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. Here are the best bench celebrations of December.
#4: 76ers semi-Scooby Doo run on Richaun Holmes dunk (h/t @Sixers)
Look, there are two acceptable reactions to huge dunks like this. Either one guy holds everyone back, or everyone runs in different directions.
Philadelphia’s bench players manage to do a little bit of each here. Clearly, everybody isn’t on the same page.
Certainly, the enthusiasm gets them on this list by itself, but next time, the team needs to commit to holding still or breaking out into chaos. When your team is full of young players, on-court chemistry isn’t the only kind that takes time. I’d imagine Brett Brown went to the film on this one, and next time everybody will be in sync.
#3: Roy Hibbert shrugs off Kobe’s big shot (h/t @its_whitney)
Roy Hibbert’s season hasn’t gone smoothly with the Lakers, but his celebration game is on point here.
It’s a great shrug-and-pout, mostly because you can still tell how happy is while he’s doing it. The eyes betray his potential tough-guy act. He’s also very committed to the look-around. And all of it is somehow funnier because this dude is 7’2.
It was an excellent celebration by Hibbert, and, hopefully, he goes to the well for this one a few more times.
#2: Nick Young needs revitalizing after Jordan Clarkson‘s slam (h/t @BleacherReport)
Two Lakers celebrations in a row! They’re finally living right in the City of Angels! I guess this is what happens when you win a couple of games.
Commitment to the bit has been a theme in this post, and Nick Young certainly shows it here. He lays all out and gives a little shake while he’s being “revived.” It’s been done before, but not usually with this type of commitment.
With two of the top four celebrations, Los Angeles has come on strong in December. Hopefully, they can get a few more wins to allow the high potential the bench has (in terms of celebrating) to flourish.
#1: Quincy Acy faints after Rajon Rondo dunks
We're all surprised. pic.twitter.com/DbPyygwX51
— Deadspin (@Deadspin) December 11, 2015
It was a tough call between Young and Acy both fake-losing consciousness, but this one takes top prize. Acy’s celebration seems so natural, and that’s what gives it the edge. The wide-eyed expression after is a delight, as well. And it’s punctuated by the true satisfaction of everyone around him. No one else was prepared for such a moment with a great celebration, but Acy had their backs.
Every random awesome play during the season (like Rondo dunking) deserves a perfect bench reaction like this one. Now, for the rest of the year, whenever anyone brings up the Rondo dunk, we can accompany it in our minds with Acy’s faint. And that is a beautiful thing.