So today I got super curious about these Zach Edey championship numbers everyone was buzzing about. Saw clips flying around talking about how wild his stats were, and I just had to dig in myself. Grabbed my laptop, coffee already cold ’cause I forgot about it, and started hunting.
First thing? Looked up the actual stats from the championship game. Basketball stats sites bombarded me – all blinking ads and pop-ups. Annoying, but I pushed through. Found the official box score buried in a forum thread, thank goodness.
Started copying numbers into my messy spreadsheet. Realized I needed context though. Couldn’t just stare at big numbers like “20 rebounds” and go “whoa” without knowing what’s normal for big moments. Went hunting again – pulled stats from past championship games for big men. Shaq, Olajuwon, those giants.
- Pulled championship data for Shaq – 1994, Florida State
- Grabbed Hakeem Olajuwon’s 1983 numbers with Phi Slama Jama
- Found some other modern centers like Jahlil Okafor & Jaren Jackson Jr.
Put everything side-by-side in my spreadsheet. Colors flying everywhere – highlights for points, rebounds, blocks. Honestly felt like I was making abstract art, not crunching basketball stats.
What Actually Blew My Mind
Alright, here’s the thing everyone missed. It wasn’t just the amount of points or boards Edey put up. Numbers were gigantic, sure, but monster centers get big numbers sometimes. What made me spill my coffee (cold, but still)?
First: His team relied on him so much in that final game. Like, way more than Shaq or Hakeem’s teams did in their big games. The usage rate stat? Sky-high. Felt like every important possession ended with him scoring or getting fouled.
Second: The consistency when it mattered most. Fourth quarter stats were unreal. Most dudes tire out when the game’s on the line, fighting for every inch. Not Edey. His points-per-minute late in the game were wild. Like the pressure just fueled him.
Third: He wasn’t just tall standing around. His rebound positioning? Textbook. Boxed guys out, saw where the ball was bouncing. Felt like watching somebody who knew the exact spot to stand before anyone else moved. That’s how he grabbed more rebounds than some teams get.
Spent hours clicking around, zooming in on videos to see his footwork on contested rebounds. Simple stuff done perfectly under the brightest lights. That’s what people ignored. Numbers were loud, sure, but how he got them? That’s the real headline.
