The Twins Takeover

Hitting the court with NBA centres Brook and Robin Lopez, who are about to tear the game in two.

- Maxrivlin-Nadler

ON A CLEAR SUMMER MORNING in downtown Manhattan, USA, an SUV pulls up outside an empty basketball court. Twins, two absolute giants of men, exit the car and make their way towards the blacktop, each holding new basketball shoes. One, Brook Lopez, is a Brooklyn Net. The other, Robin Lopez, is a newly minted New York Knick. And they’re about to begin what is, technically speaking, the very first hometown face-off of their professional careers, and a media storm that will likely consume them all season. New York needs to get ready; their newest, greatest rivals are about to play H-O-R-S-E.

“These are actually my brother’s shoes,” Robin says, as he warms up, “I don’t have any of my things here yet. Luckily, we’re the same size.” All right, so they’re starting off light. But with good reason. After battling through injuries early in their careers, the twins put together impressive campaigns last season, with Brook going on an offensive rampage, and Robin posting solid rebound numbers while holding his own. Brook had played for the Nets for seven seasons, and the team quickly re-signed him for $60 million (about R788 million), cementing him as the face of the franchise. But it wasn’t clear where Robin, who was on his third team in four years, would end up.