Image via Complex Original
Fashion choices aside, postgame press conferences in the NBA are no stranger to monotony. It's always the same back-and-forth, with players talking about effort and teammwork and all the other buzzwords that we've heard a million times over throughout the years. Yeah, we get it. You guys stuck together, overcame adversity, got a little lucky, never got down on yourselves, blah blah blah. Thankfully, the league isn't short on outrageous personalities, and every now and then one of them will step in to shake things up a bit. Like when Allen Iverson answered questions about practice or when Russell Westbrook put a reporter on timeout. The results are often unforgettable, and we've assembled them all together for you in our list of the Best Podium Moments in NBA Playoffs History.
20. Chris Paul Jr. Steals the Spotlight
Date: 4/22/2011
Round: Western Conference First Round, Game 3
Best quote: "DADDY!"
Who said it: Chris Paul's son
There's nothing wrong with athletes taking their kids to a press conference. It's basically like "Take Your Kid to Work Day" except for the fact that there are a bunch of cameras and reporters centered on them, watching and taking note of their every move. So yeah, this was pretty much bound to happen at some point.
19. Reporter Makes Dwight Howard Feel Extremely Uncomfortable
Date: 5/6/2010
Round: Eastern Conference Semifinals, Game 2
Best quote: "Whoa, you said this is a good color on me?"
Who said It: Dwight Howard
Who knows? Maybe Dwight isn't creeped out at all here. For a guy who has taken as much criticism as he has over the years, maybe he was just in complete and utter shock that anyone would actually decide to compliment him on something.
18. Reporter Asks Phil Jackson if He's Embarrassed
Date: 5/10/2009
Round: Western Conference Semifinals, Game 4
Best quote: "Give them some fucking credit."
Who said it: Phil Jackson
Asking a guy who—at that point—had won nine NBA titles if he was embarrassed about how his team performed in a loss is just asking to get shot down. You really think that a guy who is commonly referred to as the Zen Master is going to get embarrassed by one loss among the hundreds of games he's coached in his career? FOH.
17. King James > Everyone
Date: 6/12/2011
Round: Finals, Game 6
Best quote: "At the end of the day they gotta wake up tomorrow and have the same life that they had today. They got the same personal problems that they had today...They gotta get back to the real world at some point."
Who said it: LeBron James
This is certainly one way to tell the haters to back off. LBJ wasn't afraid to get personal on this one, essentially saying that, he was living the life that all of us wanted to have. Ouch. Truth hurts, we suppose.
16. Kevin Durant Doesn't Care About Dirk Nowitzki
Date: 5/25/2011
Round: Western Conference Finals, Game 5
Best quote: "I really don't care about what he went through the last three or four years."
Who said it: Kevin Durant
It'd be nice to think that everyone in the NBA is buddy-buddy with each other, but let's be honest, that's not what a true competitor is about. Even KD—the league's resident Mr. Nice Guy—can admit that he doesn't want to see anyone else win but himself. Seeing as though Dirk won the title that year, there were probably no hard feelings on his part for this one.
15. Metta World Peace Isn't Afraid to Laugh About the Malice at the Palace
Date: 4/30/2009
Round: Western Conference First Round, Game 6
Best quote: "Well, I've been in the stands before."
Who said it: Metta World Peace
If Metta World Peace can crack jokes about an incident that lost him 86 games and millions of dollars, then it's probably safe to say that nothing is off-limits for this guy.
14. Joakim Noah Hates Cleveland
Date: 4/19/2010
Round: Eastern Conference First Round, Game 2
Best quote: "You like it? You think Cleveland's cool? I mean, I never heard anybody say, 'I'm going to Cleveland on vacation.'"
Who said it: Joakim Noah
The sports gods have been tough on Cleveland more or less since the dawn of time, but for whatever reason Joakim Noah decided he should rub a little salt on the wound. Maybe he was inspired by this video or something. Sorry, Cleveland.
13. Glen Davis and Nate Robinson Will be Starring in the Next Shrek Movie
Date: 6/10/2010
Round: Finals, Game 4
Best quote: "We're like Shrek and Donkey. "
Who said it: Nate Robinson
Priority No. 1 for the NBA this offseason: Reunite Glen Davis and Nate Robinson in Orlando, and have Disney pick them up to star in Shrek 5. This will work, and it will be awesome.
12. Do the Blake Face
Date: 5/5/2012
Round: Western Conference First Round, Game 3
The Blake Griffin face is well-known by those who have been taken to the rack by the dynamic Clippers forward. Apparently little Chris is familiar with it too. How's his Kobe face, though?
11. Avery Johnson Wants to Know How You Feel
Date: 6/18/2006
Round: Finals, Game 5
Best quote: "We got people from Israel, and Minnesota, Chicago. All over. Dallas...Germany."
