Myles Turner: Blocking LeBron Was “A Huge Turning Point In My Career”
By Ben Gibson
Myles Turner told The Source that blocking LeBron James was “A huge turning point in my career.”
February 1st, 2016 is a day Myles Turner remembers well.
You may not remember the date, but you certainly remember the moment.
LeBron James saw just enough daylight between him and the rim for what would normally be an easy dunk.
Then, Smother Chicken happened.
The 19 year-old rookie blocked the best player in the NBA in the 4th quarter of a closely contested game.
It is easy to overemphasize moments like that for a player but at the same time — especially for a rookie — they allow them to build confidence.
Turner told The Source recently just how big of a moment that was for him.
"“It was a huge turning point in my career,” Turner says now of the block. “I actually closed my eyes and if you look at the video, you see my eyes were closed. I knew I was gonna be on SportsCenter one way or the other. I didn’t realize the effect it had on me until it blew up on social media. Looking at it, it was really a defining moment.”"
The game was also a defining moment in several other ways for Turner. It was his first double-double, but also a night where he made an obvious rookie mistake that played a part in the loss.
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But in all those respects, Turner has learned from them, built on them, and turned that highlight-worthy moment into a turning point in his career.
That play didn’t magically make Turner a better player, but at the same time, it showed he had the tools necessary to compete in the NBA. Since then he’s only proved that point further by making the All-Rookie Team and getting invited to the USA Select Team.
So what’s next for Turner? Let’s go back to that Source interview.
"“My expectations are high,” the former No. 11 overall pick says. “I had a decent season last year. I wanna build upon it and go into a leadership role. There’s a lot of vets on this team and I’m an aspiring vet myself. I’ll take advice from these guys. I wanna work on my leadership.”"
He may only be a second-year player, but Turner is acting and talking like a player that can be a star in the NBA.
Next: 3 Burning Questions for the Indiana Pacers: Bench Edition
Is he that good? We’ll just have to wait and see.