This story appears in SLAM 247.
Less than 24 hours after dropping 20 points, 12 boards and two blocks in the Pacer’s second game of the regular season, Myles Turner is back on the hardwood. Well, not that type of court. One of his own creation: an ’03 Lego NBA Ultimate Arena Set.
It’s the latest build in the two-time Blocks champion’s overtly extensive Lego collection: the set allows users to shoot baskets with Lego minifigures via exclusive spring pieces placed in the figurine’s legs. The 1.5-inch figures resemble the League’s stars from two decades ago, including Tracy McGrady, Allen Iverson, Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, Antoine Walker, Shaquille O’Neal, Vince Carter, Kevin Garnett and Kobe Bryant. They are all represented in their respective ’03-04 uniforms.
“I actually just finished this, the one from when I was a kid,” Turner says of the Lego NBA Set. “I just got it on eBay and I’m like man this is nostalgia, this is one of the first sets I ever had. I knocked that out within three-four hours, put all that together. I’ve got a little mini-figure of myself, I just take the legs off and put myself on the court and flick it back.”
Those short four hours were a full-circle moment for Turner. Merging two of his greatest passions is a reality a younger version of himself would be baffled to see realized. As a kid, Turner’s parents prevented him from playing video games frequently, and going over to his friend’s house for a Halo 3 marathon was a bit like walking on eggshells. Thankfully, friends like Robert had a backroom stocked full of buckets of Legos.
Jared ebanks 