Enes Kanter Heaps Praise On Teammates After Historic Night On The Glass
Enes Kanter was utterly dominant against the Detroit Pistons.
His 30 rebounds and 12 offensive boards in the Trail Blazers' blowout win weren't just career-highs. He's the only player in basketball to reach either total this season. And before Saturday night, the most rebounds pulled down by a single player in Portland franchise history was Sydney Wicks' 27, all the way back in 1975.
Kanter wasn't just grubbing for rebounds versus the Pistons, either. He also scored 24 points on 9-of-16 shooting, and contributed two of Portland's eight blocks.
Needless to say, Kanter played the game of his life against Detroit. Once it was over, though, he barely had time to bask in that personal glory. Kanter seemed most excited by the fawning reception heaped on him by teammates.
"I think for me, why I was so happy was when I looked at the bench and everybody was up, everybody was cheering, everybody was smiling, everybody was supporting their teammates," he said after the game of grabbing his 30th rebound. "And that's what we are about. That's what Blazers basketball is all about, supporting each other. I understand 30 rebounds is obviously a very cool accomplishment, but what made me more happy and excited was seeing my teammates cheer for me."
Just later, Kanter took to social media to share video of the moment he described above, calling his Blazers brethren the "best teammates in the world."
It's a major testament to Kanter's talent and professionalism that he can dominate a game he only started because Jusuf Nurkic was managing his injured right knee. Other players don't have the mental fortitude to rise so consistently rise to that occasion when called upon.
Not that anyone in Portland's locker room seemed all that surprised by Kanter's record-setting performance, though – and certainly not his humble, gracious response to it.