Alright, let me tell you what happened when I got this idea in my head about that trophy Jayson Tatum held up. You know the one, looked kinda cool. I’m sitting there watching the game highlights, and I think, “Huh, wonder if I could make a little version of that for my desk?” Not like, a perfect replica, just something fun, a little project.
Getting Started – The Grand Plan (Sort Of)
So, first thing, I went digging around the house. Thought maybe I had some air-dry clay leftover from when the kids were smaller. Found a block, dusty as anything. Big mistake. That stuff was probably older than Tatum himself. Tried molding it, you know, get that basic shape? It just crumbled. Then I added water, and it turned into this sticky, grey goo. Got it all over the table. What a mess.
Okay, clay was a bust. Plan B: wood. I’ve got some scraps in the garage from fixing that fence last year. Found a decent block of pine.
Attempt Two: Woodworking Woes
Now, I’m no carpenter, mind you. I grabbed my old handsaw. Trying to cut out that base shape? Rough doesn’t even begin to cover it. Took ages, and it was super uneven. Then I tried to shape the top part, the main trophy bit. More sawing, lots of squinting, trying to make it look right.
- Sawing the basic shapes (very slowly).
- Trying to sand it smooth (ended up with flat spots and round spots, nothing consistent).
- Realizing I didn’t have the right tools to carve any details.
It was looking less like a trophy and more like a weird, lumpy… I don’t even know. A doorstop maybe?
Paint Job and The ‘Finished’ Product
Figured paint might save it. Found some old gold spray paint. Another bad idea. Should’ve used a primer or something, I guess. The paint went on all splotchy, soaked right into the wood in some places, dripped in others. Looked terrible, frankly. Like something you’d find in a bargain bin.
So, after all that sawing, sanding, and spray-painting disaster, what do I have?
Well, it’s… something. It sits on the corner of my desk. Doesn’t really look like the actual trophy, not even close if I’m honest. But it’s there. Every time I look at it, I just remember the sticky clay and the uneven wood and the terrible paint job. Makes you appreciate the real thing, you know? They make it look so easy. Definitely harder than it looks to make even a crappy version.
