Just like diving in football, flopping in basketball is considered a tactical play that can be beneficial for the team but is ultimately unethical and unsportsmanlike. A basketball flop is one of the most frustrating things for both the opposing players and their fans.
Over the years, the NBA has tried to put its foot down and discourage players from flopping by introducing rule changes, fines, and suspensions. But, these basketball flop artists have prevailed, carrying their craft to each following draft class.
So, instead of complaining about how flopping is ruining the integrity of the game, in this article, I’ll lock arms with the flop maestros and take a beat to appreciate their craft. In this week’s edition of Meme Mondays, let’s throw ourselves right into the topic and treasure the five biggest basketball flop artists in the game’s history.
Robert Horry
Robert Horry is the perfect role player any NBA superstar would wish for. With 7 NBA rings he won playing for the Rockets, Lakers, and Spurs, Big Shot Bob made countless clutch buckets to push his teams over the line when his teammates were struggling.
Unlike many other legendary floppers, Horry didn’t use this strategy very much during his early playing days. But, in his later career, fortunately, he became wiser and realized the real power and value of flopping. There aren’t many videos of Horry flopping on the Internet today. But, there is one egregious example of how high his ceiling for falling on the floor was:
Patrick Beverley
Patrick Beverley is a gold mine of meme-able moments and has built up a legacy that puts him close to the top on the Shaqtin all-time list. From his memorable Play-In celebration to him trash-talking Steph, saying the future is his, and overall being a very unusual dude with more bravado than his game warrants.
But, all of these roasting (facts) aside, Beverley is also regarded as a massive flopper. As a very aggressive defender, Beverley knows how to get under people’s skin. And, when he riles them up, he uses this to provoke them into committing a charge by flopping. We have to admit this is a low-key genius approach. However, it often goes out of hand:
Manu Ginobili
Manu Ginobili is often an underrated part of the Spurs dynasty. He sacrificed individual accolades for overall team success. In a hefty bag of tricks that included a beautiful Eurostep and a great hesitation move, Manu also hid another ruse that he liked to pull out at unexpected times.
At one point, Ginobili led a star-studded flopping cast featuring Parker, Bowen, Horry, and Oberto. This starting flop five could go toe to toe with any flop lineup and was disliked accordingly in the league at times.
Ginobili was such a great flopper that he made other floppers flop with him in contact. Don’t believe me? There are several videos of double flops involving Ginobili. Arguably the most famous one is the one involving another esteemed flopper in Raja Bell:
Bill Laimbeer
Known for his cheap shots and ethics of a street vendor in a Mumbai alley, it’s safe to say that Bill Laimbeer wasn’t ranking high in the likeability top lists during the 80s. Plus, as he was built like a fridge, Laimbeer was always a dreaded opponent. Players never knew when a fist or elbow would be coming their way.
Considering all this, you probably didn’t know that Laimbeer was a gentle soul who often found himself pushed around and on the floor. Many NBA players think that European players brought flopping to the NBA, but Laimbeer was doing it before it was cool.
Perhaps the best example of his flopping excellence is his masterclass in the 1990 NBA Finals. We often highlight the best performances and single-game achievements on our site. And Laimbeer’s iconic 12 non-shooting fouls drawn during Game 3 is a virtuoso performance that will echo in history:
Vlade Divac
From a promising young player on the Showtime Lakers to a trustworthy and reliable Kings veteran who gave the Lakers trouble in the early 2000s, Vlade Divac undoubtedly deserved his spot in the NBA Hall of Fame.
During his 16-year NBA career, Divac gave his all on the court. Perhaps he gave too much of himself, as we can see in many compilations on YouTube. As one of the most prominent pioneers of flopping in the NBA, Divac is widely regarded as the biggest basketball flop artist in NBA history.
Rightfully featured on the Mount Rushmore of Flopping, Divac had a spiritual approach to flopping, a sort of yin and yang if you get what I’m going for. In fact, he openly admitted that he usually flopped when he felt the refs missed calls and that he felt he was owed a call. So he flopped to restore the balance and keep everything equal.
