Thomas Bryant Explains Emphatic Stanchion Headbutt Following And-1 Dunk

Originally posted on FanNation All Lakers
By Alex Kirschenbaum | Last updated 1/7/23

Last night, in an eventual 130-114 victory over the Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Lakers starting center Thomas Bryant had yet another huge game for Los Angeles, scoring 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the field and pulling down 13 rebounds.

Since stepping up as the team's starter in the place of injured All-Star Anthony Davis, the 6'10" vet out of Indiana University has appropriately boosted his shotmaking and rebounding output.

Across his 11 starts since December 18th (his first following the Davis injury on the 16th), Bryant is averaging 15.8 points, 10.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 0.5 steals a night, in just 29.4 minutes per.

During the second quarter of last night's home win, Bryant at one point got fouled by Hawks forward De'Andre Hunter on an emphatic dunk. He would go on to seal the three-point play, putting his Lakers up by 26. In celebration, he smacked his head against the stanchion beneath the basket and flexed.

It was a cool moment, and Spectrum SportsNet noticed.

"Nah it didn't hurt," Bryant noted when asked if it did. "I was telling myself to be stronger out there, be more aggressive. Take the fight to them, don't let them bring the fight to you."

"Maybe once or twice, maybe," Bryant teased when a Spectrum SportsNet reporter (presumably Mike Trudell) inquired as to whether or not he would be running back the stanchion headbutt move any time soon.

Will there be more headbutts to come in this ongoing Kings game? Stay tuned.

This article first appeared on FanNation All Lakers and was syndicated with permission.

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