Recently, we’ve started adding GIFS of the more spectacular plays from this summer. Sure, not all of them went down in the summer months, but we thought we’d give you a run-down of our top 30 during the NBA’s down season. NBA training camps start in less than a month, and hopefully this whets your appetite for the real season.
First, w’ll start with the Drew League, where a hodgepodge of different slams from different players got us through the summer doldrums.
But other events transpired during summer runs, too. Like Brandon Jennings getting slapped in the semifinal round of the Drew League.
Or Kobe’s visit during the Drew League Finals where he took in the game-clinching three-pointer from up-close.
Team USA held tryouts for next summer’s FIBA World Championships in Spain, and the rim was rattling during the two-week tryout period in Las Vegas.
Harrison Barnes threw down a filthy slam over Ryan Anderson, and we had to show you it twice.
Then there was Kyrie Irving‘s performance at the USA Team tryouts…
Summer also meant summer league, where Jordan Hamilton had an unfortunate moment:
John Wall, before he signed his max extension, also followed up a miss with this slam during the Team USA intra-squad scrimmage.
Who can forget Jamal Crawford dribbling through the legs of his defender during his Pro-Am in Seattle?
Or how about Blake Griffin‘s Eastbay dunk?
DeAndre Jordan‘s “stank face” and “just got punched in the face, face”
We all made our own stank face when high schooler Terry Larrier threw this slam down.
But it was 7th grader William Dillard whose windmill provoked one of the best reactions of the summer.
First came the vengeance of D-Rose, then LeBron James answered.
But then Indiana’s Paul George got in on the action.
LeBron also gave us a taste of what he’d look like in a dunk contest.
It would just be like warm-ups.
We’re not sure even ‘Bron could beat Kwame Alexander in a dunk contest.
And Kyrie proves that he might be able to turn the rest of the league into extras for an Uncle Drew commercial.
The evolution of James Harden‘s beard…
gave us a similar reaction as his for Kendrick Lamar.
It was exciting to see Derrick Rose back with a basketball in his hands, but this was still just an 8-foot hoop.
Matt Bonner might have paricipated in our favorite commercial of all-time.
Finally, Allen Iverson retired and Gary Payton is about to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
The summer was fun and action-packed, but we can’t wait for the real games to start.
What are some of your favorites from over the summer?
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