During his career, Divac became so well known for flopping that he even received a tribute video from some of the biggest stars in the game at the time. Even the commissioner at the time, David Stern, chimed in. Take a look at this truly amazing tribute:
The path to lifting the Larry O’Brien trophy involves considering numerous variables. For instance, some teams were on their way to victory, but injuries and multiple setbacks stood in their way to the title. On the other hand, many teams were underdogs but came out on top and won the NBA championship.
Regardless of the circumstances, there were a lot of superb NBA teams that could’ve been champions, but they failed to do so. Those great teams were sometimes incredible in the regular season and crumbled in the postseason.
We all know that only champions are remembered, but sometimes those teams that didn’t win anything but were excellent don’t have to be forgotten. In light of that, the topic of this post will be the top 10 NBA teams that never won nba championship. I’ll rank them based on their regular season record, playoffs record, how many points per game they scored, and how many points opponents scored against them.
Keep reading and discover the greatest teams that nearly won the NBA championship!
#10 – Cleveland Cavaliers (2008/09)
Regular season record: 66-16
Points per game: 100.3
Opponent points per game: 91.4
The list starts with one of the greatest NBA teams that didn’t win a championship—2008/09 Cleveland Cavaliers. Lebron James led the Cavaliers throughout the season, finishing it with 66 wins.
In general, the team wasn’t good since it was more like a one-man show performed by James. Cavaliers had a solid supporting cast consisting of Mo Williams, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Delonte West, and Anderson Varejao.
In the first round of the playoffs, the Cavaliers swept the Detroit Pistons. Then, in the second round, they also swept the Atlanta Hawks. It looked like the young superstar James would win his first championship.
However, they faced the Orlando Magic and Dwight Howard in the Eastern Conference Finals. Even 38.5 PPG, 8.3 RPG, and 8.0 APG from James in those finals wasn’t enough since they lost 2-4.
In 1972, Milwaukee Bucks were real title contenders, and their amazing regular season record of 63 wins and only 19 losses was an indicator that they might win the championship. Only the LA Lakers have had a better record in that season (69-13).
This team’s defense was phenomenal, thanks to one of the best players in the game’s history—Kareem Abdul Jabbar. Also, Lucius Allen and Bob Dandridge were top-tier defenders. Jabbar was also a threat on the offense, mostly because of his skyhooks, while Oscar Robertson was the team’s playmaker and a prolific scorer.
Bucks started off the playoffs quite well. They played against the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference semi-finals and easily won the series 4-1. Then, in the Western Conference Finals, Kareem and the Bucks were up against the LA Lakers.
Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain were an unstoppable duo, and the Bucks didn’t know how to beat them. Ultimately, they lost the series 2-4. The Bucks would’ve easily lifted the NBA trophy if it weren’t for that Lakers team.
#8 – San Antonio Spurs (2015/16)
Regular season record: 67-15
Points per game: 103.5
Opponent points per game: 92.9
If you look at the statistics for 2015/16, you would’ve thought that the Spurs won the title, but unfortunately, they didn’t. They finished the season with 67 wins, and their opponents scored only 92.9 points per game against them.
The roster of the Spurs was deep and star-studded. The superstar star of the team was the young Kawhi Leonard, who averaged 21.2 PPG, 6.8 RPG, and 2.6 APG during the regular season. Other notable Spurs players in that season were the veterans Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili. Moreover, LaMarcus Aldridge, Patty Mills, and Danny Green were excellent throughout the season.
San Antonio beat the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the playoffs. After that, in the Western Conference semi-finals, Kawhi and the Spurs went toe-to-toe with OKC and one of the best duos in the game—Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Oklahoma City Thunder won the series 4-2, even though the Spurs took a 3-1 lead in the series.
In 2004, Steve Nash joined the Phoenix Suns, and no one expected what would happen. The team from Phoenix won 62 games in that season, and Nash was the league MVP, averaging 15.5 PPG, 11.5 APG, and 3.3 RPG.
