The NBA playoffs have been defined by one thing: nut shots
Somehow a primary storyline of the NBA playoffs is the same as the subject of viral videos in the early days of YouTube: nut shots. That's right, hits to the groin have been a central part of the ongoing first round of the NBA playoffs.
It started with Game 3 of the Philadelphia 76ers vs Brooklyn Nets. Star Sixers center Joel Embiid fell to the ground and got stepped over by Nic Claxton, traditionally considered a big sign of disrespect in the NBA. Embiid responded with an upward kick in Claxton's...nether region. Somehow this did not get him ejected from the game.
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Crucially, Embiid might've missed the...central target...with his kick. But later his running mate James Harden would be thrown out for a seemingly accidental swipe that did connect with the groin of Nets player Royce O'Neale. Mind you this is all in the same game.
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Not to be out-done, on Saturday night the Memphis Grizzlies' Dillon Brooks — a fantastic villain who has been trash-talking LeBron Freaking James — got booted from Game 3 of their Round 1 series against the L.A. Lakers for, you guessed it, smacking James in the nuts.
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And while this isn't a hit to the balls, Golden State Warrior Draymond Green — who himself once famously nut-shotted James — got a one-game suspension for stepping on a dude's chest. All of these moments have, of course, led to meme jokes, and funny edits.
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People wondered if the NBA is going to need new nut-shot rules. Fans wondered if this was the new NBA.
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Oh and if you were worried about James' health...he was definitely fine.
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The NBA playoffs will continue for weeks. Time will only tell how many more nut shots we're gifted with.
Topics Sports
Tim Marcin is an Associate Editor on the culture team at Mashable, where he mostly digs into the weird parts of the internet. You'll also see some coverage of memes, tech, sports, trends, and the occasional hot take. You can find him on Bluesky (sometimes), Instagram (infrequently), or eating Buffalo wings (as often as possible).
