As the calendar year winds down on a memorable 2016 in the NBA, which moments merit being discussed as the best of the past 12 months?
For many, 2016 is already being talked about as a year to forget. Marked by the passing of a host of significant cultural icons, and with a growing sense of unrest and division emerging in societies across the globe, it’s hard to argue that 2016 has provided more than its fair share of low points.
On the other hand, in the NBA, the past 12 months have provided some of the most memorable, significant and diverse storylines to have emerged from the league in recent memory. If 2016 was a year when many fans needed basketball as real life distraction, it only seems fair to say that the NBA delivered.
Winding down on a year that won’t easily be topped for entertainment value, drama and the human elements of the most beloved basketball league in the world, it only seemed fitting to take a moment to reflect and highlight the best NBA moments of the past 12 months.
15. The Hinkie letter
There haven’t been many NBA figures as divisive as Sam Hinkie since he was hired as the general manager of the Philadelphia 76ers in 2013. As a result, when Hinkie resigned from his post in April it provoked a variety of reactions, simultaneously fueling and dampening the legends that had grown around him.
For many, Hinkie had taken on the status of the NBA’s crazed scientist. Hinkie’s approach to bottoming out in the hopes of hoarding quality assets was more extreme than any rebuilding process the NBA had seen before. The idea of “tanking” was not new to the NBA, but Hinkie’s approach was bolder than what had been attempted before.
As a man who believed he had identified a glitch in the system that was ripe for exploitation, the stakes for Hinkie’s plan were high. When his vision was suddenly cut short, with success seemingly still a long way away for the 76ers, the questions then shifted to whether the man behind the “Process” was a fraud or the genius who many had made him out to be.
Often reclusive, that could have been a debate to rage on without any further evidence for years, but when Hinkie’s resignation letter emerged, it showed a man who was creative and meticulous, as many had often speculated.
Whether Hinkie was ultimately ahead of his time will be revealed in due course, but in the meantime, a letter that quoted personalities as diverse as Warren Buffett, Bill Belichick and Abraham Lincoln acts as a memorable testament to a man whose influence on the NBA, for good or bad, cannot be overstated.
Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
14. Draymond and the curse of uncontrollable, flailing limbs
To think of the NBA and movement together is to draw images of fluid, coherent rotations, nimble footwork and incredible athleticism. For much of 2016, movement became something more, though. I am, of course, talking about Draymond Green and his variety of natural/unnatural movements.
From kicking Steven Adams (in a delicate area) during the Western Conference Finals, to swinging his arm at LeBron James (in a delicate area) and receiving a costly suspension in The Finals; the playoffs were in many ways dominated by discussion of Green’s kicks.
Carrying over into the new season, kicks to James Harden and Marquese Chriss have seen the trend continue for the former Michigan State Spartan, leading him to question whether decision-makers at the NBA offices actually understand natural movements.
“It’s funny how you can tell me how I get hit and how my body is supposed to react. I didn’t know the league office was that smart when it came to body movements. I’m not sure if they took kinesiology for their positions to tell you how your body is going to react when you get hit in a certain position. Or you go up and you have guys who jump to the ceiling. A lot of these guys that make the rules can’t touch the rim, yet they tell you how you’re way up there in the air which way your body (is supposed to go). I don’t understand that. That’s like me going in there and saying, ‘Hey, you did something on your paperwork wrong.’ I don’t know what your paperwork looks like. But it is what it is. They made the rule. Make your rule. I don’t care.”
As it turns out, kinesiologists aren’t necessarily on Green’s side in the movement debate either, though.
Whether Green’s kicks and punches belong in a best or worst moments of the 2016 season could be up for debate, but nothing highlighted the occasional absurdity of the league over the past 12 months better than Draymond Green’s lecturing on “natural” movement.
Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
13. The Process in the flesh
After two years of Shirley Temples, rumors about his weight and long-term health, and brief glimpses of workout video gold, 2016 was the year when Joel Embiid finally took the court for an NBA game.
The introduction of any top draft pick is always anticipated, and even more so when it comes belatedly due to injury. In Embiid’s case there was something even greater to the excitement, though. Rarely, has a single player debuting been as closely tied to the sense of hope or optimism of an entire franchise as it was in the case of Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers.
In the years of struggle that were necessary for the Sixers to build up the collection of assets necessary for the path of rebuilding they were pursuing, top prospects often disappointed. As a result, the myth of Embiid grew in his absence and when it came time for him to play, the pressure was on for him to deliver.
