The NBA has strict rules when it comes to certain things, especially potentially offensive or lewd celebrations. One of the many celebrations banned in the league is the infamous “Big Balls” celebration. The likes of LeBron James have faced hefty fines for doing the celly. However, all that is nothing compared to what Sam Cassell had to pay for the celebration. The 2004 Championship.
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Cassell used the celebration during the 2004 Playoffs. While he didn’t have to pay a fine, his actions cost the Minnesota Timberwolves the NBA Championship that year.
He was an All-Star guard back in 2004. Led by the reigning league MVP Kevin Garnett, the T-Wolves were the first seed in the Western Conference and the favorites to win it all.
Players like Wally Szczerbiak, Latrell Sprewell, Sam Cassell, and of course, Kevin Garnett made them a force to be reckoned with.
Things were looking good for Minnesota in the playoffs. They breezed past the Denver Nuggets in Round 1. But things took a turn for the worse in Round 2. In Game 2 against the Sacramento Kings, Cassell hit a jumper to hand Minnesota the win.
However, after hitting the shot, he decided to go with the “Big Balls” celebration, which would prove to be his downfall. It just so happened that the dance aggravated a fracture in Cassell’s hip.
While he played out the rest of the Kings series, the Conference Finals were a different story. Cassell barely played against the Los Angeles Lakers as they fell 2-4 to Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant.
Sam Cassell’s “Big Balls” cost the T’Wolves an NBA Title…
Here’s The Story: pic.twitter.com/smclY6Iugv
— Frank Michael Smith (@frankmikesmith) July 31, 2023
Therefore, it led to one of the biggest “What Ifs?” in NBA history. Could the Minnesota Timberwolves have won it all if Cassell had just contained his excitement?
Perhaps, Kevin Garnett could have won his first chip in Minnesota if Cassell didn’t worsen his injury. But at least KG did win a chip before retiring with the 2008 Boston Celtics.
