Suns rookie Ryan Dunn elated after forcing 24-second shot clock violation on LeBron James: "It was cool"
Phoenix Suns rookie Ryan Dunn displayed impressive defensive caliber while guarding LA Lakers star LeBron James during their matchup on Monday. The 28th pick of the 2024 NBA Draft played a commendable role in limiting Bron's offense as the Suns defeated the Lakers 109-105 at home.
Dunn, who previously said that James was a childhood hero of his, made multiple defensive highlight plays on the four-time NBA champion which made for moments the rookie is unlikely to forget.
During an interview after the game, the 21-year-old shared his thoughts on one of his highlight defensive plays which featured him forcing James to a 24-second violation.
"It was cool, that was kind of a good moment for me just getting that stop on him and just trying to get that shot-clock violation," Dunn said.
Ryan Dunn also shared his thoughts on another of his highlight plays which featured him blocking a shot by LeBron James:
"That was cool, I thought they'd call a foul, I was like please don't call a foul, yeah that was dope."
LeBron James concluded the game with 11 points, five rebounds, eight assists, and a steal while shooting 3-of-14 from the field in almost 36 minutes of playtime. Meanwhile, Ryan Dunn recorded seven points, one rebound, one steal and a block off the bench while shooting 60.0% in over 15 minutes of playtime.
Ryan Dunn shares his key to performing well in the NBA
During the same interview after the matchup against the LA Lakers, Ryan Dunn shared his mindset on being able to perform well so far in the league:
"Keep everything simple, don't try to hear all the noises and just try to keep it to myself," Dunn said. "It's a long season, 82 games, I'm not gonna say I'm playing well but as I said 82 games is a long time of up and down.
"I know I'm gonna have some bad games, some bad stretches, but just knowing that when I get in those stretches, who I am as a person, don't try to get too high and don't try to get too low and try to stay medium and oriented."
So far in the season, the 6-foot-8 forward is averaging 7.8 points and 1.8 rebounds in 14.8 minutes per game while shooting 52.2% from the field, including 43.8% from deep. With the win on Monday, the Phoenix Suns climbed to a 3-1 record before hitting the road to face the LA Clippers on Thursday.