Farewell, So Long! The Best NBA Ejections

The NBA playoffs are here!

We’ve got two more play-in games today. The Cavs and Hawks will square off for the final East spot. Meanwhile, the Clippers and Pelicans will fight for 8th in the West.

The previous four play-in games have already provided plenty of entertainment — even when the games weren’t close.

Take what happened in Atlanta, for instance. The Hawks were beating the Hornets by 31 when Charlotte’s Miles Bridges got called for a goaltend.

He was, to put it lightly, pissed.

That feeling quickly got him ejected, and as he walked off the court, one unpleasant fan was chirping and gesturing and generally being annoying.

Bridges snapped and threw his mouthpiece at the fan. Only he missed his target and hit an innocent bystander instead.

Bridges apologized after the game, called his behavior “unacceptable,” and asked to get in touch with the 16-year-old girl he hit. The NBA has already fined him $50,000.

The Hawks won 132-103, so the Hornets actually played better with Bridges off the court. What a wild scene.

Bridges’ outburst leads to another question: What are some of the most outrageous NBA ejections?

Let’s find out!

Tracy McGrady Practices Soccer

After the officials missed a call in a 2004 game, then-Orlando Magic forward Tracy McGrady wanted to voice his displeasure.

Rather than cussing or telling a truly insulting dad joke, he kicked the ball high up into the stands.

Whoever caught the ball ended up throwing it back onto the court. Which gave McGrady another kick. This time, he picked up the ball and punted it into the stands.

Who knows — maybe McGrady could have had a career as an NFL punter?

One other fun note here: The guy that tries to restrain McGrady and settle him down is Juwan Howard. You may remember when Howard slapped an opposing assistant coach earlier this year and people had to restrain him.

Ah, the circle of life.

Draymond Green Goes Nuts During the 2016 NBA Finals, the Golden State Warriors were mere minutes away from a comfortable 3-1 lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers. All they had to do was win one more game, and they’d earn their second championship in a row. Well, I guess they also needed to avoid slapping any opposing players in the crotch. But Draymond Green couldn’t resist. While guarding LeBron James, Green got tangled up and fell to the floor. Because the quickest path from Point A to Point B is a straight line, LeBron walked directly over Green’s body. As you may have guessed, Green did not care for that and gave LeBron a smack on an area where most men do not care to be smacked. Green got suspended for Game 5, and the Cavs ultimately won the series.

Larry Sanders Gives a Thumbs Up

I love a good sarcastic clap, but a sarcastic thumbs-up is even better.

During a 2013 game, Sanders and the Milwaukee Bucks were struggling toward a loss against the Washington Wizards.

Sanders made a nice move, scoring a basket as the whistle blew. He thought he had a three-point play, but the official called an offensive foul instead. No basket.

Though Sanders tried to argue his case, the refs were having none of it. He let them know just how he felt.