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Grizzlies’ Rookie Throws Perfect Backwards Overhead Pass for Incredibly Cool Assist
The Memphis Grizzlies blew out the Dallas Mavericks in their final game of the season on Sunday. With Memphis locked into the play-in, they rested their starters which meant expanded minutes for young players like Yuki Kawamura and Cam Spencer.
Spencer, who had a 51-point game in the G League earlier this season, started and scored 23 points and had seven assists. Yuki Kawamura came off the bench to add 12 points, five assists and five rebounds in a career-high 28 minutes.
He also threw one of the coolest passes of the NBA season as he stole the ball from Dallas' Kai Jones and launched a perfect no-look, backwards, overhead pass to Marvin Bagley III.
A couple minutes later Kawamura then threw a perfect between the legs drop pass to a trailing Spencer who hit a three in transition.
Kawamura did not play much this season, but he did strike up a friendship with Ja Morant. When he did get to play in the preseason he put on a show. Who knows if he'll find a spot in a rotation in the league, but if he does the highlights will be delightful.
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Stephen Douglas is a senior writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has worked in media since 2008 and now casts a wide net with coverage across all sports. Douglas spent more than a decade with The Big Lead and previously wrote for Uproxx and The Sporting News. He has three children, two degrees and one now unverified Twitter account.