WHEN KENNY DILLINGHAM speaks, it is hard not to listen. The sound of his voice, however, is only half the portrait. Watching him speak paints a far more complete picture.
Dillingham’s eyes seem to widen and ignite as if they have been flickered on by a match. Sometimes, his hands join the party while his eyebrows shoot up to the sky and his head bobs up and down, all of it harmonizing with the cadence of his words, which often feel like they are being spoken a mile a minute.
This season, Dillingham’s postgame interviews after wins have become a fascination and a small, but significant manifestation of his character. Whether baptized by a vat of celebratory Gatorade or simply worn out by being planted for three-plus hours under the Arizona sun, Dillingham often appears drenched and out of breath, as if he has gone through an entire game himself or run through a mental marathon. But even so, that only taps into a portion of the energy he possesses. Whatever remains, he seems to channel into his public speaking.