You know Myles Turner is important to the Indiana Pacers’ future.
You know he’s already an offensive monster, with a work-in-progress defensive repertoire that, even now, includes flashes of high-end switching and solid rim protection.
You know that he’s oft-mentioned in the same breath as some of the NBA’s other top unicorns.
But did you also know he’s friggin’ awesome at putting together Star Wars LEGO sets that include thousands of pieces?
No, you didn’t know this. Just admit it. This information is too obscure to have known before now, unless you’re a member of Turner’s family or inner circle. And yet, we have confirmation he is indeed a LEGO-assembling prodigy thanks to SI.com’s Jake Fischer:
Amid the fall previews for the box office hit, Turner came across an advertisement for a giant Lego model of the Death Star on Twitter. “I was like damn, that would be dope as hell,” Turner says. “If I’m not doing anything, let me put this thing together. And then the Death Star led to Millennium Falcon, Millenium Falcon led to Star Destroyers.” Turner caught Star Wars Lego fever. “I went by Toys ‘R’ Us and legit went on a spree and bought a whole bunch.”
The Death Star is comprised of 4,016 pieces and 23 minifigures, stretching 16 inches high and wide and retailing at $499.99. He built the entire 2,000-piece Star Destroyer over seven-straight hours in mid-December. “I was really bored. We had the day off,” Turner says. “It was cold as shit outside, so I was like, ‘You know what? Let me put one of these things together today.’” He ordered takeout, blasted music and beamed NBA and college basketball games all afternoon and into the evening.
Next time you find yourself wondering what 20-something stars-in-training do for fun when playing in small markets, look to Turner as an example. Many people his age go clubbing. Even if they’re snowed in or unable to go out, they probably devolve into some form of a couch potato.
Not Turner, though. He’s doing something more constructive with his time—quite literally.
So on behalf of any NBA team that may need to face Turner and the Pacers in the playoffs, here’s hoping LEGO releases a 10,000-piece Star Wars-themed pack sometime in mid-April that messes with his on-court focus.
(Just kidding, neither I nor you nor anyone else should be hoping for this at all.)
