2. No Fear
No one play better describes Porzingis’s no-fear attitude than his buzzer-beater against the Hornets in Charlotte.
With the Knicks trailing by two, in a game they had no business choking up, Derek Fisher designed a play to go to New York’s closer, Carmelo Anthony. It wasn’t there, as Melo got caught up and the five-second mark was nearing.
Instead of fading into “designed-play oblivion” as so many youngsters would do, Porzingis stepped up and called for the ball. The mere fact that he stepped up was wild enough, but the fact he nailed the shot sent shockwaves of amazement across the basketball landscape.
Of course, we know the shot didn’t count, but that’s hardly the point. This kid wants the ball in the most pressurized situations. He not only wants to succeed, he wants to thrive on the grandest of stages.
