‘Logan, Utah, built the man’: How the internet reacted to Sam Merrill’s surprising winter gear

Kelsey Dallas
·2 min read
Cleveland Cavaliers’ Sam Merrill (5) plays against the San Antonio Spurs during an NBA basketball game in Cleveland on Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024.
Cleveland Cavaliers’ Sam Merrill (5) plays against the San Antonio Spurs during an NBA basketball game in Cleveland on Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024. | Phil Long, Associated Press
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Ahead of the team’s Thursday game against the Brooklyn Nets in Paris, the Cleveland Cavaliers paid a visit to the Eiffel Tower and posed for a photo like regular tourists.

Players, including former Utah Jazzman Donovan Mitchell, wore matching jackets in the photo and a variety of footwear, from sneakers to slippers.

But that’s not what caught the eye of most social media users.

Instead, their attention was drawn to Sam Merrill’s bare legs. The Utah State product was the only player in the group braving the Parisian winter in shorts.

Merrill’s wardrobe prompted dozens of funny responses, including from the Utah State basketball program.

“Tell us you’re from Utah, without telling us you’re from Utah,” USU Men’s Hoops said.

Here are some other funny responses to Merrill’s shorts that were shared on X, the site formerly known as Twitter:

  • “Who is the psychopath in shorts? I don’t know if we should cut him or start him next game for showing grit,” said one Cavs fan.

  • “Logan, UT built the man in the shorts lol,” said Jenn Ellis.

  • “There’s always that one white guy who’s wearing shorts when it’s cold out,” said an X user named Nathan.

It was around 27 degrees Fahrenheit in Paris on Tuesday, according to timeanddate.com.

Related

As many commenters pointed out, Merrill is no stranger to winter weather. He grew up in Bountiful, Utah, then spent four years in Logan, Utah, at Utah State.

Merrill was drafted by the New Orleans Pelicans in 2020 but then traded to the Milwaukee Bucks. In 2021, he was traded again to the Memphis Grizzlies, but waived midseason.

He’s been with Cleveland since March 2023. In the team’s most recent game against the San Antonio Spurs, Merrill contributed 18 points off the bench, according to ESPN.

Merrill and the Cavaliers play the Nets Thursday at noon MST in Paris. The matchup marks the third time the NBA has held a regular-season contest in the French capital, according to NBA.com.