Ryan Pawlowski thinks of himself as just an average dad with an above average shot.
The Sudbury resident started filming his own "highlight reel" as a way to keep his young sons entertained. Little did he know, five years later, his shots on a Little Tykes basketball net would evolve into more elaborate trick shots and serve as a welcome distraction during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pawlowski's channel "You Know What I'm Saying Tricks" includes dozens of videos of him sinking shots into his kids' basketball net. He's made shots over his roof, deflected the ball into the net off of stair railings and pulled off countless behind-the-back blind shots. Check out the compilation video above.
"I sent a few of these shots to friends and family on Snapchat as a joke and it just caught on," Pawlowski said.
"People often ask me how many shots it takes for me to do a trick and my answer is always the same: 'Do you ask Al Pacino how many takes he shot for scenes in Scarface?' All that matters is the finished product."
"Every shot is different. Some take under 10 tries and some of them take more than 50."
Pawlowski, who has played hockey his entire life, said he's never played organized basketball. Prior to COVID-19 he kept busy coaching his sons in various sports.
His wife Andryanna and their sons Benjamin, 5, and Ashton, 3, like to get in on the fun as well.
"They like to cheer me on to let me know when I score and they especially like to let me know if I missed a shot," Pawlowski said.
"It's kind of a standing joke that when my wife asks my kids where I am, that they respond, 'he's doing the highlight reel'."
"She would definitely categorize the videos as 'antics' - you know what I'm saying?!"
As for the name of his channel, "You Know What I'm Saying Tricks" Pawlowski said it was just a joke that stuck.
"After sinking a shot, I would jokingly say "You know what I'm saying?!" and give the finger guns," he said. "I think I was just trying to add to the humour of the overall situation."
"(The videos) have been a good outlet for me to take my mind off of the pandemic, share lighthearted humour with others and have actually become my daily workout with gyms being closed."
"As much as it all started out as a joke, I truly appreciate all the love and support especially from my wife, kids, family and friends who have endured the many 'snaps' and 'group chat' posts."
Follow Pawlowski and his You Know What I'm Saying Tricks on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.
