Funniest NBA Moments of All Time

We all know that the sport of basketball is as competitive and serious a sport as you can get. The players are true athletes that put everything on the line in the pursuit of glory. However, no matter how intense and serious the NBA is, funny things can and do happen.

Over the years, the sport has had many colorful characters known for their antics. For example, we have enjoyed Shaquille O'Neal twerking for the cameras and Charles Barkley attempting to play golf, but those are just the tip of the iceberg.

With that in mind, we put together our list of the funniest NBA moments of all time.

That Giannis Pass Right Into James Harden’s Face

To kick off this list, how could we not start with that infamous pass into the face of James Harden? Both contenders for the MVP in 2019, Giannis rocketed a pass into his opponent's face.

To make matters worse for Harden, Giannis picked up the rebound and assisted Ersan Ilyasova to score a three-pointer. To rub further salt into the wound, the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Houston Rockets 116-109.

The Golf Swing of Charles Barkley

Rightly so, Charles Barkley is regarded as one of the best basketball players of all time. However, while he was involved in some hilarious moments throughout his NBA career, the best came when he retired.

The Round Mound of the Rebound has always enjoyed playing golf since retiring from basketball. However, he is nowhere near as graceful when taking shots in this sport.

There are many videos of him struggling to hit a golf ball. Usually, he starts out confidently before stopping mid-swing and then hacking at the ball.

Amar’e Stoudemire Fakes out Shane Battier

Another legendary moment that is still talked about today is when Amar'e Stoudemire faked helping up Shane Battier. Stoudemire committed a foul and initially held out his hand to help his opponent up. However, at that moment, he realized it was his sixth personal foul and was now out of the game.

As a result, he quickly rescinded his outreached hand, leaving Battier no choice but to use Stoudemire’s shorts to help himself get off the floor. Ultimately, however, Battier had the last laugh as the Miami Heat won 109-94 against Stoudemire’s New York Knicks.

Shaquille O'Neal Press Conference

Another legend of the game, Shaquille O'Neal, is a legend that could have a full showreel of funny moments. However, the one that stands out the most is his witty response to a question at a press conference. Asked if he would suck snake poison out of the chest of his mother to win the playoffs, he kept it short and simple. He said, “No, but I would if it was your wife!”.

While that is playground humor at best, it is hilarious because of O’Neal’s reaction. He cannot stop laughing at his own joke as he walks away from the press conference. It is that childish humor and demeanor that you just have to love about O’Neal!

Mitch Kupchak's Eliminated

It is not just players that have been involved in the funniest NBA moments over the years. General Managers, coaches, and even mascots have had their fair share of memorable moments. One of the funniest was when the LA Lakers General Manager, Mitch Kupchak, had his elimination face captured perfectly. At the precise moment when Los Angeles lost the playoffs to Oklahoma, the camera panned in on his face.

NBA fans around the world laughed as the pain etched on his face was plainly obvious. To this day, that moment is one of the sport's most popular memes.

What Do You Think?

Agree with our list, or are there funnier NBA moments, in your opinion? You’re free to let us know in the comments below. We did have to leave out some hilarious moments, as we felt that those listed above just edged them out.