They called him "Bobo." He was so gangly, so goofy, so downright awkward and almost clumsy in his movements that the rest of the All-Stars called him Bobo.
That's what Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert was subjected to during his first All-Star experience in 2012. In practice, in warm-ups, in the game, some of his Eastern Conference teammates ribbed him with that derogatory nickname. They were just joking around, just being fun-loving, but Hibbert, who laughed off the insults, probably wasn't laughing inside.
He's laughing now, though.
Bobo is far from a clown in these Eastern Conference finals. With a wide array of post moves rarely seen in today's version of basketball, Hibbert has dominated the world champion Miami Heat, averaging 22 points and 11 rebounds a game while shooting 54.7 percent from the floor.
Through the first four games, he arguably played better than four-time MVP LeBron James when you factor in his significant defensive contributions, and he's simply outdistanced James' struggling perennial All-Star teammates Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh by a wide margin.