Somehow a primary storyline of the NBA playoffs is ????? ?????? ????? ?????? ?????the same as the subject of viral videos in the early days of YouTube: nut shots. That's right, hits to the groin have been a central part of the ongoing first round of the NBA playoffs.
It started with Game 3 of the Philadelphia 76ers vs Brooklyn Nets. Star Sixers center Joel Embiid fell to the ground and got stepped over by Nic Claxton, traditionally considered a big sign of disrespect in the NBA. Embiid responded with an upward kick in Claxton's...nether region. Somehow this did not get him ejected from the game.
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Crucially, Embiid might've missed the...central target...with his kick. But later his running mate James Harden would be thrown out for a seemingly accidental swipe that did connect with the groin of Nets player Royce O'Neale. Mind you this is all in the same game.
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Not to be out-done, on Saturday night the Memphis Grizzlies' Dillon Brooks — a fantastic villain who has been trash-talking LeBron Freaking James — got booted from Game 3 of their Round 1 series against the L.A. Lakers for, you guessed it, smacking James in the nuts.
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And while this isn't a hit to the balls, Golden State Warrior Draymond Green — who himself once famously nut-shotted James — got a one-game suspension for stepping on a dude's chest. All of these moments have, of course, led to meme jokes, and funny edits.
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People wondered if the NBA is going to need new nut-shot rules. Fans wondered if this was the new NBA.
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Oh and if you were worried about James' health...he was definitely fine.
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The NBA playoffs will continue for weeks. Time will only tell how many more nut shots we're gifted with.