March 7, 2020, Dayton, Ohio.
The local team destroys the next opponent in the season and brings the ratio of wins and losses to a fantastic 29-2. Their leader Obi Toppin is especially good, he has recruited duty for himself this season 27+5+5.
Back then, no one thought this would be his last College game. “March madness” was supposed to be the culmination of Toppin’s College career, but the coronavirus pandemic did not allow the tournament to be held, so they had to settle for the Naismith prize, which can be interpreted as the NCAA MVP.
Little Obie spent whole days at Rucker Park, running around the Playground, playing with the ball around it until his father and his friends started chasing him away. So it was on this day, being once again banished from the Playground Obi ran to the nearest Playground, but quickly bored decided to move to another place, trying to jump over a fence three feet high. Total-broken right hand. To be honest, his mother – Roni, could not remember the exact year of this event, because he broke the same hand three times, and also both wrists, well, at least 1000 dislocations and bruises.
“As a child, he was a real daredevil and constantly said that he never wanted to grow up,” recalls the mother.
Maui Invitational, “Dayton” destroys “Virginia Tech”, Toppin takes the ball in the post, forces a tight defender and sharply dives inside, making a classic dunk – enough easy movement for a player who was a fullback all his life and only became a forward in College. The time out the white flag.
The stands are going crazy, Toppin is playing the plane – it’s a real Obie.
During the wanderings of his unusual career, he played a few more games in Florida, which caused the family to move from new York and back several times, and the older Toppin continued to play for famous street teams, setting records in the style of 20 dunks per game and the like.
Before Obie’s first game for Daytona, a middle-aged man in casual clothing walked onto the court during warmups, picked up the ball, and unexpectedly made an easy 360-degree dunk. Yes, Obadiah is still good. Now it’s clear why Obie makes his dunks so easy?
“I am often asked: Who do you copy your style of play from? This is my father, no doubt about it, but he still says I’m a dreadfully boring Dunker compared to him.”
Unfortunately, the guys from the streets of Brooklyn are not only inclined to street basketball, but also to street life.
In 2012, Obadiah and his twin brother Octavius were arrested and charged with the murder of one Raymond Torres in a shootout in palm Bay, Florida. According to reports, Octavius was in conflict with the victim over a major heroin deal. The victim’s family identified Obadiah as the driver of the car that stopped in front of the house to kill Torres. It was not the driver who fired the shot, but the man in the passenger seat, so Obadiah only received an accessory to murder, and the guilty plea also helped him get a suspended sentence and not go to jail.
After that, Roni moved the children to Ossining, Westchester County.
Toppin is a unique player who is difficult to compare with anyone. Sometimes his energy and desire reminds him of Pascal Siakam, attacking versatility and propensity to play in the post sometimes shows him in the role of the new Amare Stoudemire, some see him as a Blake Griffin model of “Detroit” (not the last season, of course), but without loss in athleticism. His role in the attack gives a huge variety to the team – he can stretch, put barriers, play, finish in the post. When a player who plays fullback all his life suddenly becomes taller and more athletic without losing speed – this is happiness.
Some scouts say that Toppin will never be able to defend against the “big ones” in the NBA, but he plays at the forward position for two years, at the center position in the small five – a year, are you sure that he can’t? I don’t.
Toppin managed to be in 4th place in the season on eFG% and 8 on TS%, but he is not a classic “big” and often throws from behind the arc, which should significantly spoil these indicators. It is also in the top 10 for important indicators like win shares and box Plus/Minus.
Every year, Daytona presents its own awards – one of them is called the Dr. George Rau award and is awarded for demonstrating true team spirit.
In his first season at Daytona, when toppin could not play for the team, He managed to win this prize. For the first time, this award was given to a player who played exactly 0 minutes in a season. At the beginning of the season, Obi promised that if he could not help on the court, the mood of the team falls on his shoulders.
This is what Toppin is all about-a selfless and sincere player as well as a person.
Today, he could reach the finals for the second time in Dayton’s 115-year history and take the first championship for the College, but so far he has only taken the title of the freakiest and endlessly promising player in the 2020 draft.