Jonathan Ebanks is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Jonathan, check out his archive and follow him @hogz4lyfe.
Ladies and gents, boys and girls, peeps and homies, the NBA season is well underway and so is our holiday season (as if jolly ol’ ho-ho-horrifying Shaq-a Clause needed to remind you). During this time of year, we take a step back and appreciate those around us (with our wallets), so let’s take some time to appreciate those in the sport of baskets and balls as we laugh with (at?) them, at their own expense. We will highlight some of the better GIFs in the basketball world that were created over the last week and display them here for your viewing pleasure.
7. The 76ers and T-Wolves Playing Like You Expect Them To
This, my friends, is some of the ugliest basketball you may bear witness to all season. Won’t be as ugly as this though, but still pretty bad. Based on both of our 76ers GIFs (yes, there’s another), one can assume that the 76ers are about as consistent as Spiderman 3, Harvey Dent/Two Face, and Stugotz on the Dan Le Batard Show. Why, you ask? You’ll see soon enough. Also, props to the five of you who have even heard of Stugotz, and then the two of you who actually understood the reference.
6. The Greek Freak’s Dunk on the Heat
-GIF from Reddit user AnachronymWatching Giannis Antetokoyouknowpo… er… Antennakonopo. No wait, it’s… ugh… Giannis Antetokoko… ah screw it, the Greek Freak! When you see this guy ball, you know he’s going to have an awesome career, and watching him soar for that dunk against the Heat signaled to all Heat fans how the mighty have fallen once the King took his talents back home. For a true Heat fan, seeing that Giannis slam and the Heat get manhandled by Milwaukee must have felt like taking a Hercules punch to the throat (see what I did there).
5. Gerald Green’s Off the Backboard Throwdown!
Gerald Green throws it off the glass to himself and dunks it! CRAZY! pic.twitter.com/kFWz255n2x
— NBA GIFS (@RTGIFS) December 1, 2014
I think people have forgotten just how sick of a dunker Gerald Green really is. He won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest back in 2007, and while he was an awesome dunker back then, he’s still got it now. The guy makes it look so easy and when I watch him take flight, I believe I can fly like Jordan or R. Kelly.
4. 76ers Playing Well???
-GIF from Reddit user rahbee33WHAT! DO MY EYES SEE THIS CORRECTLY?! Are the 76ers looking like a competent NBA team… against the Thunder no less!? While this amazing spurt of basketball is more than a bit surprising, the score for this game was exactly what we all would expect. Go figure. Maybe next year Philly… heck, next decade. If you want to really annoy your coworkers, I challenge you not to shower until the 76ers win their third game. Then again, I don’t want to be on the hook for your wife making you sleep outside, while Fido happily resides on your side of the bed.
3. Kemba Walker’s Mean Moves
-GIF from NBA GIFS on TwitterAh! We need a medic! Nikola Mirotic’s ankles just got shattered by the sheer awesomeness of Kemba Walker’s handles. With moves like that, I wonder how many kids he sent to the hospital back in his pick-up game days.
2. Monta Ellis’ Buzzer Beater
The Bucks want a travel called but don’t get it as Monta sinks a tough shot at the buzzer for the win. pic.twitter.com/htOP03vgHM
— NBA GIFS (@RTGIFS) December 4, 2014
This one is something special! Monta Ellis is pretty underrated in this league. He may be an inefficient player, but he has a nice shot (as you can see) and he’s harder to get rid of on defense than that pimple on your nose or that hugely annoying coworker you have who may or may not be stalking you as you read this. Most people think Ellis traveled on the play, but if you look closely you can see that Ellis dribbled the ball at the very beginning of the clip, took two steps, and fired the ball. Doesn’t look like a travel to me, but my astigmatism eyes have fooled me before. Honestly though, much respect to Ellis and what a great win for the Mavericks!
1. Graceful Dwight Howard Block
Look at how high he reached pic.twitter.com/IQr1IauxzN
— NBA GIFS (@RTGIFS) December 6, 2014
Dwight Howard’s wingspan and leap is freakish! He’s like an albatross and the strength required for him to move all 265 pounds of his mass as high as he can is truly incredible. Compared to the video I have linked though, what Howard does in the GIF is peanuts. Seriously, give this video a watch!
We hope you enjoyed our inaugural selection of weekly GIFs. Come back next week to see what the GIF gods have conjured up for your entertainment next time!
