Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman took a break from running routes to run up the scoreboard on the basketball court.
Coleman exploded for 60 points at Bills teammate Damar Hamlin’s Chasing M’s Foundation celebrity basketball game at Duquesne University’s Cooper Fieldhouse in Pittsburgh on Saturday, showcasing the athleticism that made him a dual-sport athlete at Michigan State. Social media clips from the game showed Coleman hitting step-back 3-pointers, throwing down highlight-reel dunks, including double-clutch jams, windmills and a lob to himself off the backboard.
A highlight reel by Prospect Media noted Coleman had 40 points at halftime.
The game was scheduled to feature an all-star cast of current and former NFL players, including Stefon Diggs, James Cook, Dion Dawkins, KJ Hamler, Tyreek Hill and Aaron Donald, along with pro basketball players, musicians, and social media influencers.
Coleman, 22, was the Bills’ second-round pick in 2024, He was a decorated two-sport athlete before turning his focus to football. Coleman was recruited for both sports at Michigan State. He played both sports at Michigan State as a freshman, joining the Spartans’ basketball team after the 2021 Peach Bowl. Coleman appeared in six games under Hall of Fame coach Tom Izzo, scoring five points in 10 total minutes during the 2021–22 season.
His rare crossover success placed him in elite company: When Coleman scored a layup against Michigan in his basketball debut, he became the first athlete since Heisman Trophy winner Charlie Ward (Florida State, 1992–93) to score both a touchdown and a basket for AP Top 10-ranked football and basketball teams in the same academic year.
The 6-foot-4 Louisiana native enjoyed playing for Hall of Fame coach Tom Izzo.
“It was fun,” Coleman said of his stint with Izzo during a March interview with Carmelo Anthony on the 7PM in Brooklyn podcast. “I think he the best coach ever.”
Izzo said he still stays in contact with Coleman.
“I said, damn!” Izzo told WIVB-TV last year when asked about witnessing Coleman’s raw ability. “I told our football coach at the time, ‘Yeah, I’m going to recruit him. … Those basketball highlights are legit.”
A Louisiana native, the 6-foot-4 Coleman averaged 33.5 points per game as a senior at Opelousas Catholic School, earning first-team All-State honors. He scored 26 per game as a junior and 23.1 as a sophomore, receiving a basketball scholarship offer from Virginia Tech.
Coleman had 29 receptions for 556 yards and four touchdowns in his rookie season. Coleman said during mandatory minicamp that he focused on getting stronger in the offseason. Judging by the aerial displays in Pittsburgh, the vertical leap is ready for jump balls from Josh Allen.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Watch Keon Coleman score 60 points in Damar Hamlin’s celebrity basketball game
Reporting by Ryan Miller, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
