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With 1:40 remaining in the third quarter of last night’s shocking 94-88 Bucks win in Chicago, O.J. Mayo showed us all the perfect flop.
We’ve shared our thoughts on flops before, and we still don’t understand the animus surrounding them, or the belief a player who flops is somehow soft. They’re actually just evasive and mildly dishonest — but a flip is also a terrific way to fool the officials into giving your team an advantage. That’s cunning, more than anything.
Everyone flops, as anyone who has played organized sports after puberty knows. Some flops are merely an avoidance tactic so you’re not hit in the face. But all flops are just the nature of competition, no matter how many people complain about them while sitting at their computer.
But Mayo went above and beyond for this whistle on Snell in Game 5 last night.
Let’s break it down:
Step 1: Tony Snell reaches for the ball, and actually touches it, while probably getting a little bit of Mayo’s hand (which, when it’s holding the ball, is fair game according to NBA rules).
Step 2: Mayo reacts with an excellent exaggeration, almost as if Snell swiped at Mayo’s face like Swish got Crowder.
This is a flawless flop, and the refs were none the wiser:
Take notes kids, pretty soon you’ll be flopping just like Mayo. Sure, some other kids and helicopter parents will call you soft, but you’ll be too busy celebrating the likely win to notice.
(Video via @_MarcusD_ by way of r/NBA)
