The Kansas City Chiefs are inspiring other sports teams in the area with their innovation.
With his team holding a five-point lead in the closing seconds of Sunday’s Round of 32 game against Kentucky, Kansas State head coach Jerome Tang dialed up a very creative inbounds play. He had three of his players line up on the baseline before two of them jumped out to set what was essentially a bubble screen. That allowed the third player, guard Markquis Nowell, to get the inbounds pass without issue.
Take a look.
Kansas State | Shotgun Inbound pic.twitter.com/S7doW2ICsd
— Coach Gibson Pyper (@HalfCourtHoops) March 19, 2023
Nowell is an elite free-throw shooter at 88.5 percent on the season and is also the team’s best ball-handler. He got fouled after receiving the inbounds pass and sank both ensuing foul shots as Kansas State held on to win 75-69, clinching a berth in the Sweet Sixteen.
Speaking with reporters after the game, Tang credited Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs for inspiring the inbounds play. “We actually call it ‘Mahomes,'” Tang said.
.@KStateMBB head coach Jerome Tang calls this play the "Mahomes"@CoachJTang 🤝 @PatrickMahomes pic.twitter.com/pvM4rfSmcJ
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 19, 2023
Mahomes and the reigning Super Bowl champion Chiefs are known for their extremely inventive playcalls (we saw one particularly memorable one just this past season). Now their impact has gone beyond the gridiron and onto the hardwood as well.
