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“Take It Personally”: As Kevin Durant and Devin Booker Lead Suns’ Triumph, NFL Legend Slams 7ft Star for “Unacceptable” Contribution

Published 04/19/2023, 3:21 PM EDT

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The Phoenix Suns registered a win over the Los Angeles Clippers yesterday in game 2 of the playoffs. After losing game 1, the Suns bounced back with a 14-point victory against the LA side. With this win, the Desert franchise leveled the series. Despite a good all-around performance, an NFL legend slammed a 7 feet Phoenix Suns center for a specific reason.

Suns shooting guard Devin Booker was the main architect of the win, dropping 38 points with nine assists. Other than Booker, 2x NBA champion Kevin Durant added another good performance to his tally. The ‘Slim Reaper’ scored 25 points with six rebounds and five assists. Meanwhile, Suns center Deandre Ayton had to face the heat from a 3x Super Bowl champion for not fulfilling his role in the team.

NFL legend goes off on 7ft tall Deandre Ayton

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Shannon Sharpe is a well-respected NFL star turned sports analyst, with a deep passion for basketball. Sharpe went off against Suns’ 7 feet tall Deandre Ayton for his terrible rebounding in Game 1 of the series.

USA Today via Reuters

It could be a coincidence but after Sharpe’s harsh comments against him, Ayton’s rebounding improved in the subsequent game. He had finished the first game with 18 points and eight rebounds. Despite being 7 ft tall, he had fewer rebounds than Chris Paul and KD. In game 2, he secured 13 rebounds.

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His poor performance in game 1 prompted harsh comments from Sharpe as he went off on Ayton’s unacceptable contribution to the team. The Football Hall of Famer discussed the Suns and Ayton on his FS1 show UNDISPUTED. Sharpe said, addressing Ayton securing fewer rebounds than Chris Paul, “Bro c’mon, you’re 7 foot tall.”

He added, “If you play like you’re playing, you could be 6’3, but you’re 7 foot…You can’t let KD have more rebounds than you, Chris Paul have more rebounds than you.”

Sharpe’s opinion was strictly based on Ayton not contributing to the team the way he should. He continued, Damn bro, you’re the tallest man in the building…That’s unacceptable. Take it personally.”

Sharpe said that four or five people having more rebounds than the 7ft tall Ayton is “unacceptable”.

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37 Year Old Chris Paul Finally Overcomes 9 Year Curse as Devin Booker and Kevin Durant Lead Suns to Triumph

Shannon Sharpe’s advice for Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns moving forward in the playoffs

The NFL legend had some advice to give to the Suns after their game 1 scare. Apart from firing on Ayton and advising him to be more dominant, Sharpe let out a few words of advice for Durant, Booker, and even the Suns’ head coach. He said that Durant has to be more aggressive in his approach to the game.

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As per Sharpe, it is Monty Williams’ responsibility to make KD more aggressive by putting him in such positions. Sharpe also warned that Booker is going to be booked, and he should stop begging for fouls so much and focus more on the game.

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Written by:

Prateek Singh

918Articles

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Prateek Singh is an NBA writer for EssentiallySports, known for his insightful coverage of the league. With a deep passion for basketball fueled by the late Kobe Bryant's championship runs, Prateek has built his writing career on astute analysis and a firm understanding of the game. His transparent reporting and dedication to providing quality content have earned him credibility and respect among readers and industry professionals alike.
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Edited by:

Satagni Sikder