When Sports Illustrated published the interview with the NBA official, it immediately blew up.
A lot of people who already weren't big fans of Luke started voicing their opinions:
"They're not wrong, though. Luke's height is tall for a regular guy, but for basketball, he's practically a physical liability. Anyone could swat his shot away easily."
"In basketball, speed with the ball is the only speed that matters. What's the point of just being fast at running? If that were the case, all the Olympic sprinters would be playing basketball."
"If you don't have the height, you have to make up for it with jumping ability. I wonder if Luke can actually dunk while dribbling."
"Basketball isn't football! Charging in and hitting people is a foul!"
"Every top athlete practices their shooting form hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of times to build that kind of muscle memory. Has Luke put in that kind of work? Can he even shoot straight?"
"I'll just ask: which Asian player in the NBA is a truly top-tier superstar?"
Luke's supporters were quick to fire back, not backing down:
"Didn't you see his pinpoint accurate passing in that football game? With that kind of control over his force, how hard can it be for him to develop a high shooting percentage?"
"Luke is a God in the sports world; you guys only doubt him because he's too modest."
"Who says no Asian player can be a superstar? I know a center who's coming into the NBA. He's 7-foot-5, and multiple teams are fighting to draft him—he's definitely going to be the number one pick this year. You'll see a top Asian basketball player then."
"You all said the same thing before Luke played in that friendly football game. Why don't you just let him play one game and see?"
"I agree! The best way to prove yourself is to play a game. I bet Luke would be awesome!"
The intense debate only fueled the fire, and Luke's popularity kept skyrocketing. By now, some Americans might not know who the president is, but almost everyone knows who Luke is.
Of course, knowing of him is one thing; whether people like him or what their opinion is, well, that's a different story.
---
### The Video That Ended the Argument
This level of name recognition was definitely a huge advantage for Luke.
After the public arguments simmered for a few days, a video appeared online that instantly shut down all the noise.
The video was a single, continuous shot—no edits, guaranteed.
In the clip, Luke, wearing a white basketball jersey, stood on the mid-court line.
He smiled and said, "Even though I've been super busy with work lately, as a basketball fan, I still have to find time to get a little workout in."
"What do you guys think? Can I hit a basket from the mid-court line?"
"No way, I don't believe it," a staff member off-camera said.
"Honestly, me neither," Luke replied.
As he was talking, he casually tossed the ball. It sailed through the air in a perfect arc.
"Swish!"
A clean shot, right through the net without touching the rim.
"That had to be a fluke! Beginner's luck! No way, do it again," the staff member challenged.
"When I said I didn't believe it, I meant I didn't believe I could only make a shot from the mid-court line."
Luke then took two steps back, immediately jumped, and shot the ball.
"Swish!"
Another beautiful shot, straight through the net.
"Gimme another ball," Luke said, taking two more steps back.
He caught the pass, jumped again, and shot.
"Swish!"
Three shots, three makes. That's not luck; that's pure skill.
The staff member then asked, "Wow, you're seriously good! Are you going to play in the NBA?"
Luke laughed and said, "My main job is acting, after all. But if people keep doubting me, they're basically forcing me to go out there and prove myself, aren't they?"
With that, he picked up a ball and started walking off the court.
He kept walking until he was almost completely off the court, without even turning around, and threw the ball over his shoulder with a reverse shot. He didn't look back, leaving only a ridiculously cool silhouette.
As the staff watched in disbelief, the basketball flew in a high, graceful trajectory.
"Swish!"
That sound landed like a punch in the gut for everyone watching, shattering the last bit of doubt for some people.
---
### NBA Backpedals Fast
The internet went absolutely nuts when the video was uploaded. In just 24 hours, the total play count across all platforms hit over four million views.
"F\CK! How did Luke do that?! Is he even human?" one user exclaimed.
"I know! Luke must be using some kind of amazing, secret technique for shooting! Have you guys seen his movie Hero that's out right now? In the blooper reel, he hits three apples simultaneously with three coins from over 60 feet away!" That was definitely a Luke movie fan.
"Hero? I heard of that movie; I think it's the box office champion right now, but I didn't bother since I don't really watch foreign films. Now I'm going to buy a ticket."
"Is anyone still questioning whether Luke can play basketball? I really hope we get to see him on the court."
"I'm the opposite. I really hope Luke doesn't play basketball. He'd ruin the game! You don't want to see a guy get the ball on the baseline and immediately shoot from there, do you?"
"That's actually a fair point, but if he really wants to play, no one can stop him. It's not like they can reject him just because his shooting is too good, right?"
"Luke was pretty clear: his main job is acting. If he ends up playing basketball, it'll only be because people doubted him and forced him to prove himself!"
Not long after, the NBA released an official statement.
The statement claimed they had never doubted Luke's talent on the basketball court. In fact, the NBA had always been huge fans of Luke and had even been preparing to promote his new movie. As for the official who questioned Luke, he had been in the process of resigning for over a month. His comments were his personal opinion and absolutely did not represent the NBA's official stance. They concluded by saying the official had now completely left the league and they would not be pursuing any further action against him.
Seeing the statement, Tom Brady laughed and said, "Man, I suddenly feel a lot better. Why would anyone want to mess with that guy?"
His head coach next to him agreed: "Seriously, don't provoke him. It's better for everyone if he just stays away from sports!"
"Luke's new movie is about to drop. I bought out a whole theater screening for the entire team to go see it," Tom Brady mentioned.
"The billboards at our home stadium are already plastered with Pirates of the Caribbean ads," the coach added.
"I wish his movie career all the best!"
"May God bless him! May his box office numbers be huge forever!"
---