He was the offense orchestrator, who was dishing assists left and right. Besides Nash, other stars on the team were the center, Amar’e Stoudemire, and the best shooters on the team, Shawn Marion and Joe Johnson.
The Suns played in the “Seven Seconds or Less” style, revolutionizing how basketball is played today.
After the sensational regular season was over for the Suns, they advanced to the first round of playoffs, where they swept the Memphis Grizzlies. In the second round, they went up against the Dallas Mavericks and beat them in six games. Everything was going smoothly for the Suns until they faced the Spurs.
The Stoudemire-Nash duo was amazing since they averaged more than 60 points per game. However, even those stellar performances weren’t enough for the Suns to win. Duncan and the Spurs were stronger and better throughout the series and beat the Suns 4-1.
#6 – Sacramento Kings (2001/02)
Regular season record: 61-21
Points per game: 104.6
Opponent points per game: 97.0
One of the greatest teams that never lifted the NBA trophy was the 2001/02 Sacramento Kings. They were phenomenal throughout the season and finished it with 61 wins. This team was a sight to behold. The Kings’ offense was based on moving the ball and feeding the ball to whoever was open.
This team was led by Chris Webber, who averaged 24.5 PPG and 10.1 RPG. The Kings also had a fantastic supporting cast consisting of Stojakovic, Divac, Bibby, Christie, and Turkoglu. They had seven players who averaged more than 10 points per game.
In the very first round of the Western Conference playoffs, the Kings defeated the Utah Jazz 3-1. Then, in the semi-finals, they almost swept the Dallas Mavericks, beating them 4-1.
In the 2002 Western Conference Finals, the Sacramento Kings were up against the LA Lakers, whom Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant led. The Kings were up 3-2 in the series but ultimately lost the finals in a seven-game thriller. These finals were quite controversial because a few years after the finals, former NBA referee Tim Donaghy stated that the officials decided game 6 of the finals in favor of the Lakers.
One of the best teams that didn’t win a championship was the Phoenix Suns in the 1992/93 season. They won a franchise record-breaking 62 games and only lost 20 in that regular season.
The leader of that team was Charles Barkley, who was the MVP of the 1992/93 season, averaging 25.6 PPG, 12.2 RPG, and 5.1 APG. The Suns’ roster was filled with elite players like Dan Majerle, Kevin Johnson, Richard Dumas, and Danny Ainge. That team was highly experienced, versatile, and basically invincible.
Their first opponents in the playoffs were the LA Lakers, and they beat them 3-2 in the series. They played against the Spurs in the second round and won the series 4-2. In the Western Conference Finals, they were up against the Supersonics and the Payton-Kemp duo, narrowly beating them in game 7.
In the Finals, the Bulls stopped the Suns after six games. Barkley and the rest of the team from Phoenix were powerless against Pippen, Jordan, and the supporting cast of the Chicago Bulls.
#4 – Utah Jazz (1996/97)
Regular season record: 64-18
Points per game: 103.1
Opponent points per game: 94.3
The 1996/97 Utah Jazz were a force to be reckoned with, finishing the regular season with 64 wins and only 18 losses.
John Stockton and Karl Malone were a nightmare for opposing defenders while running their impeccable pick-and-roll. The opposition didn’t know whether to attack Stockton to stop him from doing a jump shot or move away from him to prevent a pass to Malone. Together, they score more than 40 points per game throughout the season. Besides the duo, the Jazz had the amazing Jeff Hornacek, Greg Ostertag, and Bryon Russell.
Utah had a great postseason up until the Finals. They beat the LA Clippers 3-0 in the first round, then the Lakers 4-1 in the second round, and the Rockets 4-2 in the Western Conference Finals.
In the Finals, the Jazz lost the series in 6 games against the Bulls, mainly because of the greatest player of all time—Michael Jordan. He averaged 32.3 PPG, 7.0 RPG, and 6.0 APG, and no one could stop him. Even though the Jazz team was one of the greatest ever, the Bulls were on another level.
One of the best teams that never won the NBA championship was the 2017/18 Houston Rockets. Despite the fact that the stars of the team, Paul and Harden, missed 34 games combined, the Houston Rockets still managed to win 65 games throughout the season.
