15 Crazy NBA stories you forgot happened
As the NBA regular season comes to a close, it’s time to think back on the incredible, crazy season we had. It was a season filled with crazy stories and weird twists and turns than no one expected. So many of these events were out of our minds in just a couple days, so let’s take a look at the top 15 things that make you think, “Wait… that actually happened!”
15. Magic Johnson was fined for tampering — Magic Johnson, NBA legend and president of the Lakers, was fined $50,000 for complimenting Giannis Antetokounmpo, a human being who is very easy to compliment. In said compliment, he literally said Giannis would win MILWAUKEE a championship, not LA. Here’s the full quote.
14. Steve Kerr let his players coach — In a meaningless February game against one of the worst teams in the league (Phoenix), Warriors coach Steve Kerr let injured vets Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala take over the clipboard and coach the game. This was just a really weird move which is quite unprecedented and offended pretty much no one except for Jared Dudley.
13. The Cavs traded everyone — The favorites in the Eastern Conference, who won the title the year before last, and have the league’s best player, conducted an unprecedented roster makeover. Isaiah Thomas, Derrick Rose, Jae Crowder, Channinig Frye, Dwyane Wade, Iman Shumpert all out. Larry Nance Jr., Jordan Clarkson, Rodney Hood, George Hill in. Absolutely unprecedented roster turnover. Incredibly bold deadline from an elite team. Was it a good choice? Probably, but it seems hanging on to Kyrie would have been the best path.
12. Fergie BUTCHERED the national anthem — It’s not an accident that “butchered” is in all caps. It was awful. It was an absolute internet sensation for like, less than 24 hours. Here’s the video, if you can sit through it one more time. This is why you just sing the national anthem like it’s meant to be sung, rather than trying to make it about you.
11: It was rumored that LeBron was considering the Warriors — This report came out of literally nowhere. There was a two or three day period when it was seriously being considered, til LeBron himself shut them down. But still, everyone’s like “There’s no way. But like, what if… nah. No way. But maybe there is?” But in reality, there’s no way. Or is there?
10. Someone pretended to be a Pelicans player in warmups and got away with it — This New Orleans fan, in warmup gear, was on the court for NINETEEN SECONDS before a security guard finally noticed he wasn’t a player on the team and returned him to his seat. He even got a shot off.
9. LaVar actually created a league — The rise of LaVar Ball is ridiculous to rehash. It started with “Lonzo Ball, that kid at UCLA? His dad said he could beat MJ in 1 on 1!” Eventually, Big Baller Brand came to be, the crazy prices of the shoes and other apparel. LaMelo and LiAngelo came onto the scene, as one dropped 92 and the other… was arrested. And now Lonzo is “LaVar’s son” more than LaVar is “Lonzo’s dad.” And the craziest thing of all is LaVar creating the Junior Basketball Association, an alternative amateur league, which my friend jokingly signed up for the other day. Insane.
8. Paul Pierce complained about Isaiah’s tribute video — Paul Pierce has always been a bit of a diva, but his beef with Isaiah was really a new low. Isaiah Thomas was a top 5 MVP finisher for the Celtics. He played through a terrible hip injury, a tooth knocked out, and the tragic death of his sister. Then the C’s traded him. Kind of a jerk move, but it’s a business. So, naturally, the Celtics planned a tribute video for his first game at the Garden. But Paul Pierce has a problem with this, considering it was also his jersey retirement night. Isaiah responded with class, telling Boston to give the night to Pierce.
7. The #1 pick sat out most of the season and forgot how to shoot — Markelle Fultz was a perfect fit to put next to Ben Simmons in Philly. When he twisted his ankle in Summer League, everyone did the “Oh, of course the Sixers rookie is injured!” But we had no idea. By the preseason, people began to question Fultz’ shooting form, and a handful of games into the season, Fultz began to sat out with a shoulder injury. No one really knew how bad the injury was. Eventually, we forgot about him. That is, until Brett Brown randomly announced that he was coming back, and now he is. And his jumpshot looks… fine?
6. JR Smith threw soup on a coach — JR has had his fair share of weird events over the years, but this one stands out. Smith was suspended for one game by the Cavaliers for “throwing soup on assistant coach Damon Jones”. Just imagine how this went down. Things are shouted back and forth, probably, and the shooting guard just hurls the bowl of soup at the assistant coach. Such a JR move.
5. Eric Bledsoe didn’t wanna be there — Eric Bledsoe had already been reportedly unhappy in Phoenix, where he was the only veteran of value on a tanking team. Then, in the first month of the season, when the Suns were already performing at a historic low and the head coach had been fired, Bledsoe tweeted “I Dont wanna be here”. He was traded a week and a half later. But it was the hair salon. Right.
4. KCP played in a game wearing an ankle monitor — Read that one again. Yeah. That happened. It wasn’t even a big deal at the time! Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Lakers wing, got a DUI last year when playing for Detroit. This year, his 25-day jail sentence was implemented. A work-release program allowed him to leave prison for games, but he couldn’t leave the state of California, so he got a “DNP-personal reasons” in some road games. Crazy.
3. Bobby Portis broke Nikola Mirotic’s face — As training camp was winding down, competing power forwards Bobby Portis and Nikola Mirotic got into a scuffle during scrimmage. Mirotic shoved Portis, and Portis returned with a punch right to Niko’s face which left him our for a couple months with varoius fractures. Portis was suspended for eight games, and apologized. Meanwhile, with both out, Lauri Markkanen introduced himself. Mirotic, still broken in the face, said it was either him or Portis, but Mirotic couldn’t be traded til December. Then, they had reportedly buried the hatchet, but then Mirotic did get traded.
2. The whole Kawhi Leonard saga — Imagine this. It’s the beginning of the season, and Kevin Durant has a hamstring injury. He should be back by opening night though. A setback is reported, and he won’t play opening night. Then more setbacks are reported. When will the star small forward play? Finally, in January, KD returns. He plays 8 games of a 14 game stretch, and then is shut down again. The team doctors clear him, but he sits out. The team’s hall of fame point guard, Steph Curry, says “My hamstring injury was way worse, and I sucked it up and played through it.” Then a report comes out that there was a team meeting where they begged Durant to play, but he refused. Andre Iguodala tweets that it “couldn’t be further from the truth”. Now it’s time for the playoffs, and the star forward still hasn’t returned.
1.The Rockets/Clippers tunnel war — This is THE craziest story, no question. Chris Paul, former Clipper, was playing against his former team at the Staples Center. There is obvious friction during the game between CP3 and certain Clippers, namely Blake Griffin and Austin Rivers. After the game, Chris Paul and fellow star James Harden used a secret tunnel in the bowls of the Staples Center to sneak into the back of the Clippers’ locker room. The BEST part of the story though, is that Clint Capela was sent to the front door of the Clips’ locker room to distract the Clippers from Harden and Paul sneaking in the back. Capela reportedly knocked on the front door, and the Clippers opened it, then slammed it right in his face. This is such an amazing story and I can’t wait to watch the action movie.
