He even got the vote of Andre Drummond, the Detroit Pistons' All-Star big man who has been a frequent target of Embiid, who publicly criticized the shooting and defensive ability of Drummond, who then shot back with a jab of Embiid's durability.īut that's all about basketball, and Embiid makes a point to always stick to the game. Philadelphia 76ers All-Star center Joel Embiid, a sharp-tongued talker and expert social media troll, was the most popular answer when players were asked who is the league's premier active trash-talker. But when you get to cursing and saying disrespectful stuff - 'b- ass m-f-' - that's how it becomes a problem. "'You can't guard me' - that's understandable. "Trash-talking is cool until you get to being disrespectful," said Sacramento Kings power forward Zach Randolph, who has earned a reputation as one of the NBA's toughest players. As long as you do that, it's fine."Īnd keep the profane insults out of it, particularly the ones that challenge an opponent's masculinity. "Keep it on the court," Toronto Raptors All-Star shooting guard DeMar DeRozan said. "Anything off the court, that's when it's too far," Phoenix Suns shooting guard Devin Booker said. Personal issues are also considered out of bounds. Ariza attempted to confront Dallas Mavericks center Salah Mejri after a game last season due to an alleged comment about Ariza's wife and children, a claim Mejri adamantly denied. I kind of expect the same thing, especially if I'm not at anybody else."Īny reference to family is a glaring no-no. "I like to think I just play the game and go on about my business. "I like to think that I respect everybody," Ariza said during his suspension. NBA players have no issue with routine trash talk - "You get up underneath somebody's skin, frustrate them a little bit, get 'em out their game," Washington Wizards All-Star shooting guard Bradley Beal said - but draw the line at disrespect. However you want to classify the evolved world of NBA trash talk, consensus opinion is that there are three unwritten rules, whether it's done face-to-face, through the media or via an iPhone keyboard. "Now it's just for you guys, so you guys can laugh and make memes and all kinds of nonsense." Real trash talk was back in the '80s, '90s. "It's all type of stuff, but it's not trash talk. "Trash talk can be Twitter, social media, Instagram," Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Russell Westbrook said. But despite such a high-profile altercation, many players believe that traditional in-game barking has actually decreased in recent years. It was clearly a case of trash talk going too far, leading to two-game suspensions for Ariza and Green. Rivers responded by ratcheting up the intensity of his trash talk, saying "something crazy," as one Clipper put it while declining to be specific.īlake Griffin butted in and got ejected along with Ariza, and it only got uglier after the game, with Ariza and Gerald Green barging through the back door of the Clippers' locker room to confront Rivers. Rockets small forward Trevor Ariza, the player closest to Rivers, had heard too much by the time he turned to Rivers with 1 minute, 3 seconds remaining and shared some harsh words. Rivers, wearing a gray suit, stood with his hands on his belt and barked, as he'd been doing much of the night, especially after emotions escalated late in the fourth quarter and the Clippers sealed the win. The protective boot on Austin Rivers' right foot was entirely in bounds throughout the Houston Rockets' possession late in the LA Clippers' emotionally charged win the night of Chris Paul's first game against his former team. The unwritten rules for modern-day NBA trash talk You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browser
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