In case you missed the inaugural edition, every Friday we are putting together the best memes, plays, quotes, and other silly bits and pieces of NBA content into a weekly column.
There are a lot of serious columns out there with excellent analysis. This ain’t that. We’re here to have fun and highlight the weird, wonderful world of online NBA discourse.
Welcome to This Week in the NBA.
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NBA Media gold, silver, bronze medalists of the week
There were some very funny bits of NBA media coverage this week, enough so that we can put together a fake awards ceremony.
The bronze medal goes to Kenny Smith for his middle-aged fit during halftime of the In-Season Tournament Quarterfinals. Once you see it, you can’t unsee it.
https://t.co/Uhe2sIfEAk pic.twitter.com/mX7UrE2ATv
β NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) December 5, 2023
The silver goes to Skip Bayless. Finally, Bayless has found something that he agrees with NBA players on β that the refs stink. They blew it down the stretch in the Suns-Lakers In-Season Tournament Quarterfinals game by awarding Los Angeles a timeout with the ball loose, costing Phoenix a chance to win in the final seconds of the game.
Suns center Jusuf Nurkic let Bayless do the talking for him.
Never thought this mf will be right lol https://t.co/Q8ERRi0nzb
β Jusuf NurkiΔ π§π¦ (@bosnianbeast27) December 6, 2023
The gold goes to Kendrick Perkins. He gets criticized for his analysis, but when he wants to be funny he nails it.
dawg iβm crying pic.twitter.com/mITYScKou4 https://t.co/6cNkdqXEYH
β Jπ (@SixersJustin) December 2, 2023
When Adam Silver said that he wanted to change NBA discourse, I hope he left a carve-out for random barking during TV segments.
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Bradley Beal slander
Beal, Kevin Durant and Devin Booker still have yet to play a game together this year. Beal has played in only three of them, sitting out since Nov. 15 with a bad back.
DeanScorpion_ on X, formerly known as Twitter, had the random factoid:
Kelly Oubre really got hit by a car and is still back before Bradley Beal π https://t.co/HluYhz33fk
β dean π¦ (@DeanScorpion_) December 6, 2023
Highlight(s) of the Week
Overtime Elite came in with two bangers this week.
First, there’s the most disrespectful block in the history of the game:
I ainβt ever see this typa disrespect before π @nlmbpeyton @GMC
TAP IN: https://t.co/dZCnQck3Qw pic.twitter.com/3Oq7qH0hxP
β Overtime Elite (@OvertimeElite) December 2, 2023
Then, we have the block attempt that should never have been:
Tacko Fall POSTER OF THE YEAR? π³ (h/t myhoopshubs/IG) pic.twitter.com/9tDU3wqy42
β Overtime (@overtime) December 5, 2023
Story of the week: Why rookies should never talk trash in front of Draymond Green
Stories straight from NBA players are one of the best parts of new media. On an appearance of Pardon My Take, Mo Wagner had a great one about when he accidentally talked trash to Kevin Durant.
Wagner said, “You can’t guard me,” not realizing it was KD who had been defending him. The Warriors proceeded to roast him for the next minute.
Props to Tom Haberstroh for finding the play in question. Listen to the story first, then watch the clip.
I found the clip and it gets even better. The next play! π https://t.co/TlBJm2DndC pic.twitter.com/B0GH54w5RW
β Tom Haberstroh (@tomhaberstroh) December 6, 2023
NBA Twitter joke of the week
Sreekar is the king of NBA Twitter for good reason β he’s the funniest account on the site.
Here’s his banger on LeBron’s legacy-building during the In-Season Tournament:
LeBron is playing like he wants to win this tournament to give himself something Jordan never had (leaving Vegas $500K richer)
β sreekar (@sreekyshooter) December 8, 2023
The Poole Patrol
Here is your Jordan Poole joke of the week, via a Twitter Q&A with Kyle Kuzma:
After playing with Jordan Poole do you get why Draymond punched him? https://t.co/CS6N6xDZxP
β Bobby Hare (@Bobby_Hare) December 5, 2023
This has been your week in the NBA.