The NBA is, by far, the most popular sport on social media in our country.
The league has 8 million more Twitter followers than the NFL. YouTube is full of highlights. This makes sense. Athletes are much more popular in the NBA. They are over 6 feet tall. They don’t wear helmets. NFL rosters are 53 men deep; NBA rosters are 15 deep.
Plus, the league’s structure is far more ingrained in popular culture than any other sport in the country. For that reason, I thought I’d share some bets for this season that fall into some of our favorite social media stereotypes that we love to poke fun at.
The phone eats first
This person won’t let his/her friends taste the food they just ordered before a video is taken because it needs to be documented on social media so his/her followers can see how lavishly he/she eats /she. They can taste good in culinary art, but very annoying.
Kyrie Irving, tall 26.5 PPG
Doesn’t that sound like a mercurial net watcher? Yes, Irving is one of the most enjoyable talents to watch on the floor. His effortless scoring and stunning ball handling are truly all-time greats in this league. But man, we sure have to go through a lot of Irving before we get to enjoy his talents. Irving, let the dining experience speak for itself (your wonderful gifts on the field). We get it, you’re a contrarian thinker and you like the public to know as much. It is observed. Now, can we enjoy this delicious meal?
Make me a traveler
This person posts several times about a vacation they went on, complaining that they want to go back. Usually with a crying face emoji. We get it, you loved the Amalfi Coast in 2019 … either save up and come back or shut up about it. You’ve posted that picturesque photo five times in the last eight months.
Los Angeles Lakers, below 44.5 wins
The title Bubble was certainly a beautiful, picturesque moment for this franchise. LeBron James and Anthony Davis on top of the world, look like the happiest couple in the world. Well, since then, they’ve moved back home to LA and faced difficulties in their marriage (injuries), and now there’s a new family member who’s actually making life even more miserable (Russell Westbrook). They’re desperate to go back to when life was great on the Amalfi Coast, but they can’t afford it now until someone gets a promotion and they go into some really intense therapy. Will see.
‘Oh my God, that’s my niece’
This is for us Boomer and Millennial types who look at our feed one day and all of a sudden, “OMG, that’s my 12-year-old niece!” posting a viral Tik Tok dance. Immediately, a wave of elderly fear washes over you and you wonder if her parents know she’s now wearing makeup.
If you really want to feel old, consider this: Paolo Banchero is the favorite to win Rookie of the Year. Choice no. 1 from Duke was born in November 2002. And Banchero is far from the newest lottery pick among the board favorites. Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. was born in May 2003!
A month after Smith was born, the Cleveland Cavaliers selected a kid from St. Louis. Vincent-St. Mary High School with the no. 1 overall in the 2003 draft.
Rookie of the Year, Bennedict Mathurin (+750)
Mathurin is a child of 2002, if you were wondering, but his game looks mature beyond his years. He gets to the basket aggressively and invites contact and opportunities to get to the free throw line. He scored 19.8 PPG in four preseason games while averaging just 22.8 minutes. He made 85% of his free throw attempts (27) and shot 48.2% from the field. The Pacers will be one of the worst teams in the league, so Mathurin should get plenty of minutes to build a ROTY resume … especially if the team gets veterans like Buddy Hield and Myles Turner for a playoff contender.
Gym bro
Literally, the worst. No qualification.
Worst regular season record, Utah Jazz (+300)
Danny Ainge is now the man in charge of basketball operations for the Jazz, and it’s abundantly clear that he’s committed to maximizing Utah’s likelihood of acquiring Victor Wembanyama, the 7-foot-4 French guard. skill and a sweet shot.
The Jazz gutted their roster this offseason. Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert, Joe Ingles and Quin Snyder are all gone. Utah has little talent and no drive to win basketball games this season. The Jazz are not the only team competing for Wembanyama, but they are my pick to have the worst record.
