The 2018 NBA B-Sides Awards: The MVPs of everything that wasn’t basketball

This year we started out on a journey together called B-Sides. B-Sides was meant to highlight all the other reasons we continue to fall in love with the NBA every single season. B-Sides are the little things that happen on and off the court that make the NBA the beautiful league that it is.

We spent all season celebrating the things may have not been the breaking news on your TV, but they were definitely some of your favorite moments of the week. We celebrated things like Dwyane Wade’s jet back to Miami upon his return, or when we found out Victor Oladipo watches Home Alone every single night, or the time Russell Westbrook wore a $1,295 robe to a game. The bonuses, the extras, the things that make you really love the NBA. We loved them all.

But no season is complete without some awards. And as someone who doesn’t get caught up in Rookie of the Year debates, or MVP wars, I did get caught up in declaring the first-ever set of end of the year B-Sides awards

Let’s get it started.

Like I said, we will not be debating about Ben Simmons or Donovan Mitchell here. Both made their own appearances in B-Sides this year, as all solid rookies should. But no rookie stood out like Kuzma did. A summer league standout who turned into an overnight star, who was perfect for the city of LA. And even more perfect for B-Sides.

We loved him for his fashion sense.

And for is constant dragging of Big Baller Brand.

And clearly for his game, too. His trash-talk game, that is.

Kuzma to Buddy Hield: “You better guard me, because if he guards me, it’s barbecue chicken.”

The future is bright for this one.

Best dressed could have gone to plenty of players this year since walking through back tunnels in the bottom of an arena has turned into a red carpet moment each night. But I get to pick these awards. This is my column. And I pick Kelly Oubre.

It’s been an odd six months for Kevin Durant, that’s for sure. From burner accounts to to blog boys, it’s been something. What we can absolutely celebrate though is his pregame dancing. It’s something he created with Ian Clark last year and now carries on himself.

Our own Harry Lyles Jr. talked to him about it this year:

“I do miss Ian. I guess that’s a lil tribute to him. But that’s just routine for us now. We’ve been doing that for two years now. That’s cool that you caught that.”

Of course we caught that. What else are we here for.

Was there really any competition in this category? With the Raptors having their most successful season to date and with these two leading the way with pure joy, it’s been a fun year in Toronto.

The BFFs took up it a notch this year, though. Especially with hoodies like this.

And never forget the moment Kyle Lowry lost his whole damn mind after DeRozan’s dunk.

Get you a BFF like these two.

Kyrie Irving had multiple shoes that made B-Sides this year. There were the lobster print shoes and the special London colorways. But nothing came close to the moment he showed off his Toy Story shoes, with one shoe for Woody and the other for Buzz Lightyear.

We’ve yet to see these available for purchase, but the day will come. It has to.

Could this award really have gone to anyone else? Out of all the Nike jerseys that were released this year, and there were a lot, this one had mass appeal to all NBA fans. Everything about this jersey release was perfect. The photos, the merch; they even made a dang website for it. There is a rumor these will stay in the rotation next year as well for Miami and we can only hope that’s true.

And now for the award you’ve all been waiting for ...

No player encompasses the true essence of a B-sides moment more than Thompson. There is no player more laid back, more honest, and more comfortable in his own skin than Thompson. Can he score 60 points in three quarters while only taking 11 dribbles? Yes. Can he also spend he deliver us the best summer ever as his alter ego China Klay? Yes.

Let’s take a look at his best moments this season which cemented him as our player of the year.

“I usually observe if the piping and stuff is new. Sometimes you now, something that looks like its been there a while, I try and avoid that.”

Thank you, Klay.

This caption started the year as just my favorite photo of the week. I was going to find a fun photo each week from around the league and post it here. But the first two weeks were James Harden photos and then it caught on. And it never stopped. Not once did Harden not come through with a photo. And then on the final week of the season, he released the most incredible GQ photoshoot I have ever seen, complete with this look.

B-Sides never stops! So see ya next week, friends. Tweet me your B-Sides, and I’ll include them in the next round.