The hullabaloo over whether Brittney Griner might be drafted into the NBA died down after the decorated collegian joined the women’s league.
Still six weeks out from June’s draft—more than enough time for the "Griner on the Mavericks" hype machine to putter back to life—Griner is spending her gym time getting tutored by one of the top five basketball players of all time.
Following a short discussion, (Kareem) Abdul-Jabbar had Griner play behind him in the post on the right block and gave her a few pointers about using leverage against the defender. He then started flicking up skyhooks, right-handed and left, then gave her a turn, providing running commentary the entire time. They switched to the left block for a few more skyhooks and chatted some more.
Griner didn't look particularly comfortable with the shot at first, but seemed to be getting it down by the end of the 20-minute session, particularly after Abdul-Jabbar adjusted the way she was holding the ball.
''She did start to get it, how I used it,'' he said. ''Not everybody uses the same tool in the same way, so you've got to make adjustments to that. But I think with her potential and willingness to learn, she'll do well.''
Having Kareem take some time for Griner adds credence to the idea that the 6’8 center, while short for the men’s game, could still be an all-time talent in the sport. Already an elite defender out of college, a skyhook would make Griner unguardable as the women’s post game is played beneath the rim and only a few post defenders can cover the space—latitude or longitude—Griner would generate with a skyhook. With discipline and patience, Griner could possibly skyhook over bargain bin male players. Hell, she could even score on the Knicks; its not like they pretend to play defense anyway.
Griner, like Abdul-Jabbar, will be taller than her competition. The buried lede in the story is that Abdul-Jabbar—notoriously bitter, believing his legacy as the NBA’s greatest scorer is under-appreciated—recognizes Griner’s tools enough to share his trade secrets.
The Brittney-Griner-Skyhooking-Her-Way-on-the-Mavericks-Summer-League bandwagon begins now.