Great Clips: NBA players throw down NBA 2K highlights in absence of live sports

ON YOUR SCREEN — No, you did not read that wrong.

Another week has passed without any live sports.

That includes soccer, both internationally and domestically; the NCAA Tournament, which should be crowning a champion today; and the NBA, which should be approaching the stretch run for the playoffs, were it not for the COVID-19 pandemic.

It turns out that NBA players are a lot like the rest of us: isolated, bored, and playing a lot of video games.

Which is where ESPN and the NBA came up with an idea to broadcast a "Players Only" tournament on NBA 2K that would gift the winner of a 16-man bracket a cash-prize for charity. Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell was among those involved.

Here are some of the highlights from the weekend. As always, click the video above for more Great Clips of the Week.

Even Devin Booker won’t play with the Suns

You’d think if anyone would be willing to give the Phoenix Suns a chance, it would be leading scorer Devin Booker.

Not so fast, though.

Given the option of playing as his own team in the Players’ Only tournament, Booker took the high road. Or the low road. Or the whatever-your-perspective-is road.

"You should just pick the Suns; I’ll pick the Nuggets," Nuggets guard Michale Porter Jr said.

Booker stopped, thought, and then — rather quickly — replied simply with a "no."

‘Myles throws himself lobs’

Have you ever lobbed a dunk to yourself?

Myles Turner has. Or at least, Clippers forward Montrezl Harrell playing as Myles Turner has, in a 2K game against Indiana’s Domantas Sabonis.

Harrell won 73-51, for those who were waiting for the score.

Rui’s water boy

Some players are taking this Players Only 2K tournament more serious than others.

Washington’s Rui Hachimura brought his "A-game" to his first-round matchup against Utah’s Donovan Mitchell. And by "A-game," we mean, he brought a water boy and towel carrier.

It must’ve worked, though. Hachimura’s Lakers held off Mitchell’s Nets 74-71 after Spida missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer. You can read about that game here.

Or you can watch the highlights here.

Dr. Dunkenstein is … Julio Jones?

The NBA 2K Players Only tournament continues this week, but we might not pay attention now that Mitchell has been eliminated from the cash-prize for charity.

But really, few people are watching for virtual basketball. Besides being a good way to pass the time under quarantine and stay-at-home orders, a lot of people just like to listen to the stories told over comms by their favorite players.

Like this one from Boogie Cousins, who recounts the best dunk he’s ever seen — Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones.

Nowadays, Jones is known as the All-Pro receiver who was a one-time MVP maker for quarterback Matt Ryan. But in a feature story by Bleacher Report, we learned that Jones was a star basketball player at Foley High.

Play-by-play man Clark Stewart recounted the dunk against Cousins’ LeFlore High School, so we’ll have that, in case video never surfaces.

"Like, he’s coming down from the rafters," Water said. "He just grabs it and slams it home.

"Julio could fly. Literally. It was like he had wings and flew down from the rafters and put it back."

Listen to it here.

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