I can’t stop thinking about this image.
When Malcolm Delaney (Towson Catholic) was playing at Virginia Tech, then coach (now ESPN analyst) Seth Greenberg told me what made him special was “Baltimore toughness.” The concept wasn’t difficult to grasp. A talented basketball player from Baltimore has typically had to work that much harder than their counterparts in D.C., Philadelphia, New York, etc. in order to get noticed and get opportunities. “Baltimore toughness” is the embodiment of that chip-on-the-shoulder mentality on the basketball floor. These players tend to be a little more willing to do the dirty work — defending, fighting for loose balls, battling for rebounds. They tend to channel being overlooked into never being outworked.