After impressive flashes in preseason, Embiid made his regular season debut in a seven-point defeat to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Cameroonian finished the game with 20 points and 7 rebounds, in spite of a minutes restriction holding him to just 22 minutes of action.
If the “Process” is to ultimately be proven worthwhile, it will be Embiid who will have to drag the Sixers back to relevance. If what he told Sports Illustrated’s Lee Jenkins in one of the most memorable NBA pieces of the year is to be believed, Embiid may well be up to that challenge too.
I think a lot about what I went through and how it prepared me to be a better man,” Embiid says. “I really feel like I’m The Process, like The Process is about me.”
Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
12. Seven more years!
It’s far from the most glamorous memory or moment to take away from the year, but it’s almost certainly the most important. In spite of occasional skepticism on both sides, the NBA and the NBPA reached a “tentative agreement” on a new seven-year Collective Bargaining Agreement in December.
At a time when the league is generating record revenues thanks to lucrative TV deals, the ability for both sides to come to an agreement so quickly is significant. It would have been all too easy for either side to have wanted a bigger share of the pie than what was being offered across the negotiating table. With a compromise in place, both sides have agreed to take their relative gains and kick on.
Most importantly, that means we avoid a lockout scenario akin to that of 2011, and may not have to worry about a repeat of that for long into the future.
Aside from avoiding work stoppages, the introduction of two-way contracts effectively expanding roster sizes to cater for increased D-League relevance, shorter preseason schedules, and a potential sixth year on contracts for players who qualify for the “designated veteran player exemption”, were all notable signs of progress for the players that for the most case should help to improve the overall standard of the NBA too.
Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
11. Timmy says goodbye on his own terms
Although the year may have closed out with a more traditional ceremony to mark the retirement of his jersey, Tim Duncan‘s actual decision to retire was just as unexpected as we’d always expected it to be.
Famed for his stoic, business-like demeanor, even the most casual of NBA fans could have predicted Duncan’s eventual retirement coming as a bolt out of the blue with no farewell tours, lengthy statements or emotional goodbyes, and so it proved to be.
Duncan’s final game came in a series-closing 14-point defeat to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals. With the Spurs trailing by 26 entering the fourth quarter, Duncan was instrumental in one last rally as San Antonio threatened to get back within single digits and make it a nervy finish for their hosts. It wasn’t to be, though.
And so, how does it end for one of the game’s all-time greats and almost certainly the best player to ever play the power forward position? Just like it did in every other game. Duncan exchanged congratulations and pleasantries with his opponents before striding off the court in his own familiar gait.
A brief wave to the reverent Oklahoma City fans may have been a giveaway, but until it was official there was little point in second-guessing the mind of Tim Duncan. He had always been one to do his own thing, and in retiring, things were no different.
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
10. Russ finds his focus
A significant factor in what has made Russell Westbrook‘s 2016 so impressive is that it’s difficult to highlight just one particular moment. In searching for an instance that typified the Westbrook experience, there was one occasion in particular that came to mind, though.
Spurned by his long-time teammate Kevin Durant for the history-making Golden State Warriors, Westbrook entered the 2016-17 season as a new man with new motivations. He wasn’t just a part of the Thunder any more, as with a new contract he became the franchise’s present and their future. What would be the defining feature of the Oklahoma City Westbrooks, though?
Russell Westbrook has arrived. (Of note: One of Kevin Durant's hobbies is photography): pic.twitter.com/Tvus1gnxx4
— Royce Young (@royceyoung) November 4, 2016
As it turns out, it might just be pettiness.
To mark the first matchup between Durant and the Thunder, which arrived early in the season, Westbrook made an even bigger pre-game fashion statement than ever before. Famed for his pre-game attire, Westbrook arrived for the game wearing a photographer’s bib, a less than thinly-veiled jibe at one-time Super Bowl photographer KD.
If any moment or gesture could possibly explain the series of incredible games that Westbrook has put together in the time since, this is it. Westbrook is not just averaging a triple-double, he’s doing it to make a point. This season, and the latter stages of 2016, is Westbrook’s one-man revenge mission.
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
9. Klay goes for 60
When Kevin Durant joined the Golden State Warriors as a free agent in the summer, if it wasn’t the prospect of the whole team finding their rhythm at once that struck terror in to many around the NBA, it was the reality that the chances of at least one of Golden State’s stars being on at any given time had increased exponentially.
