Accidental or intentional? Chris Paul hits Kevin Durant below the belt
Two of the NBA's biggest stars had a rather awkward encounter Wednesday night when Clippers point guard Chris Paul freed himself for a jumper by -- well, by hitting Thunder forward Kevin Durant right in the gonads.
Was it a cheap shot, or was it an accident? Let's investigate.
In the second quarter of Wednesday's game, Paul was guarded by Durant. He head-faked then passed to teammate DeAndre Jordan. Then, as he ran past Durant, he extended his right arm and hit Durant right between the legs. Then he got the ball back and made a shot while Durant was doubled over. Here's a Vine, via The Cauldron.
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In Paul's favor: That would be a really slick shot to the nuts he just pulled off, a no-look strike while on the move.
It's hard to say definitively that it was intentional, but that brings us to our next point...
This isn't the first time Paul just happened to hit an opponent in the 'nads
Last season, Portland center Chris Kaman was the recipient of a Chris Paul nut-shot. And while a college star at Wake Forest, Paul smacked North Carolina State star Julius Hodge in the balls -- which remains a moment of college basketball infamy.
You know the old basketball saying: Punch me in the nuts once, shame on you. Punch me in the nuts twice, shame on me. Punch me in the nuts thrice -- what's your freaking problem, man?!
Our final verdict: Paul's shot to Durant's groin sure looks suspicious given his history, but the NBA will be hard-pressed to find enough evidence of intent to levy a fine.
That said, Clippers opponents might want to start wearing cups.
Sam Laird is Mashable's Senior Sports Reporter. He covers the wide, weird world of sports from all angles -- as well as occasional other topics -- from Mashable's San Francisco bureau. Before joining Mashable in November 2011, his freelance work appeared in publications including the New York Times, New York Times Magazine, Slam, and East Bay Express. Sam is a graduate of UC Berkeley and UC Santa Cruz, and basketball and burritos take up most of his spare time. Follow him on Twitter @samcmlaird.
