It happens on almost every singing competition. A contestant, known for performing within a specific style or genre, steals the spotlight with an out-of-the-box song choice. Covering an overplayed bop as a stripped down piano ballad, the unexpected rendition wows the judges, earning the typical profusion of rave reviews:
“very original”
“that was the most refreshing and unique thing I’ve seen on the show this season”
“you made that song your own”
As formulaic and trite as those one-liners may sound within the setting of reality television, they aptly reflect the experience of watching Caris LeVert play basketball in a Pacers uniform, at least as it pertains to his ability to recreate sets with individualized reads.