The 20 Biggest Stories of the 2012-13 NBA Season in GIFs

The Andrew Bynum experiment was just an utter mess this season. Bynum never stepped a foot on the court due to multiple knee injuries, and the Philadelphia 76ers suffered for it. The 76ers will miss the playoffs this season, their coach Doug Collins called it quits, and Andre Iguodala is in Denver doing the damn thing. The only highlights of the 76ers season was the emergence of Jrue Holiday and Bynum's interesting hairstyle choices. Bynum's a free agent, so who knows what direction this team is headed.

Leave it to the Chicago Bulls' gritty play to end the Miami Heat's 27-game winning streak. While the game drew some criticism from LeBron, the Bulls proved that they are a formidable team. They also had an impressive streak-stopping win against the New York Knicks two weeks later that included a discount double check rendition by Nate Robinson. The Knicks were on a 13-game win streak, and Chicago proved that, despite injuries, they play hard and will be a tough out in the NBA Playoffs with or without Derrick Rose.

As you can clearly see in the GIF, Serge Ibaka takes a shot at Blake Griffin's crotch. Many analysts expected a one-game suspension for Ibaka, but he got off with a $25,000 fine. There was speculation that he was not suspended because of an eventual game between the Thunder and the Lakers. Dwyane Wade and LeBron James both criticized the lack of a suspension on Twitter comparing Dwyane Wade's kick in Ramon Sessions private area, which cost D-Wade a game. No one like a dry-snitch.

When Ray Allen left the Boston Celtics to join the Miami Heat, many people were upset including his teammates. Allen would make his debut in Miami against his former team, and while he tried to extend pleasantries with former teammate Kevin Garnett, he was rejected. Ray Ray's probably fine with that No. 1 seed, though.

If only the Nuggets ran off their winning streak at a different point in the season. The Nuggets' streak coincided with the Miami Heat's 27-game win streak, but was impressive in its own right. The streak featured victories over Western Conference competitors like the Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Clippers, and Memphis Grizzlies. The Nuggets won with their uptempo offense and their very deep and talented roster. We'll see what kind of noise they can make in the playoffs sans Danilo Gallinari.

We've been waiting for Derrick Rose to return ever since we stood speechless as he fell to the floor and writhed in pain. We've been teased with possible comebacks and disputes of whether D. Rose is ready to return or not. While it seems like Rose will miss this entire season and playoffs, some fans are still holding out hope. He's the franchise and if the franchise doesn't feel 100 percent, let him live. We fully expect him to return to MVP form next year. *cues the soundtrack*

This seems so long ago. Unfortunately, the Dwight Howard era got off to a pretty rough 1-4 start. Coach Mike Brown was fired, Mike D'Antoni was hired, and the Lakers faithful gasped as their team continued to struggle. The Lakers frustration earlier this season is essentially defined by this clip of Kobe looking like he could make Brown disappear just by thinking it.

After being moved by the Thunder abruptly, James Harden went on to score 82 points in his first two games as a Rocket, and led Houston to its first playoff appearance since 2009. Fear The Beard!

Brook-Lyn! Brook-Lyn! The New Jersey Nets made their way to Brooklyn and had a relatively positive season. There were some bumps along the way including the firing of coach Avery Johnson, and the early-season struggles of Deron Williams. But the Nets are the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference and Brooklyn has a pro team again. BK goes hard. Word to Jackie Robinson.

So Steph Curry wasn't an All-Star? After the shooting clinic he put on against the Knicks, we might need to re-think the selection process for the All-Star game. Curry's performance was amazing, shooting 11-13 from the arc and scoring the NBA season-high with 54. If he can keep that ankle from spraining every other game, Steph is going to give opposing teams and fans nightmares.

Bron Bron finally captured his first ring last year, and he has improved immensely after last year's MVP campaign. One of his biggest highlights this year was a six-game stretch where he averaged 30 points a game while shooting 60 percent from the field. King James has reached a point of maximum production at maximum efficiency, all while leading his squad to the best record in the NBA. He pretty much has the MVP trophy locked up, but you never know, JaVale McGee is closing in. Ha!

Carmelo Anthony is known to have a hot temper, as evidenced by him being tied for second in the NBA with 14 technical fouls. When you mix Melo in with world-renowned trash-talker extraordinaire Kevin Garnett, something is bound to happen. The rumor came out that KG suggested that Melo's wife LaLa Anthony tasted like Honey Nut Cheerios. While all parties involved have refused to speak on what was actually said, that rumor still lives on. Despite Melo and KG working out their differences, their altercation will be highlighted during the first-round matchup between the Knicks and the Celtics.

Basketball is back in New York! After many years of struggle (and a few years of mediocrity), the New York Knicks have returned. After a great 18-5 start, the Knicks had fans worried with their .500 play over a three month stretch, but a 13-game win streak usually can quell any and all criticism. As much as Knicks fans want to celebrate their first division championship since 1994, the true test will be how well the Knickerbockers perform in the playoffs. They can start by finally getting out of the first round.

After LBJ's sweet finish against the JET (by name, not by game), we can understand why he got a technical. After the game LeBron said, "I've had a chance to [review] it, and it was one of my better ones. The fact that it happened to J.T. made it that much sweeter. Because we all know J.T. and he talks too much sometimes. And I'm glad it happened to him." Damn, let 'em know 'Bron.

From their 0-4 start to Steve Nash's fractured leg to them trying to figure out Mike D'Antoni's coaching style, the Lakers have struggled all season. The rest of the league played Hack-A-Dwight while the Purple and Gold inched closer to death. Kobe played at an MVP level before tearing his Achilles and they still haven't locked up a playoff spot. This is going to be one of the most interesting offseasons in Laker history. And by "interesting" we mean heads are about to roll.

Kobe Bryant's recent injury broke all of our hearts. That man goes too damn hard for something like that to happen to him. But we also forget that he's in his 17th year and is 34 years old. Does it have any correlation to playing time? Kobe was averaging 45.2 MPG in the month of April before the injury, and is tied with Damian Lillard for second overall, behind Luol Deng. For him to tear a tendon on a move he's done a million times, it's safe to say that Father Time finally caught up with the Mamba. We hope he can return to his old self some how, some way.

The Miami Heat really showed us how dominant of a team they could be after two and a half seasons of great basketball. Sandwiched in between a February 1 loss to the Indiana Pacers, and a March 27 loss to the Chicago Bulls, Miami went on a 27-game win streak. They ultimately fell short of the '72 Los Angeles Lakers 33-game win streak. The way Miami has been playing this season, we should all be scared to death, especially if you have to play them in the first round. We see you, Milwaukee! Walk with God.