Alright, so, let me tell you how I ended up making this Cliff Alexander highlight reel thing. I mean, the guy pops up sometimes in basketball chats, right? People remember him from high school being this absolute monster dunking on everyone. So, I got curious, wanted to know what really happened after all that hype.
How I Started Digging
First thing was obvious: YouTube. I just typed in “Cliff Alexander highlights.” Figured I’d find some crazy dunks from his Kansas days. Bam, tons of videos pop up – mostly high school stuff, honestly. I mean, wow. The power, the athleticism… dude was putting grown men on posters in high school. Felt like I was watching a freight train sometimes.
But, I wanted more than just the HS stuff. I started getting specific: “Cliff Alexander Kansas,” “Cliff Alexander NBA,” “Cliff Alexander G League.” You gotta dig deep for the pro stuff, turns out. It’s not like the big-name guys where highlights are handed to you on a platter.
What Actually Stuck Out
Okay, spending time watching all this footage – like, really watching – you notice things. Here’s what kinda grabbed me hard:
- High School Was Ridiculous, Period. Seriously, the sheer dominance… those Morgan Park games? Crazy. He just looked levels above everyone else physically.
- Kansas Struggles Were Real. You see flashes of that power in college – offensive boards, putbacks. But he doesn’t look quite the same explosive force consistently. And the NCAA stuff hanging over him… that drama was everywhere back then.
- NBA Was… Brief. Finding Portland Trail Blazers clips? Short bursts. A block here, a dunk there. You see potential, glimpses of that high school terror, but it never clicked for long. Ended almost before it started.
- G League Grind Is Tough. Found some G League highlights – Santa Cruz, I think? More physical stuff, rebounds, dunks. He clearly belonged there, playing hard, scoring inside. But it’s the G League, ya know? The path got harder.
- Overseas Hoops Looked Strong. This was interesting. Watched clips from Japan and Israel. Looked happier, honestly. Scoring easier, using his strength. Still dunking on folks, just farther from home. Adapting, I guess.
Putting It All Together
So after watching way too many clips than I planned, the story kind of wrote itself. It wasn’t about just throwing dunks together. It was tracing a journey. Took ages to find decent clips outside of HS and Kansas – had to search specific teams, specific leagues.
The hardest part? Finding those clean NBA clips. They exist, barely. More frustrating, honestly.
Why Bother?
Why spend a Wednesday night doing this? Cause Cliff’s story is… messy. High school god. College drama and underperformance. NBA shot fizzles. Grinds overseas. That whole trajectory? It feels real. Not every top recruit makes it. Not everyone finds the same success at every level.
And honestly? Seeing him still dunking years later in Japan – yeah, the path changed massively, but the dude is still playing, still battling. Found a place to hoop.
Surprise? How different the energy felt in the overseas clips compared to the pressure cooker of Kansas and the NBA. Less expectation, maybe? More balling? It’s just… different. That kinda stayed with me.
