Every little edge can matter in the NBA, especially when dealing with 6-foot-11, 250-pound Grizzlies big man Steven Adams.
That’s what the 10-year vet found out on Thursday night against Spurs rookie Jeremy Sochan. And in a most unusual if not painful way.
“In the last play of the game, [Sochan] was messing me around… he pinched my nipple,” Adams said after the Memphis’ 124-122 overtime win over San Antonio, according to ESPN’s Tim McMahon. “I was like ‘Get out of here ya dirty b–tard!’ Trying to break my concentration.”
Sochan, whom the Spurs selected ninth overall in the 2022 NBA Draft, prides himself on being a “disruptive player like Draymond Green, Patrick Beverley, and Jae Crowder.” He also got high praise from his teammates for the nipple grabbing effort.
Jeremy SochanNBAE via Getty Images
The Grizzlies’ Steven Adams, right, blocks a shot by the Spurs’ Devin Vassell on Thursday night.USA TODAY Sports“He’s just out there looking for a challenge, looking for trouble,” Spurs center Jakob Poeltl told reporters. “I like it. He’s got that fighting spirit.”
Before being drafted out of Baylor, the 19-year-old told USA Today that that trio of defensive wizards he idolizes “all have one thing in common and it’s being irritating.”
“Being long and athletic and disruptive, that’s what I try to show in my game and my defense,” Sochan told the outlet at the time. “It helps to get some players off rhythm. I just try to execute that as well.”
Nine games into his professional career, it looks like he’s well on his way.
