A blooper, by definition, is an error committed by someone in public. In the highly-competitive and high-stake world of the NBA, these embarrassing—but definitely entertaining—mistakes come in various forms, including blown lay-ups, bonehead plays, air-balled free throws, and plays involving JaVale McGee.
BENCH-CLEARING, SHAQ-STYLE
Back when Shaquille O’Neal can still chase after loose balls, he caused a rare bench-clearing incident involving his teammates and coaching staff. If you saw a 7-foot, 300-pound athlete running towards you, the smart thing to do is get out of the way.
BUFFERRING…
Washington’s Otto Porter is at best a dependable defender who can swipe the ball and reject lay-ups. At worst, he is an absentminded guy who wonders if he left the oven on at home.
PREMATURE CELEBRATION
Nick Young is the basketball version of the guy who goes out on one date with the pretty girl he likes, then brags to all his friends that the girl is falling in love with him already. He asks her out again, and girl is like, “Sorry, who is this?”
GATORADE SHOWER
The NBA doesn’t give an award to players who consistently and inevitably get embarrassed on the court, like a Reverse MVP. They should. And they should name the award after poor Brandon Knight, who always finds himself on the receiving end of a wicked anklebreaker or a soul-crushing dunk or, in the video above, a Gatorade bath. He has had chances to redeem himself, but—of course—this happens:
CELEBRATION FAIL
Not sure what Nate Robinson’s plan here was, but falling on his face probably wasn’t one of them. Ray Allen’s stinkface reaction says everything.
ACTING JOB
A flop is a blooper if a) it involves Hollywood-style acting, and b) it worked. Chris Bosh covered both, so he makes the list. He also shot 1 of 18 in this 2011 game, which may have been the bigger blooper.
SAY WHAT?
Postgame press conferences are unscripted and therefore have become a gold mine for bloopers. The players and coaches are tired and required to think on their feet. Results are often bland (unless it’s Gregg Popovich), but sometimes they’re hilarious.
JAVALE MCGEE
JaVale McGee is doing well now as a Warrior, but he has long been a staple on Shaqtin’ A Fool, a lowlight reel of bloopers in the NBA. McGee recently called out Shaq for constantly picking on him, but with a play like this—going between the legs, hoisting up an ugly jump hook, then aimlessly running to the opposite side of the floor without a care in the world—could you really blame Shaq?
What was the funniest for you? Tell us below!
