The NBA has strict rules when it comes to certain things, especially celebrations. One of the many celebrations that the league frowns upon is the infamous “Big Balls” celebration. A celebration that saw LeBron James having to face a $15,000 fine when he broke it out in 2021. However, $15,000 is nothing compared to what Sam Cassell had to pay. 17 years ago, long before LeBron’s fine, Cassell used the celebration during the 2004 Playoffs. And, while he didn’t have to pay a fine, his actions, as covered in Frank Michael Smith’s Twitter thread, may have cost the Minnesota Timberwolves an NBA Champion, as he got injured in the process.
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Cassell was an All-Star guard back in 2004. Alongside MVP Kevin Garnett, the T-Wolves were the first seed in the Western Conference. Many believed they had what it took to go all the way and lift the Larry O’Brien trophy. However, Cassell’s untimely injury saw them fall in the Conference Finals. Ending what to this day remains Minnesota’s best chance of winning some silverware.
Sam Cassell pulled out the “Big Balls” celebration in 2004 but it may have cost him an NBA Championship
In 2004, the Minnesota Timberwolves were the best in the West. With the first seed in hand, many believed that the T-Wolves had assembled a championship-worthy squad. 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, handing Minnesota the win. To celebrate, he decided to go with the “Big Balls” celebration. A celebration that would prove to be his downfall.
It just so happened, that it aggravated a fractured hip, and 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 was already playing with a fracture in his hip and this dance aggravated it He played out the rest of the Kings series, but during the next round against the Lakers, he barely got on the court… Including 2 DNP’s in games 5 & 6.”
Thus, it led to one of the biggest “What Ifs?” in NBA history. Could the Minnesota Timberwolves have won it all if “Sam I Am” had just contained his excitement?
Unlike Cassell and LeBron James, Kobe Bryant faced no consequences when he did the “Big Balls” celebration
LeBron James and Sam Cassell aren’t the only players who have used the “Big Balls” celebration. NBA Legend Kobe Bryant has also used the celebration once before. He brought it out against the San Antonio Spurs back in 2009. But, unlike Cassell and LeBron he neither got injured nor did he get fined $15,000 for doing so.
Kobe was definitely lucky back then. With how strongly the NBA is coming down on such celebrations, he avoided a huge PR mess, let alone a fine. But, given some of the exasperating things that happen at NBA games, it is bewildering how the league can take a simple “celebration” so seriously.