With Stephen Curry‘s ability to explode to put his team out of reach already well-documented, and Kevin Durant frequently mentioned as one of the greatest scorers the league has ever seen, Klay Thompson often becomes something of the forgotten man.
A 37-point quarter against the Sacramento Kings in 2015 proved that Thompson can be just as prolific as his teammates, but he went even better in a December meeting with the Indiana Pacers this year.
Thompson finished with 60 points on 21-33 from the field, and 8-14 on 3-point attempts. Coming in only 29 minutes of play, Thompson played to a 100 point pace, averaging 2.07 points per minute as opposed to Wilt Chamberlain‘s 2.08 for his own legendary outburst.
Even more impressive again, Thompson achieved his tally by covering a game-high distance (2.34 miles), with only 57 touches and 11 dribbles. There may be more memorable scoring performances, but you’ll be hard pushed to find a more efficient one.
Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
8. Sager Strong
Although 2016 marked the tragic loss of legendary sideline reporter Craig Sager, following a long and hard-fought battle with leukemia, the year and Sager’s role in it can be remembered fondly for bringing out the best in the NBA community, showcasing great bravery and inspiring those who needed it most.
As #SagerStrong became a rallying call for teams, fans and the media alike to show their support for the colorful reporter in his own battles with the unforgiving disease, it also helped to create an environment of ongoing awareness and support around the league for an illness that touches the lives of so many.
Whether it was limited edition Nike shoes or the Sager Foundation‘s own t-shirts; apparel to show solidarity with Sager and others suffering with leukemia around the world became something of a staple among players for pre-game warmups. Going a step further, it wasn’t unusual to see coaches wearing colorful shirts and ties reminiscent of Sager’s own style and personality while at work on the sidelines either.
While the end of 2015 saw a memorable interview between Sager and Spurs coach Gregg Popovich upon the former’s return to work, the most memorable Sager moment of 2016 likely came at the NBA Finals. Thanks to a special arrangement between Turner and ESPN, the NBA’s most famous sideline reporter got to work the league’s biggest game for the first time.
In a game where the stakes were higher than they’d been at any point prior in the season, Sager reminded us all of what was really important. It was a special memory for everyone who watched it, and he’ll be sadly missed.
Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
7. Curry unlocks his inner cheat code
If ever you wanted a moment to capture the sense of near invincibility that the Golden State Warriors possessed during the 2015-16 season, it came at the end of an intense battle with the Oklahoma City Thunder in Chesapeake Energy Arena back in March.
In one of the games of the season, the Warriors were forced to go toe-to-toe with one of the few NBA teams who it seemed had the firepower to keep pace with them. In what turned out to be an overtime classic, it was Stephen Curry who proved to be the difference, though.
Curry would finish the game with 46 points, breaking the NBA’s single season 3-point record in the process, but it was the final meaningful play of the game that really captured the imagination.
With the game tied and seemingly destined for a second overtime period, Curry declined to take a timeout, instead hurrying down court to launch a science defying triple from 32-feet.
In a season where Curry and the Warriors often did things that seemed to border on the unfair, this was almost certainly the closest they got to crossing over into a world of full on fantasy.
Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
6. The return of the Dunk Contest
By the time All-Star Weekend in Toronto rolled around in February, it would seem fair to say that a kind of Dunk Contest fatigue had long since settled in among many who closely follow the NBA.
It wasn’t necessarily that the Dunk Contest had changed, but at the very least the general NBA viewing public had become somewhat spoilt by the quality of dunks they were now getting to witness in-game on a nightly basis.
With the league’s top players more athletic than ever, some of what was once spectacular had become mundane when showcased at All-Star Weekend. Instead of working toward creating more creative and audacious technical dunks, the reliance on gimmicks and props had made the format seem stale. Then Zach LaVine and Aaron Gordon came along.
LaVine and Gordon duked it out in a battle of originality, flexibility and explosiveness that at one stage seemed as if it would be deadlocked long into the night. Ultimately, after a number of matching perfect scores, LaVine prevailed to win the event for the second year running.
With valid arguments to be made for a Gordon win or even a tie, the 2016 Dunk Contest not only sparked more debate than it had in years, but it also created a rivalry that NBA fans would love to see revisited in 2017.
Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
5. Believeland becomes a reality
Removing any partisan feelings for players or teams, it was hard not to feel good about the Cavaliers winning a championship.
That isn’t a comment on a franchise who were lucky enough to land LeBron James (twice), but an acknowledgement that the city of Cleveland and the everyday folk who love sports throughout Ohio were long overdue their proverbial day in the sun.
