This has easily been the most gloriously petty NBA Playoffs in recent memory. That’s perhaps best typified by Jae Crowder, who salsa danced in LeBron’s face after the Phoenix Suns eliminated the Los Angeles Lakers.
Jae Crowder salsa dancing on LeBron was the best trash of the playoffs
Savage.
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
This is an savage troll, but also seems utterly innocent — which is why I love it. To understand the brutality you need to know the context, and to most people watching it’s just “hey, Jae Crowder is dancing” not “oh, he’s ripping out LeBron’s soul.”
This, paired with Kyrie stomping on the Celtics logo, and JJ Redick relishing in the Pelicans’ failure is proof that pettiness is alive, thriving, and flourishing in the NBA. I love it. People always lionize the old days of the NBA when guys like Michael Jordan would say UNSPEAKABLE trash talk to players and destroy their sense worth. That was far more mean than stomping on a logo or salsa dancing.
NBA trash is fun now, perhaps the most fun it’s ever been because it cuts at the nature of “brands,” rather than the personal lives of players. It’s lovely, and I support it.
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