Long before Patrick Mahomes ascended to superstardom as an NFL quarterback, he envisioned a future dominating a different hardwood – the basketball court. The three-sport high school star recently revealed on the “First Things First” podcast that hoop dreams occupied his mind early on.
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When asked to compare his game to a current NBA player, Mahomes went straight to Luka Doncic as the closest mirror, as he talked to ‘First Things First’ podcast,
“I’m not as skilled as he is offensively and all the stuff he can do,” Mahomes prefaced. “But as far as being able to pass the ball, score, kind of using my size – that’s how I was in high school.“
Mahomes’ basketball career stalled as his quarterback talent blossomed at Texas Tech. However, he still firmly believes an NBA path could have materialized had he stayed committed to the hardwood.
“If I tried to continue to play basketball when I was young, this is my sophomore year,” Mahomes stated matter-of-factly. However, for the journey he is on now, the Chiefs superstar doesn’t “think I can play in the NBA.”
The 6’3″ Mahomes saw himself following a similar mold as the Mavericks’ superstar point-forward – a heady playmaker with the size to bully defenders. Though he admits Carmelo Anthony served as his childhood basketball idol, as he tried to emulate the mid-range scoring wizardry that Carmelo had during his high school days.
While Patrick Mahomes’ hoops dream fizzled, his fandom for the game burns bright – especially when it comes to Doncic’s Mavericks. Despite incorrectly predicting a Timberwolves’ victory, Mahomes must have reveled in watching his NBA spirit animal lead Dallas to a Game 1 Western Conference Finals win.
Patrick Mahomes’ Prediction About The Maverick-Timberwolves Game
As the Western Conference Finals tipped off, Patrick Mahomes unsurprisingly backed his Mavericks to emerge victorious over the formidable Minnesota Timberwolves.
However, the quarterback didn’t just offer a biased take. Mahomes acknowledged the supreme talent of T-Wolves star Anthony Edwards and their stifling defense. But he still gave Dallas the edge as he was convinced that the Luka Doncic-Kyrie Irving duo possessed the firepower to capture an elusive NBA championship:
“It’s gonna be a hard series, but I think the Mavs have what it takes,” Mahomes added, “If Luka (Doncic) plays the way Luka can play, and Kyrie (Irving) is Kyrie, the Mavs have as good of a chance as anyone of winning it all.”
The parallels between Patrick Mahomes’ Chiefs and Doncic’s Mavs are striking – two transcendent superstars supported by doubted co-stars and ever-evolving casts. Much like Mahomes had Travis Kelce, Doncic now has the mercurial Kyrie Irving propelling title hopes.
Now, With Dallas swiping Game 1 in Minnesota, they’ve already stolen home-court advantage from the 3rd-seeded Timberwolves. It’s exactly the early upper hand Mahomes knows is so crucial in the crucible of playoff battles.
