By Antonis Stroggylakis / AStroggylakis@eurohoops.net
Barcelona star Cory Higgins became the hero for his team in the EuroLeague semifinal game against Olimpia Milano by draining the pull-up jumper that won the match with 0.5 left on the clock. It was a contested shot from the top of the key, an instant classic by Higgins who has always loved taking – and making – this kind of attempts.
Comparisons between Higgins’ game-winner and Michael Jordan’s “Last Shot” against the Utah Jazz in 1998 automatically became inevitable. Especially since Jordan is Higgins’ godfather.
There were many comments on social media about the resemblance between the two shots and posts with combinations of photos or videos of the two plays. Higgins wasn’t aware of any of that (not even of EuroLeague Basketball’s official Twitter account making the connection between the two baskets) since he’s far from active on any social media platform.
He quickly caught up and understood what the whole noise is about when I mentioned it to him in Barca’s pre-Final presser.
“I haven’t seen this photo [the combinations] but I know exactly which photo you’re speaking of without even saying it,” Higgins said.
“Obviously there was a lot of messages last night. If you’re asking specifically if he [Michael Jordan] messaged me, not yet. I’m sure he’s seen it [his shot vs. Milano], maybe I’ll get a message from him later,” Higgins replied when asked if he got any messages from the USA about the similarities between these two shots.
Earlier, Eurohoops’ Aris Barkas had asked Higgins if he felt a bit like Jordan in that play. Here’s what the 31-year-old guard answered.
Cory Higgins on his winning shot and being like Mike #F4Glory pic.twitter.com/6OjnJfIqD7
— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) May 29, 2021
Higgins looked amused by the whole talk and the similarities between his bucket and one of his godfather’s most iconic moments but his center of attention is obviously elsewhere. In less than 24 hours from now, Barcelona will be playing its first EuroLeague championship game since 2010 and will look to beat Anadolu Efes and claim the third continental crown in the history of the club.
“I just try to focus what’s in front of me, being in the present. That’s my teammates, what’s ahead of us and that’s the Final,” Higgins said.
Higgins knows how to concentrate to the task and challenge at hand. After all, he has been there, done that, then ate the cake, drank the champagne, wore the t-shirt and the cap. Not once, but twice with CSKA Moscow in 2016 and 2019.
Now he’s looking forward to triple his EuroLeague championship titles and is carrying enormous faith in his team’s strength and certainty that Barcelona will be the 2021 EuroLeague champion when all is said and done.
According to him, even a semblance of doubt can be dangerous.
“I feel great. I feel very confident in my team and my teammates especially,” Higgins said. “We know that we didn’t play our basketball yet. We know that we can be a lot better. You are always confident when it’s a Final. There’s nothing else to think about it. There can’t be any doubts. You just play for your teammates and you live everything out there. At the end of the day, the result will be what it is.”