Shedeur Sanders' viral celebration hits NBA shores as Chet Holmgren pulls out watch flex during Thunder vs. Spurs game

Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders confirmed his growing cultural influence last night in an NBA preseason game he wasn't involved in.

2022 No. 2 overall pick Chet Holmgren of the OKC Thunder pulled out the quarterback's now trademark celebration, dubbed "The Shedeur" by hip-hop stars Rick Ross and DJ Khaled.

Holmgren pulled out the celebration after hitting a fadeaway shot in the preseason game against the San Antonio Spurs and 2023 No. 1 draft pick Victor Wembanyama.

Shedeur Sanders has popularized the celebration, pulling it out multiple times this season. The move came into the limelight when he flashed his watch at the Nebraska players before the Cornhuskers faced off against the Buffaloes at Folsom Field. The quarterback prospect then flashed his diamond-studded wristwatch to Arizona State fans in Week 6.

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The story of Shedeur Sanders watch celebration - "The Shedeur"

With "The Shedeur" now a recognized celebration and the topic of so much controversy, the watch itself has quite the background.

The watch Sanders has irked rival fans with so often is a customized stainless steel Audemars Piguet (AP) Royal Oak 15500. It is reportedly worth $70,000 and is one of a kind.

According to his jeweler, Saki Mihalakos, who spoke to Complex, the watch has 30 carats of VVS diamonds. Although it usually retails at $27,800, its custom nature makes it way more expensive.

“That's my watch on his wrist. He's out there shining," Mihalakos said. "But he puts in the work. He deserves it.”

Shedeur Sanders caused further controversy after Colorado's narrow 27-24 win against Arizona State during Week 6 action. He ran to the home crowd and celebrated by tapping his wrist at them in a move dubbed "immature" by fans.

It has been a difficult few weeks for Sanders and Colorado after getting obliterated by Oregon on the road and USC at home, despite being without influential two-way star Travis Hunter, who has been injured.

In the game against the Sun Devils, Shedeur Sanders, who has been accused of allowing himself to get sacked to boost his stats, had a hard time and was sacked five times.

The celebration might have been a release of the tension of the last few weeks and frustration at a porous team that doesn't protect him at all. Deion Sanders explained his son's mindset at the situation.

"He's mad," Sanders said. "He's upset with the way this looks. He's upset with the way it's going. He's upset with hit after hit after hit. You think he's happy, being the most sacked guy in college football? He's still doing what he's capable of doing. He's sick of it."

With the news that Travis Hunter is back in training, Shedeur Sanders could be getting back his No. 1 weapon, and the Buffaloes might start to look like the formidable outfit that they were before his injury.