James Harden won the MVP award, averaging 30.4 PPG, 8.8 APG, and 5.4 RPG. Apart from Paul and Harden, other notable players for the Houston Rockets were Clint Capela, Trevor Ariza, Gerald Green as well as Eric Gordon.
In the first round of the playoffs, the Rockets went toe-to-toe against the Minnesota Timberwolves and won the series 4-1. In the next round, the Rockets almost swept the Utah Jazz, beating them 4-1.
Then, they went up against the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Finals. Paul and Harden carried the team and took a 3-2 lead in the series. Unfortunately, Paul missed Game 7, and the Rockets also missed 27 triples in a row in that game. The Warriors ultimately won the series and became the champions that year.
#2 – Boston Celtics (1972/73)
Regular season record: 68-14
Points per game: 112.7
Opponent points per game: 104.5
The post-Russell era was challenging for the Celtics for a couple of years, but in the 1972/73 season, they became title contenders once again. They won 68 games that season, which is the record for the franchise.
The leading three players in this Celtics team were John Havlicek, Jo Jo White, and Dave Cowens. Each of those three players averaged almost 20 points per game throughout the season. Besides the trio, other key players were Paul Silas and Don Chaney.
In the Eastern Conference semi-finals, the Celtics faced the Atlanta Hawks and beat them 4-2 in the series. Then, they went up against the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals. The series was tied after the initial two games, but in Game 3, Havlicek suffered a shoulder injury. Although he continued to play in the next four games, he wasn’t the same player, and the Knicks beat them 4-3.
The greatest team in NBA history that didn’t win a championship was the Golden State Warriors in the 2015/16 season. The team from San Francisco broke the previous record for the most wins (72) set by the 1995/96 Chicago Bulls.
They managed to win 73 games and only lost nine during the entire season. Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green were the three best players, and they carried the team in the 2015/16 season. Curry won the MVP award, averaging 30.1 PPG, 6.7 APG, 5.4 RPG, and 2.1 SPG.
The Warriors won 4-1 against the Rockets in the first round of the playoffs. Then, in the semi-finals of the Western Conference, they faced the Portland Trail Blazers and beat them after five games. In the Finals of the Western Conference, the Warriors beat Durant, Westbrook, and the rest of the OKC in a 7-game thriller.
Curry and the Warriors played against the James-led Cleveland Cavaliers in the Finals. Golden State took a 3-1 lead, but the Cavaliers were relentless and won the NBA title in Game 7. If they won this championship, this Golden State team could’ve been the greatest team in basketball history. Instead, they let the trophy slip away from their hands.
Quarterback is a leading offensive position in American football. Their role is to receive the snap from the center and lead the football downfield to the open players. The quarterback’s role is also in executing plays and leading the team to victory.
Other Duties of a Quarterback
QBs are responsible for calling plays in the huddle, informing teammates which play they will implement in the game, and serving as a direct line from the coach to the team. They also play a role in the correct positioning and proper formation of teammates.
It’s the most paid and challenging position, requiring confidence and the ability to carry the team. QBs act as a coach’s extension on the field, making sure to find the best tactic to implement in each situation.
What are the Characteristics of a Good QB?
The characteristics of a good quarterback are more psychological than physical. They must have confidence, a fast and educated decision-making process, be well-informed about their teammates, and be great communicators. They must also be accurate and aware of the field and the situation. The list can go on indefinitely; all in all, the quarterback is a leader who understands the philosophy of the play and implements it accordingly.
With their qualities, they must earn the trust and respect of their teammates for the team to be united and prosperous.
Besides psychologically, they also need to be physically ready to execute the play. Strong arms, mobility, and speed are not negotiable.
The quarterback is the first person the team evaluates when evaluating their opponent. They study their behavior toward their teammates, their actions in certain situations, and the overall philosophy behind their play.
That said, quarterbacks must be wary of creating patterns, which can give the opponent an accurate picture of whom they compete against. They shouldn’t allow them the opportunity to tailor the game based on what they notice.
