Drop-step. Defy gravity. Dunk.

Those are the big-man basics down on the block.

And there’s the obvious: at 6’10” and 250 lbs., Blake Griffin is a big man. He was 15 years old the first time he followed those very steps.

But it would be foolish to consider anything about the hype surrounding everything that came next “basic”. Obviously.

When a power forward of that size rises, it often doesn’t matter whether he started with possession or the ball was already in flight. With brute force and the anger of 10,000 box outs combined, he hammers the tin.

But when Blake soars above the noise, the gravity-defying collision is equal parts midair ballet and mixed martial arts. Contortionist. Wind-up doll. Remote control 18-wheeler.

Next-generation poster-maker.

The crowd often rises before he does - enlivened by the anticipation of something they’ve never before seen, yet already know is coming.

Children churn the pedals of their bikes in a never-ending race against the summer sunset. Puppies chase their own tails, circling infinity. And defenders brace for impact from this human trampoline.

This weekend, on the game’s most star-studded stages, the entire basketball universe gets to see.