Sonny Styles basketball career: Revisiting Ohio State star's highlights, recruiting, more about time playing hoops

Styles' game was adorned with flourishes. He was rangy and athletic, routinely climbing the ladder to throw down two-handed jams or swat away opposition layups like flies.

While Styles' football prowess earned him the most plaudits -- he was a consensus five-star on the gridiron -- Styles commanded attention as a basketball player. He claimed all-district honors as a forward during his time at Central and earned three-star billing as a basketball prospect, according to ESPN. Rivals reported that Styles fielded "mid-major offers on the hardwood."

Styles' basketball legacy is enshrined by a simple, if unusual, fact. He prompted Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day to retire from the hardwood after besting him in memorable fashion as a teenager.

The story goes as follows: Day was recruiting Styles' older brother, Lorenzo. Sonny was waiting in the wings, fiddling with a basketball as a seventh or eighth grader. Day goaded the youngster into sharing the floor with him, hoping to showcase his might in one-on-one.

It didn't work.

"He took two dribbles and dunked on me," Day said while appearing on ESPN's "This is Football." "That was the last time I played basketball, because an eighth grader dunked on me.”

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Sonny Styles recruiting, offers

While Styles earned five-star labels across all major recruiting databases in football, he "only" commanded three-star billing as a basketball recruit.

That was still enough for Styles to receive Division I basketball offers from Akron, Duquesne, Kent State, Ohio and Toledo, according to The Athletic.

Sonny Styles basketball highlights

Styles' game was decked in color. He was known for his high-flying acrobats -- particularly on fast breaks. Here's a look at his finest moments on the hardwood.