Who said it: Avery Johnson
Flash torched the Mavs in the '06 Finals, but even worse, the refs appeared to be on Miami's side too. Then-Dallas coach Avery Johnson was none too pleased when a reporter decided to ask him what he thought about a controversial foul called late in Game 5 that awarded Wade two free throws. C'mon man, we all know that Johnson is furious, but hey, how do you feel about it? Avery is here to listen.
10. No One Wants to Talk to Chris Bosh
Date: 5/7/2011
Round: Eastern Conference Semifinals, Game 3
Best quote: *awkward silence*
Who said it: No one
Bosh has always been pretty reasonable about embracing his role as the third wheel on Miami's star-studded roster. But it can't be easy for him to sacrifice his ego like that, especially during this postgame press conference when he has to figure out that not a single reporter finds him interesting enough to ask one, legitimate question. C'mon guys, just throw him a bone.
9. Metta World Peace Gets His Wheaties
Date: 6/17/2010
Round: Finals, Game 7
Best quote: "I GOT MY WHEATIES!"
Who said it: Metta World Peace
In 20 years, if you ever want to explain who Metta World Peace was to your kids, just show them this video. Everything will be understood.
8. LeBron Insults a Reporter
Date: 6/5/2011
Round: Finals, Game 3
Best quote: "That's retarded."
Who said it: LeBron James
Listen closely on this one. After D-Wade was asked what he thought about the critics who label him as a "dirty player," LBJ muttered, "That's retarded." Paired with his comments after the Heat's Game 6 defeat, we're just going to go ahead and say that this wasn't the best series the King has had in terms of media relations.
7. Russell Westbrook Silences a Reporter
Date: 5/5/2012
Round: Western Conference First Round, Game 4
Best quote: "No more questions for you, bro...troll."
Who said it: Russell Westbrook
Asking someone how much they make is always awkward, but asking someone how much they think someone else should be making is even worse. Westbrook rightfully shuts this interviewer down. No more questions, bro. You're done.
6. LeBron vs. Grammar
Date: May 2007
Round: Eastern Conference Semifinals
Best quote: "I didn't go to college, sorry."
Who said it: LeBron James
"I didn't go to college, sorry...I was too busy making $20M a year while you were scraping together quarters to buy some Ramen. Yeah, sorry about that. My bad."
5. Kevin Garnett Wins the Title, Goes Nuts
Date: 6/17/2008
Round: Finals, Game 6
Best quote: "ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!!!"
Who said it: Kevin Garnett
If you know anything about Kevin Garnett, you know that he wears his heart on his sleeve. Known as one of the league's most passionate players, KG stayed true to form after he and the Celtics won the championship in 2008. The moment will forever live in the minds of basketball fans and songs from the Lonely Island.
4. Shaq Fires Back
Date: June 2006
Round: Finals
Best Quote: "No, but I will with your wife."
Player Who Said It: Shaquille O'Neal
The Big Aristotle may have had to take a backseat to D-Wade during the 2006 NBA Finals, but behind the mic the big man was still in charge. This question is probably one of the most ridiculous that has ever been asked in a press conference, and, in turn, Diesel responds with an all-time great answer. Shaq a.k.a. Mr. Steal Yo Girl?
3. Just So It's Clear: Both Teams Played Hard
Date: 4/27/2003
Round: Western Conference First Round, Game 4
Best quote: "Both teams played hard, my man."
Who said it: Rasheed Wallace
Sheed is a legend when it comes to trolling, whether it be toward fans, other players, refs, David Stern, or the media. Evidently pissed off here—even after his Trailblazers had won Game 4—Wallace decided he wasn't having any of it with the press. Why didn't anyone try and throw in a wild card question to see if he'd break, though? Everyone dropped the ball on this one.
2. Brian Scalabrine Shuts Down a Reporter
Date: 6/17/2008
Round: Finals, Game 6
Best quote: "Maybe now you can say I didn't play a second, but in five years you guys are gonna forget. In 10 years, I'll still be a champ. In 20 years, I'll tell my kids I probably started, and in 30 years I'll probably tell them I got the MVP."
Who said it: Brian Scalabrine
The White Mamba is one of the most self-aware players in the league; a guy who knows he's the 12th man on the bench, and isn't afraid to say it. But when this reporter was trying to get under Scalabrine's skin about it—after he'd just won a championship, no less—Scalabrine decided that he wasn't having any of it. As they say, history is written by the victors.
1. Not a Game! Practice.
Date: 5/3/2002
Round: Eastern Conference First Round, Game 5
Best quote: "Practice."
Who said it: Allen Iverson
Is there anything we really need to say about this one? Responding to criticism from then-Sixers coach Larry Brown regarding his work ethic after a Game 5, series-ending loss to the Celtics, The Answer blessed us with the mother of all podium moments. Yes, AI, we're talkin' bout practice.