As had been well-documented throughout the Cavs’ run, the “Cleveland Curse” had lasted for 52 years. Considering Cleveland plays home to franchises in the NBA, NFL and MLB, that was an incredibly long drought for the city to live with.
When their Cavaliers finally delivered, the scenes were joyous. Beyond the wonders of Matthew Dellavedova‘s Corona Extra, Kevin Love‘s wrestling belt and J.R. Smith‘s lack of a shirt, the celebrations of the people of Cleveland who flooded the streets of their city will live long in the memory.
No matter how long the wait was, when a championship became reality, there was little doubt that for those who continued to believe it was all worth it.
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
4. 73 wins for the ages
It says so much about how eventful 2016 was that this only comes in fourth on this list. In reality, Golden State’s history clinching moment wasn’t even the most momentous on the night it was realized (a legend in another part of California was putting on a show).
That doesn’t take away from the scale of the Warriors’ achievement, though. Winning 73 regular season games was a feat that many never really believed to be possible. In a league where very few records feel as if they are untouchable, Golden State took down one of the most revered to secure their place in the history books.
Of course, it was special when the Warriors blew out the Memphis Grizzlies in the final game of the season at Oracle Arena, but rather than it being memorable for a moment of its own, its significance lay in ensuring that a season full of moments ultimately counted for something.
Not many believed the 72 wins recorded by Michael Jordan‘s Chicago Bulls 20 years ago could be surpassed, but for those chasing history in the years to come, the Warriors have now made the margin for chasing greatness even smaller.
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
3. KD joins the “Super Villains”
Just as LeBron’s letter had done in 2014, Kevin Durant’s “My Next Chapter” article for the Players’ Tribune turned the NBA world upside down when it was released on July 4.
More than just a shift of power like the ones James had triggered with Miami and Cleveland in the past, this was the formation of an unprecedented super team. The most dominant regular season team in the history of the league adding the player who many believe to be the NBA’s best scorer, is a moment with the potential to change the shape of things for years to come.
The world of hypotheticals has long been driven by questions such as “What would the Bulls have been able to do if they could have added Karl Malone in 1997?”, but now the Warriors had put something that’s actually similar to that idea into practice.
What the Warriors can go on to achieve with Durant remains to be seen, but the early signs have been positive. As a result, there’s no reason to put a ceiling on them just yet.
Regardless of the eventual outcome, it’ll be hard to forget the impending sense of doom that fans of the league’s other 29 teams felt when the league’s first group of “Super Villains” finally came together.
Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports
2. Mamba Out
Tim Duncan went out on his terms, and so did Kobe Bryant. After a couple seasons of frequent injury problems and looking like a shadow of his former self when he was healthy, for many Kobe’s retirement had started to feel like something of a relief.
Sure, it’s always sad when an all-time great calls time on his career, but at the same time nobody likes to see a legacy gradually tarnished. While that had become a real concern for fans of Bryant, he was thankfully able to deliver the goods one last time for his big finale.
As the Jazz visited the Staples Center to close out the season, Kobe’s young Lakers’ teammates got out of the way and allowed their veteran leader to get to work in a way that only he was capable of.
Attempting 50 field goals and boasting a usage percentage of 62.4, Bryant closed the book on one of the greatest Lakers’ careers of all-time with a 60-point showing. More than that, he even helped his team to edge their way to a win in a close-fought game.
When all was said and done on the night, Bryant was able to say that he went out just as he’d played the rest of his career.
Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images
1. The block
For all of the great plays and incredible moments seen throughout 2016, no other would seem likely to have the lasting impact that LeBron James’ Game 7 block of Andre Igouodala.
A moment that will become synonymous with the greatest player of his era and one of the best to ever play in the NBA, the block not only played a pivotal role in deciding the season’s defining game, but it highlighted James’ combination of determination and physical prowess in the process.
With speed, athleticism, awareness and timing all combined, this was the moment when LeBron really delivered the championship he’d long promised to the people of Northeast Ohio.
For all of the remarkable things he had done in the NBA up until that point, LeBron carved out a new page in the history books with a true signature moment. As Jason Concepcion of The Ringer noted in his writing about this exact play:
“A life can’t be explained by a moment, but it can be defined by one.”
When people look back on that truly great series 20 years from now, it won’t be all about 3-1 jokes, but about the play that will transcend those seven games, and possibly even the star who executed it.
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