Saul Goodman, Wolverine, and Grayson Allen have so much in common as it is.
Tough, overcoming normally unbeatable odds, and now having origin stories.
For Goodman it was his time as Slippin’ Jimmy and his struggles to battle his conscience before becoming Walter White’s lawyer. Wolverine’s was filled with worldly travels, motorcycles, and a cycle of women he (somehow) loved more than any other before becoming members of the “former living.”
Grayson Allen’s happened on Monday night during the national championship game against Wisconsin.
Like Jimmy McGill prior to his transformation to Saul Goodman, Grayson Allen was just a lowly former McDonald’s All-American people seemed to forget about during the early portion of the season. Then, well, “Swagson Allen” was born and a new era started right before our eyes.
Allen’s origin story movie may have opened with an acclaimed high school career worthy of a montage sequence set to a Bill Conti score, but he averaged only 4.4 points per game during the season. Those numbers could be considered a bit of a letdown given the hype surrounding him before ever playing a game at Cameron. Like all good origin stories, though, Allen had to battle a deep roster to showcase his skills on a more regular basis.
When Rasheed Sulaimon was booted off the team after ugly allegations, it was Allen’s time to get more run on the floor. After weeks and weeks of riding the pine, someone else’s transgressions were paving the way for the birth of Swagson Allen prior to the NCAA Tournament. Yet, it never truly happened during the regular season — which is essentially the struggle scene of most origin stories before their climax.
But let’s be honest with each other here: Regular season dominance only makes nominal antiheroes. Grayson Allen needed a much bigger stage to become all that like Rachael Leigh Cook and a bag of chips like Herrs. I mean, what good would Wolverine’s origin stories have been if his big climax was winning a male-only dance competition in Scranton, Pennsylvania? We need drama.
Everyone better have enjoyed his performance in Monday’s game, too. It will probably be the last time folks who don’t root for Duke cheered on Allen in blind attempts at having fun.
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Duke has a history of generating players people love to hate. J.J. Redick, Christian Laettner, and so many others have filled the role of Duke villain in the past. It now looks like a new Blue Devil is ready to play the part in the future as well.
This version of Duke, the one that just one a national title, didn’t have a lot of players people could just hate. Instead we were forced to hate them because they played for Duke. Nothing more. There were not evil Jahil Okafor backstories, or a perceived uncomfortable bravado coming from Justice Winslow. People had to hate Duke… for just being Duke. Sad, I know.
Allen can fill that void, though.
His swag levels are off the charts. Even before getting regular tick, all the way back to being showcased during McDonalds All-American games, Grayson Allen had a confidence that oozed “please, hate me” and a swagger that punched you in the face when you weren’t looking.
He’s going to have to back it up if he wants that role, however. Luckily for people who love to hate Duke — and, you know, people who like the Blue Devils as well — Allen has all the tools to be the next best hated Duke player in the history of the program.
His attributes as a person and a player read off like a checklist of requirements to fill the role:
Swagson Allen (patent pending) can shoot, jump, has already displayed a level of swag he didn’t deserve (until he did!), doesn’t mind getting “gritty,” “looks” like a classic Duke player born to be hated, and so many other things unsuitable for publication.
Monday night was his origin story.
We once loved him, America. The sweet kid who looked like presidential hopeful Ted Cruz. The very cocky young man who helped (thankfully) dispel the notion of cagey veterans being the right way to build title contenders. The Jacksonville, Florida native who wears the number 3… because one is for bums, two is for those without a clue, but three is for a man who is going to leave a legacy.
We loved you yesterday, Grayson Allen. We really did. But we have witnessed your origin story in its entirety now. Claim your rightful spot as a hated Duke Blue Devil. Relish it, even. Legally change your name to Swagson Allen. Be our antihero and villain at the same time. Be college basketball’s Terminus’ Garteth. Do all of those things. Be all of them. All of them and so much more.
Let us love you once more today, but as the villain we want you to be… so that we can proceed to hate you over the next three years, Swagson.
