YouTube is full of very small children "playing" basketball, but the sad fact is that the majority of them have no skills whatsoever. Due to their low-functioning motor skills and general uncertainty over what objects are and how they should be used, these babies typically struggle to stand up, look at the hoop with quizzical interest, and perhaps even make one attempt to shoot the ball after hopeful yet strained encouragement from a parent. Take, for instance, this child (chosen at random), who is really getting by on cuteness alone. It's safe to say he will not be forgoing his last years of preschool eligibility to jump straight to kindergarten.
In this sea of mediocrity, young Titus Ashby stands out. A two-year-old from Derby, Kansas, "Trick-Shot" Titus has captured the internet's attention with several highlight videos of his basketball exploits. (Note: There is no indication that Titus is a baby genius, so he probably did not devise these shots on his own.) He is a talented little boy, and he deserves attention.
Jimmy Kimmel and his staff have noticed Titus, so on Thursday night they invited him to the set for this month's first post-NBA Finals edition of "Jimmy Kimmel Live." Except they didn't just let Titus shoot by himself — they pitted him in a free-throw shooting competition against a much bigger foe: 15-time All-Star Shaquille O'Neal.
Without the aid of his usual video editing, Titus put forth a decent performance and nailed eight of his shots. Shaq, a 52.7 percent free-throw shooter for his career, failed to hit a single shot, blaming his passer along the way. As a two-year-old who would have been alive for only a few (injury-riddled) months of Shaq's NBA career, it's likely that Titus does not understand the gravity of this accomplishment. Maybe he will figure it out when he sees "Kazaam" for the first time.
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