The 10 Pettiest Moments of the NBA Season

We boiled down our list to highlight (in our humble opinion) the 10 pettiest moments from the 2017-18 NBA season. There's a healthy does of LeBron James mixed in with some Lance Stephenson with a sprinkling of Joel Embiid, Russell Westbrook, and many other familiar characters.

LeBron James Lance Stephenson Game 1 2018 NBA Playoffs
USA Today Sports

Indiana Pacers guard Lance Stephenson (1) stands beside Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) in the third quarter in game one of the first round of the 2018 NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena.

LeBron James Lance Stephenson Game 1 2018 NBA Playoffs

We're here for petty. Always. 

And no professional sports league, arguably, thrives on petty the way the NBA does these days. From subbing guys on social media to making definitive statements with your signature kicks in the World's Most Famous Arena there are a ton of examples of basketball superstars acting pettier than modern day "Mean Girls."

But we boiled down our list to highlight (in our humble opinion) the 10 pettiest moments from the 2017-18 NBA season. There's a healthy does of LeBron—and let's not forget that petty LeBron remains our favorite LeBron—mixed in with some Lance Stephenson with a sprinkling of Joel Embiid, Russell Westbrook, and the other usual suspects. Embrace the pettiness.  

LeBron Sports "I'm King" kicks at MSG.

Nike LeBron 15 'I'm King' PE (Heel)

The Rockets invade the Clippers locker room.

PJ Tucker Trevor Ariza Rockets Clippers 2018

JR Smith hurls soup at a Cavs assistant coach.

JR Smith Cavs Jazz 2018

The dunk was savage. Posting the below pic to Instagram, with that specific location, was disrespectfully genius. 

The NBA's best troll/prankster/instigator/rabble rouser/shit stirrer may have outdone himself with this beautiful burn of Russell Westbrook. The Sixers couldn't pull out the win that night in Oklahoma City, but Joel "The Process" Embiid was the real winner because he ingeniously tagged the location "Crime Scene Investigation."  

We're happy to report it's Embiid's second most popular post because that kind of pettiness should be appropriately rewarded. — A.C.

Justise Winslow steps on Embiid's mask.

Justise Winslow Joel Embiid Playoffs 2018

NBA players do a lot of weird shit on the court. I already wrote about JR Smith, who used to untie other players’ shoelaces. Nobody really knows why, but on the court NBA guys are odd sometimes. Case in point is this hilarious moment from March when Jason Terry refused to move out of DeAndre Jordan’s way at the free throw line. You have to wonder if Terry actually thought he could get away with it before Jordan pushed him out of the way. But why even do this? Just veteran level of petty on display from the JET. — Z.F.

Paul Pierce vs. Isaiah Thomas.

Paul Pierce Jersey Retirement 2018

Lance Stephenson vs. LeBron James in the playoffs.

Lance Stephenson LeBron James 2018 Playoffs Game 4

Too many Russell Westbrook moments to list.

Russell Westbrook

Russell Westbrook could have an entire list of petty to himself. He’s that good at it. Whether it’s the trolly outfits or his on court antics, Russ is must-see TV every single night. Take this video for instance:

What is he even doing to Draymond. That’s just a perfect example of Russ being Russ and not really giving a fuck what people think. He’s had tiffs with the Warriors, Embiid, and plenty more all season while averaging a triple double for the second straight season. You can’t say anything to the Brodie. — Z.F. 

 

KD liked a derogatory IG comment about Russ.

Kevin Durant talked trash to his former Thunder teammates on Thursday night.

Latest in Sports