Elite hooper!
Before athletes get insanely good at their sport, they probably fell in love with a plethora of other competitions growing up. Tim Duncan had swimming while he grew freakishly tall while LeBron James was an elite receiver. Patrick Mahomes was no exception. The Kansas City Chiefs' star signal caller was an elite hooper before he got drafted by the MLB and NFL. His insane acumen for controlling the basketball at a young age caught Stephen Curry's attention. The legendary guard out of the Golden State Warriors system could not help but be in awe of what he was seeing.
You did not misread that. Patrick Mahomes used to be a great basketball player back in high school. This is the first time most people are learning about it, including Stephen Curry. He was just so shocked by the footage that the belief that this was the Chiefs quarterback was not quite there at the start, via NBA on ESPN.
“I was going to give him some compliments on how fluid he was. No, it's not,” Stephen Curry said after being told that this was Patrick Mahomes.
Eventually, it dawned on him that the Chiefs' dynastic leader could hoop. Stephen Curry then went on to break down Mahomes' style of play; what he likes about it and the things that could be improved on.
“I had no idea that is Pat Mahomes right there. He looks pretty comfortable around the trees, as we call it around the paint. So, it seems like there's pocket presence and it's pretty solid. I think his creativity, like double-step moves, always finds a little lane to attack using his body. It does not seem like he's afraid of the physicality. So, pretty well-rounded but, you know, the jumper needs more,” the Warriors guard said.
Similarities between the Warriors guard and Chiefs quarterback
Playing the one spot and the signal caller position is largely the same. In the NFL and NBA, both these positions direct the offense and are usually the ones that drop bombs such that playmakers get closer to scoring the ball. When there's no one open, these two also have the same mentality. Mahomes and Curry will not hesitate to get yardage or points on their own if the opponents shut all lanes to their teammates.
This is what Curry likes about the Chiefs quarterback's way of playing the game back in high school. It might also be the reason why Mahomes is doing so well in the NFL and is slated to become one of, if not, the greatest signal caller of all time when it's all said and done.
“We always have an option. I think that's kind of the way that Pat sees the game. For me as a point guard, that's what you try to feel like. You always have an option to get the ball where you want it to go,” the Warriors legend concluded.
This just proves that Mahomes could very well have been drafted into the NBA, NFL, and MLB. Had he taken an interest in hockey or soccer, the greatest multi-sport athlete title could have gone to him.
