Dab Kid: A Study in Swag
The Spurs/Grizzlies matchup, like many of the series that have kicked off the 2016 NBA playoffs, has offered little in the way of drama or excitement. The comically overmatched and cartoonishly injury-riddled Grizzlies have made these first two games feel a little bit like glorified scrimmages. So rescuing the viewing experience would take something big, something special, something legendary.
Enter Dab Kid.
It started after Game 1, when Fox Sports’ Rob Perez (aka @World_Wide_Wob) posted the following Vine:
A cool Boban clip, to be sure, but nothing too out of the ordinary, at least as far as the Serbian giant is concerned. But intrepid sleuth @baselinespin noticed something special in the background. A quick flash. A blurry whirl. A glitch in the Vine, perhaps? Maybe a camera error? Nope. Dab Kid.
@World_Wide_Wob @Matthew_Tynan that kid with dream shake dab behind grizz bench — Christian M (@baselinespin) April 18, 2016
The young man’s dabbing efficiency seemed otherworldy, as he rattled off four quick dabs in mathematically precise succession. BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM. The Grizzlies didn’t stand a chance.
I had to get to the bottom of this, so I decided to return to the game to unravel the mystery of Dab Kid. Things started off slowly, and I was worried that what the Vine showed us might have just been a unique outburst. But once the second half rolled around, with the Spurs’ offense unrolling in front of him, Dab Kid broke through his chrysalis with violent abandon. He offered a quick warm-up dab, but after that, all bets were off. Nobody was safe, his dad reduced to silent observer, surely fearful of his progeny’s overwhelming power.
This video represents just the earliest research in documenting the Dab Kid phenomenon. Surely there is more tape to explore as the playoffs continue. Might we have reached the zenith of mankind’s dabbing potential? Only time will tell. I want to believe.
