A lot of players have pregame rituals and handshakes whether it be a part of their pregame workout, what they wear, how they enter the court, or some sort of action before tip off. Kevin Garnett was known for banging his head into the standard. LeBron James and Dwyane Wade used to have a boxing match before games. Rituals and handshakes are just as big a part of the NBA as the tip off to start the game.
Of course, some of the handshakes are just weird. Take this one between Steven Adams and Nick Collison for instance.
(H/t Chris Hanneke)
They grab each other’s hands, give a quick few shakes, and then stare….and stare….and keep on staring. Until finally they break eye contact and end the handshake.
This is terrifying. Not because the players are scary but because they are so willing to make eye contact with each other for such a long period of time, without a single movement of any kind. Look, eye contact is only not awkward when in the middle of conversation. Any other instance of eye contact and humans natrually look away because it’s very awkard and they don’t want it be awkward. But these two, they just stare without saying a word and that’s very awkward but for them it’s not awkward at all and that’s scary.
What are they saying to each other in that silent stare? Are they wishing each other a good game, or is it a threat to play better…or else.
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