You Don't Want To Play This Guy In H.O.R.S.E.

Owen Strachan:

I don’t care if you like basketball or not–you must watch this YouTube clip.

The video features Bruce Manley, a 25-year-old bank employee from Sparta, NJ. A SlamOnline article explains a bit about the backstory. Apparently, Shaquille saw the video and twittered a H.O.R.S.E. challenge to Manley.

Here’s what Manley says of his shotmaking:

““Some of the shots take a little while,” Manley says. “If I shoot it behind the back from the other foul line, I’m still confident that in one or two, maybe three tries, I’ll hit the rim. I try and put it in that general area, and obviously, it’s got to get a tiny bit lucky but it’s definitely more skill than luck. The last shot over the wall, that everyone’s claiming is fake, I made on the 14th try.”

Here’s what Manley says about playing Shaq:

“For what it’s worth, Manley is confident that he can take Shaq in H.O.R.S.E., as long as there are two rules.

“One, no dunks and to make it fair, I won’t shoot foul shots,” he says. “I hope Shaq isn’t offended by that comment.”

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This is serious trick-shot-making. I’ve never seen anything that approaches Manley’s ability to sink difficult shots. This is a unique athleticism, one that very few people have in even limited form. It’s fun to see stuff like this once in a while–reminds you of the God-given power of human ingenuity and skill.