Best of the Bench #1: Let’s Get Weird
As you’ve probably noticed, we at Friendly Bounce don’t love the NBA solely because of the game action. There are so many unique things that make the league great on an everyday basis.
One of those things is bench celebrations. The NBA has the best bench celebrations in the world, and it’s the one thing that puts Robert Sacre on par with Stephen Curry.
So, to make sure you don’t miss any of the best bench celebrations this year, we’ll be running a post every month to highlight the top celebrations. We may be only a week into the season, but we had plenty of contenders.
#3: Mike Muscala bizzaro dinosaur (h/t @TasMelas)
The best thing about Muscala’s celebration is that he starts it during Paul Millsap’s spin move, well before Millsap scores. It’s the bench equivalent of running back on defense while your shot is still in the air.
You’ve got to love Muscala’s confidence and pure joy. Who knows what he’s doing with his arms? Maybe he had hit someone with a fist pump earlier and was being cautious. Whatever the case, Muscala, always a strong bench celebrator, is off to a good start this year.
#2: KG being KG (h/t @ZacharyBD)
Kevin Garnett has taken his role as mentor to Karl-Anthony Towns very seriously. To be fair, it’s KG, so he probably takes his order at Chipotle seriously. But he has already had a huge influence on Towns, and Towns has been every bit as awesome as Minnesota hoped he would be so far.
So, when Towns knocks down a jumper, KG does what he does best, and lets out a primal scream. The double arm pump only makes it better.
You could certainly make an argument that Garnett should be resting as much as possible when he’s on the bench, given the miles on his legs. But, this is the guy whose been blocking shots after the whistle since before some of the guys in the league were born. The off switch broke a long time ago.
#1 Iggy’s spin move (h/t @Samcmlaird)
Once Andre Iguodala decided to put his dance moves on display, everyone else was battling for second. Golden State has had plenty of practice on bench celebrations, seeing as they’ve had the most jaw-dropping plays and blowouts the last two years. And Iggy is the best of the bunch.
Look how far he goes onto the court for this one! That’s dedication. It’s just the perfect nonsense after someone dunks on someone else.
We’ve had better Finals MVPs in terms of basketball talent, certainly. But, have we ever had a player that’s won Finals MVP and is this good of a celebrator on the bench? Probably not. His spin moves are as impressive off the court as they are on it.
Maybe this isn’t what Steve Kerr was referring to when he raved about Iguodala’s acceptance of his bench role, but I’d like to think it is. The guy is one of the best in the game at these things, and, with the way Golden State is playing, we’re likely to see plenty more from him as the year continues.