see that CJ trick shot?!”
To my friend’s question, I did. But for those of you who have no clue, this is what he’s talking about:
Yes, an incredible behind-the-backboard reverse layup that, in ways, resembled one of the greatest plays ever etched in NBA history by the Philadelphia 76ers legend Julius “Dr. J” Erving.
So maybe it didn't pack the same amount of flash and pizazz as Dr. J’s one-hand scoop, but it still was an impressive showcase of athleticism by the young center.
Even Mike Barrett was amazed how the 6-foot-11, 210-pound Johnson was able to bank in the reverse high off the glass with his head almost striking the left corner of the backboard. And he made it look easy.
I guess those things do come easy to a guy with a 7’ 2” wingspan that stretches taller than the average 5-foot-9 American. So those “long gangly arms,” as Barrett described, have become tremendous assets when it comes to attacking the rim, pulling down rebounds and towering a hand over a shooter for a block.
So you be the judge, who had the better reverse layup from behind the backboard? Was it Dr. J or Chris Johnson?