Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
One Year Ago Today: John Collins Baptizes Joel Embiid
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Time flies, especially in the NBA. Today marks one year since Atlanta Hawks power forward John Collins threw down a mind-blowing dunk over Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid.
As you can see in the video above, Hawks point guard utilized the double ball screen at the top of the key and spotted Collins streaking towards the basket. The 76ers defense was unprepared, and Embiid was clearly back-peddling. Unfortunately for Embiid, Collins took full advantage and finished the alley-oop over him.
The dunk was truly amazing. It was so unimaginable that most fans could not truly appreciate the jam until they saw a replay. Or better yet, a picture. Luckily, Collins reminded everyone by wearing a t-shirt with an image of the poster dunk printed across the front following the Hawks Game 7 victory in Philadelphia a few days later.
Collins told former NBA player-turned hoops analyst JJ Redick that the dunk was "the most meaningful two points of my career." Unsurprisingly, Collins told listeners of Redick's podcast that Embiid had been talking a lot of trash leading up to that moment.
But everything from the Game Six dunk to the Game 7 celebration was perfect. Embiid wears the badge of being a "troll" with pride. So for Collins to add insult to injury by trolling Embiid was truly a chef's kiss moment for Hawks fans.
There is a reason why Collins was nicknamed 'John the Baptist during his first summer league in the NBA. Although he initially was not a fan of the moniker, it stuck and eventually grew on him. Now Collins has a successful clothing line that incorporates the nickname.
Following last year's euphoric playoff run, Atlanta's front office signed Collins to a 5-year, $125 million contract. But that has not kept the 24-year-old out of trade rumors. Collins battled injuries as the Hawks underperformed this season.
While team president Travis Schlenk tried to assure fans that no "major overhaul" was happening this summer, NBA insiders around the league are reporting the Hawks are expected to be one of the most active teams this off-season.
John Collins posterized Joel Embiid during the 2021 Eastern Conference Semi-Finals.
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report said the Hawks are clearly most interested in trading Collins. Fischer cited the Portland Trail Blazers No. 7 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft as an asset Atlanta's front office wanted. Let's hope Collins remains a Hawk for life. Stay locked into AllHawks.com for breaking news, highlights, and analysis.
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