"I think Halle Berry’s pretty in church and the grocery store" - Pistons GM rubbishes any concerns about Ausar Thompson
Detroit Pistons general manager Troy Weaver is not worried about No. 5 lottery pick Ausar Thompson in the 2023 draft despite the player excelling in the OTE, drawing a comparison with American actress Hale Berry.
Thompson did not play for college and instead excelled for Overtime Elite, a professional basketball league for 16–20-year-olds based in Atlanta, Georgia. The 20-year-old, who stands at 6' 7", led the City Reapers to the championship, winning the regular-season and Finals MVP for his exceptional play. He averaged 16.3 points, 6.1 assists, 7.1 rebounds, 2.4 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game in OTE.
While Thompson's numbers are incredible, there are concerns about his ability to play at a high level in the NBA. That's because OTE is traditionally not as challenging as US college basketball. However, Weaver who's known for his one-liners, said about Ausar:
"I think Halle Berry’s pretty in church and the grocery store."
"I think Halle Berry is pretty in church or at the grocery store."
Troy Weaver said it wasn't hard to evaluate Ausar Thompson in Overtime Elite. "When you see something elite, you know it," the Pistons GM said. https://t.co/ZywG980x2d
Berry is an American actress who began as a model and finished runner-up in the Miss USA pageant and came sixth in the Miss World 1986. Weaver's argument was that an elite player will be elite regardless of when and where he plays, just like Berry, who will look pretty regardless of where she is.
Detroit Pistons fans react to Troy Weaver's Halle Berry comment
Ausar Thompson, the No. 4 pick, is expected to play well in the NBA ,as per the Pistons GM.
However, Weaver received varying feedback from Pistons fans on his comparisons of Thompson's game to Halle Berry's beauty. Some fans absolutely loved Weaver's quote, calling it the best ever.
This is now his best quote ever twitter.com/realbullyball/…
Fans on Reddit also voiced their support, with one saying:
All-time NBA quote. Troy is really the goat when it comes to this shit man.
While some fans clearly were supportive of the Pistons GM, there are others who think that Weaver is misguided in his analysis of Thompson's game. One fan on Reddit said:
"This is such a stupid analogy. It essentially proves everything I've ever thought about weaver. If you went over to The Rhode Island school Of Design today, there would be a girl that all the guys were obsessed with.
"But if you dropped that same girl in any sorority at USC, she’d be the ugliest girl in the entire sorority, and would have zero dates. You can’t just scout the player, because players make different decisions based on who they are playing. There used to be an idea that you should never play inferior competition because you pick up bad habits.
The fan is indeed right to point out that competition does matter and cannot be neglected.
It's seen in the NBA how some players thrive on a particular team and don't elsewhere. Moreover, some players are prolific in the regular season but completely shut down come playoff time.
While Ausar Thompson has been great in OTE, he will have to prove if can indeed take the leap and produce the goods in the NBA.