Dwight Powell can take a punch to the face how many times?
If anyone has ever kept track of how frequently a player has been struck in the face during a basketball game, Dwight Powell might be the career leader. Even though he didn’t play much last season, he still maintains a Twitter/X account tracking the frequency of his face hits. Not even in international competition is his face secure.
Powell’s Team Canada faced Team France, which has Rudy Gobert and Victor Wembanyama, in an exhibition match on Friday. Gobert and the Dallas Mavericks had a tense relationship after Dallas defeated Gobert’s Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals this season. That seems to have extended to international play, as you can see below when Gobert threw a ball straight at Powell’s face during the match.
Before Gobert tossed the ball at Powell out of frustration, he was already well out of bounds. Despite making just six shots, Gobert finished with 12 points and six rebounds to help Canada win 85–73. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led them in scoring with 23 points, while Powell only managed four points.
As a third center option who can cover for Dereck Lively II or Daniel Gafford, Powell is still with the Mavericks. Although his mobility has started to deteriorate as he ages, he rarely participated in the playoffs but remains a valuable experienced presence in the locker room.
