Nathan Sobey shows why he’s the 36ers’ high-flying slam dunk specialist

NATHAN Sobey threw down one of the NBL season’s best dunks, only to see it disallowed for an off-the-ball foul. WATCH THE DUNK HERE

Adelaide 36ers Nathan Sobey dunking against the Townsville Crocs at Adelaide Arena . Source Twitter

RUN in, time the leap-and-catch, know where you are, slam it down.

Those really were the only thoughts, if any, going through Nathan Sobey’s mind as he last Saturday against Townsville threw down what, otherwise, would have been the NBL’s “dunk of the year” so far.

Unfortunately just to the side of the play, 36ers teammate Lucas Walker and Crocs swingman Mirko Djeric locked arms, found themselves entangled and in the process of animatedly breaking apart, referee Michael Aylen assessed a foul against Walker.

In effect, it rendered Sobey’s slam moot, disallowing it and gave Townsville the ball, much to the dismay of the 5638 fans at Adelaide Arena who had just witnessed a flawless display of athleticism.

“I think they could have let it stand,” the slightly built 191cm Sobey said of his dunk.

“The foul was called at the same time so they could have but that’s just the way it goes.”

In his rookie season with Adelaide, Warrnambool-born Sobey, 25, already has thrown down some wonderful dunks and splashed some terrific threes.

But this slam was special.

Cutting in from the wing toward the hoop along the baseline, teammate Mitch Creek — often on the end of such plays himself — perfectly lobbed the ball for Sobey to catch it, cock it and hammer it.

“It’s a bit of a (set) play,” Sobey said.

“It broke down the first time but Creeky made a great play.

“It’s pretty straightforward — get the ball, throw it down.”

As he landed near stranded Townsville defender Mitch Young, Sobey exchanged a look and a few words.

“Mitch and I were teammates last year (at Cairns Taipans) so there was just a little bit of trash-talking,” Sobey said.

“It wasn’t anything serious.”

Sobey said he had not discussed the fall out with Walker.

“Nah, I didn’t really talk to him about it,” Sobey said.

Relishing his opportunities with Adelaide after spending his first year out of the University of Wyoming as a development player with the Taipans, Sobey said he had made the adjustment from playing college ball.

“The NBL has a lot of grown men which is different to college,” he said.

“But with that first year of training (at Cairns), I adjusted to the speed and tempo of the league.”

Sobey said while he was enjoying the experience of the 36ers, it had been an up-and-down year and he wanted to play his role in a strong back half of the season.

Then he will return to Warrnambool to play for the Seahawks in the Big V competition where he has “unfinished business”.

“In between my freshman and sophomore years at college, I went back and played for Warrnambool in Big V,” Sobey said.

“We made it to the championship series and won the first game of the best-of-three (final).

“I had to go back to college then and we lost the next two games.

“I feel I have unfinished business now and want to win a championship back home.”

Then it will be back for another NBL campaign with the Sixers and more dunks to have the fans gasping.

Boti Nagy is on Twitter at @boti_nagy

Originally published as Nathan Sobey shows why he’s the 36ers’ high-flying slam dunk specialist