How Giants rookie QB, star WR bonded during intense pickup basketball game

New York Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart is fiery. New York wide receiver Malik Nabers learned that during an intense pickup basketball game. 

During a Friday interview with Bleacher Report, Nabers revealed he and Dart "got into it" during a pickup game at Giants QB Russell Wilson's house this summer. The second-year WR said he got into the rookie passer's face, asking what he was "going to do?" He then showed the pass-catcher he wasn't going to back down. 

"I stepped right back to him, no hesitation at all," Dart said Sunday at training camp, via Art Stapleton of NorthJersey.com and The Record. "I don't ever want to be in a position where I'm gonna lose, so [Malik] challenged me, I challenged him right back. If you're not going to give it you're all in everything you do, then you're probably gonna lose."

In doing so, Dart earned the respect of Nabers. Asked his opinion of the 22-year-old QB, the one-time Pro Bowler said he's "a dog." 

Dart's confidence is one key reason he's making progress at training camp after a rocky start.

The Ole Miss product threw a pick-six on his first pass of 11-on-11 drills on July 23. During his fourth practice on Sunday, however, he looked much sharper.

According to Stapleton, he went 11-of-13 during team drills, despite rainy weather at the team's facility in East Rutherford, New Jersey.