It’s safe to say that for much of his time in College Park, Jake Layman was one of the most underrated players in recent Maryland basketball history. Many people said he was soft and that he disappeared in big games, and his contributions were often underappreciated.
Layman (hopefully) put some of his doubters to bed with his incredible NBA debut for the Portland Trail Blazers, torching the Golden State Warriors for 17 points in the final eight minutes of the game.
He shot 5-7 from three and added a breakaway dunk and a steal (proving he’s infinitely better than two-time MVP Stephen Curry). This impressed Kevin Durant, one of the best players in the game.
“I thought we put together a pretty good game other than Layman getting hot there in the fourth quarter,” Durant told reporters after the game. “Maybe he should be playing more.”
Layman is only the second player in NBA history to make five 3-pointers in his first NBA game.
Check out his highlights below.
Two things about the video:
-Whoever picked the thumbnail image hates Layman for some reason.
-Peep Jake’s goofy smile 8 seconds in. It will make your day.
We miss you, Jake.
