I bet when the NBA schedulemakers slapped this game onto the schedule, they had no idea that they would be setting up a momentous battle of the ages, a clash of rival players so pitched, so fevered, so ruthlessly violent, that NBA fans decades from now will speak of it in reverent tones. And the fans that actually had the privilege of being physicall present in the arena as this titanic showdown occurred? Their memories will be cherished by all and their cameraphone footage will be like a sacred relic.
The matchup in question, you ask?
Cheick Diallo vs. Hamidou Diallo. The Diallo Duel.
It was a closely-fought battle. Neither player gave an inch, but they gave it their all. Teammates on respective sides watched with awe as the two players fought tooth-and-nail for every bucket, every rebound, every dribble.
However, in the end, it was clear that Cheick walked away the better player. His sixteen points in 21 minutes were simply more impressive than Hamidou’s zero points in zero minutes. Despite the final outcome, the battle was so intense and dramatic that I bucked my usual trend of making one-player highlight videos to make a duel video instead.
That’s right. What you’re watching now is “FULL INSANE DUEL HIGHLIGHTS – CHEICK VS. HAMIDOU – SICK!!! (1/24/2019)”. An exceptional occasion like this one deserved an exceptional highlight video, and I have to humbly say that I fully delivered on that front.