"I was kind of playing up with the older kids" - When an eight-year-old Patrick Mahomes' three-pointer made him the basketball hero at his camp
If people have doubts about Patrick Mahomes' arm strength and ability to remain cool under pressure, they should study his film all the way back and find the same traits that define him today. When he was merely eight years old, he made a perfect three-pointer that showed the athlete he would become.
Mahomes comes from a sporting family. His father, Pat Mahomes, was a baseball pitcher in the MLB. He played three sports during his time at Whitehouse High School in Texas, excelling in basketball, baseball and football and credits the other two sports in making him the excellent quarterback that he is today.
We can see why the three-pointer that was referred to earlier does not do justice to this throw. Doing so at any age would be phenomenal, given that he is eight and is scarcely believable. As Patrick Mahomes humbly admitted, he was good enough for higher age groups. He said:
"I was kind of playing up with the older kids"
The throw originates from the other side of the court. The ball is probably a buzzer-beater given the reaction of his friends and foes alike. He throws it almost like a quarterback pass and it goes straight into the basket, leaving everyone astonished. This proves his talent was there from an early age.
Proof that @PatrickMahomes has always been clutch 🔥
This buzzer beater by 8-year-old Pat is everything! https://t.co/IdibcAZdWg
Patrick Mahomes has always been a multi-talented athlete
Patrick Mahomes was a phenomenal athlete from a young age. However, it is surprising to note just how good he has been for so long. Not only did he play three sports in high school, he continued playing two sports in college as well. At Texas Tech, he continued with both baseball and football. He then focussed on football as he was one of the top-rated dual-threat quarterbacks in college.
However, such was his performance in baseball, he was selected in the 2014 MLB Draft. Rated as a top prospect, he was selected in the 37th round of the draft by the Detroit Tigers and only fell that low because he was committed to Texas Tech in football.
Patrick Mahomes (37th round of the 2014 MLB Draft) was selected 13 picks ahead of Angels starting pitcher Griffin Canning and 29 picks ahead of Dodgers reliever Caleb Ferguson.
31 picks ahead of Cardinals shortstop Paul DeJong. https://t.co/hUwT7tHlkA
Players who were selected below him have gone onto have a successful baseball career. This shows his talent as an athlete. However, as NFL fans, we are glad that he chose football over all other sports. As he looks to become the league MVP once again this year, it increasingly also looks like he has made the right choice for himself.