It is no secret that every player in the NBA definitely belongs in the top 1% of the most athletic human beings in the world. Oftentimes, fans just forget that the star up to the last guy on the bench with a two-way contract could definitely take a crowd's breath away if they displayed their full talent. Jaxson Hayes reminded everyone exactly of that fact. More than helping the LeBron James and Anthony Davis-led Los Angeles Lakers triumph over the Toronto Raptors, he showcased the single greatest act of athleticism an NBA player can pull off.
Jaxson Hayes went full 1994 Isaiah Rider during their game against the Raptors. The Lakers big man put the ball between his legs before punching it straight to the basket. If fans don't know what this is called, it's the East Bay Funk Dunk. The move was pulled out during the 1994 NBA Slam Dunk contest and had everyone losing their minds despite having seen the same thing about 10 years earlier with Orlando Woolridge. This move is truly a timeless feat of greatness, to do it in-game makes it even more insane.
JAXSON HAYES BETWEEN THE LEGS DUNK đ±
And the Lakers bench was loving it!pic.twitter.com/E0CXJe910U
â ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 3, 2024
Apparently, this is not even the first time Jaxson Hayes did it in an organized basketball setting, per Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNet. It explains why he was not impressed by the dunk despite the Lakers' bench and crowd going bananas. He stated that his height at seven-foot and seven-foot-five wingspan mixed with his hops made the job easy.
Another concern was how hard he fell during this clash against the Raptors. He hit the ground hard but claimed that he was fine. The Lakers center attributed his durability to previously being a football player.
Hayes' dunk gets some love from the Lakers' star big man
One person who was surely pumped up because of the win and dunk was Anthony Davis. The Brow loved seeing his fellow big man get up high while doing some acrobatics with the ball, via Lakers Nation.
âIt's Jaxson Hayes. Very athletic. He showed off his athletic ability tonight. It was fun. All of us got excited for that dunk, even the coaches,â Anthony Davis declared.
This was not the only thing Hayes did for the LeBron James-led Lakers. Coach Darvin Ham allowed him to play 19 minutes and he milked every second of it. He ended up with seven points and seven rebounds. His playmaking chops were also on display as he managed to drop two assists.
Lakers trample the Raptors
Only six games remain in the Lakers' regular season campaign. They are making an effort to climb the standings and get into a better position to escape the play-in race with teams like the Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings, and Phoenix Suns also doing the same. So, this game against the Raptors was a must-win.
Everyone had their roles which meant the Lakers worked like a well-oiled machine. D'Angelo Russell went nine for 17 on his field goal attempts to lead them in scoring with 25 points. The Brow took charge of the boards and grabbed 12 of them while getting 21 points. LeBron James was the top facilitator with nine dimes and 23 points to round out the leaders.
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