Kris Dunn did it with the 'Shammgod'
LAS VEGAS — If there was a signature moment on Day 1 of Las Vegas Summer League, it happened in the final seconds of the third quarter of the Denver Nuggets‘ 88-82 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Timberwolves rookie Kris Dunn, the No. 5 overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft, drove against Nuggets forward JaKarr Sampson from the right wing and crossed over twice, effectively turning Sampson’s ankles, causing him to fall backward. The fadeaway jumper caromed off the iron.
Despite the miss, the crowd at the Thomas & Mack Center erupted with oohs and aahs, hooting louder than any play in the game.
After a break in the action, the video screen replayed the crossover, and the crowd marveled all over again.
Dunn didn’t share the same appreciation when asked about the move. He was more concerned with the result.
“I missed my jumper, so it doesn’t even matter,” Dunn said.
Still, the move was impressive. So where did Dunn pick up that double-crossover?
“That’s Shammgod,” Dunn said. “Shammgod, he trained me. That’s the move of the Shammgod.”
God Shammgod, a former Providence guard and ballhandling cult hero, is an assistant coach at his (and Dunn’s) alma mater, where he formed a close bond with Dunn and helped hone his dribbling skills.
Ryan Saunders, the Timberwolves’ summer-league head coach, wasn’t impressed either, echoing a similar sentiment to Dunn.
“I liked it, but the shot didn’t go in,” Saunders said. “I like the shots to go in.”
