Image via Complex Original
31.
Whether you are a fan or player, who doesn't love stunting on the competition? Look, if you score a huge touchdown, do a little something-something to punctuate the moment. If you knock down a clutch shot, taunt your opponent a little bit. If you defeat a rival in the Octagon or ring, break out the wildly coordinated routine that you spent days prepping in front of your mirror. What's the fun in shaking hands and saying, "good game/match/whatever" when the moment calls for something a little more impolite?
If you think we're crazy, at least we can take comfort in the fact that the people on this list know exactly what we're talking about. And to certain degree, admittedly, some may have taken things a little too far. From Allen Iverson stomping right over Tyron Lue after crossing him up and hitting a big-time jumper in Game 1 of the 2001 NBA Finals to Stevie Johnson mocking former Jet Plaxico Burress by pretending to shoot himself in the leg after finding the end zone, here are the athletes who got their time to shine and utilized the moment to embarrass their opponent. These are The 30 Most Disrespectful Sports Celebrations of All Time.
30.Marco Belinelli's Big Testicles
Date: 5/4/2013
Game: Bulls at Nets
Stadium: Barclays Center
Many players have imitated the “Big Balls Dance,” but no one can compare to the originator: Sam Cassell. If only Marco Belinelli could slide into your girl's DMs quite like he was able to glide into this straight disrespectful celebration after knocking down a clutch three-pointer to give the Bulls a sizable 10-point lead in the 4th quarter of Game 7 against the Brooklyn Nets in 2013.
29.Mario Elie's Kiss of Death
Date: 5/20/1995
Game: Rockets at Suns
Stadium: America West Arena
The 1994-95 season featured a Jordan-less NBA, and that opened a window of opportunity open up for many teams. The Suns remained a formidable team with Charles Barkley still on their side. It looked like they were going to make that run to glory, too…until they blew a 3-1 lead to the Rockets in the Western Conference Semifinals. Elie's Kiss of Death in Game 7 and Jordan's return the following season made that ether burn slower.
28.Tito Ortiz…The Grave Digger
Date: 2/23/2001
Game: Tito Ortiz vs. Evan Tanner
Stadium: Trump Taj Mahal
Sometimes, things imitated in sports can hit a bit too close to home. After winning his fight by KO, Tito created an elaborate celebration that included mock burying his opponent Evan Tanner. Sadly and ironically, Tanner would later die seven years later while on a trip in the desert. Too soon?
27.Justin Gage Fakes Out Fan
Date: 9/10/2009
Game: Titans at Steelers
Stadium: Heinz Field
Gage really looked this Steelers fan in the eye and was like, “No! You don't deserve this shit.” He's kinda right; Gage is out here busting his ass and trying to outrun some of the best athletes on the planet to have a job. This dude buys a seat, stretches his hand, and thinks he deserves a ball. Uh-uh. You sit there and be grateful you're alive, man.
26.TO Trolls Ray Lewis
Date: 10/31/2004
Game: Ravens at Eagles
Stadium: Lincoln Financial Center
If you do a list of NFL players that you DO NOT want to attempt to punk during their playing days under any circumstances, Ray Lewis is top 5, dead or alive. Throughout his career, Lewis became pretty much synonymous with intimidation. So, why T.O. thought it was a good idea to mock that pre-game dance Ray does we have no clue. Maybe it was the fact that Philly was 6-0 and Owens knew that all he had to do was avoid going over the middle the last few minutes of the game? We still don't know. But as we all know when it comes to Owens, karma is a bitch.
25.Vince Carter Says “It's Over”
Date: 2/12/2000
Game: 2000 Slam Dunk Contest
Stadium: Oakland Arena
Carter's gesture is probably the only one on this list that very few can object to. He had judges coming over to congratulate him. Tracy McGrady's legs got three decades older just by being in The Dunk's vicinity. Jesus wept. IT WAS OVA, B!
24.MJD's Powder Toss
Date: 11/20/2011
Game: Jaguars at Browns
Stadium: Cleveland Browns Stadium
As we have come to find out, time heals all wounds. However, on that fateful day when the Jaguars took on the Browns in Cleveland, Maurice Jones-Drew struck a chord with Browns fans when he broke out the powder toss after scoring a touchdown. Even though a year removed from “The Decision” should've mended those broken hearts, it was still too soon.
23.Colin Kaepernick Superman on Cam Newton
Date: 1/12/2014
Game: 49ers at Panthers
Stadium: Bank of America Stadium
Colin Kaepernick and his biceps led the 49ers to a playoff win over the Panthers while stealing the Superman celebration from the perpetually swaggerless Cam Newton. Shed a tear for him.
22.Takuya Eizumi's Troll Face
Date: 6/29/2014
Game: Takuya Eizumi vs. Yusei Shimokawa
Stadium: Differ Ariake in Tokyo, Japan
Could you imagine being in Yusei Shimokawa's shoes? After losing to Takuya Eizumi by unanimous decision at Pancrase 259, you look across the Octagon to witness dude hitting you with the ultimate troll face. That ain't right, but we would probably do the same thing.
21.Dodgers Hold Pool Party in the Diamondbacks' Stadium
Date: 9/19/2013
Game: Dodgers at Diamondbacks
Stadium: Chase Field
After beating the Diamondbacks to take the NL West title, the Dodgers decided to take a dip inside the stadium's pool in celebration. Of course this pissed off the Diamondbacks, but why the hell do you have a pool in a stadium without From Russia With Love style lasers protecting it from such situations? This could've been higher on this list, but there's no way to confirm if someone pissed in that pool. Not that type faint green piss you get when you drink a good amount of water, but that stink, sinful yellow you see in a project elevator from someone whose diet consists of Henny and Juicy Juice.
20.Tebow Gets Tebowed
Date: 10/30/2011
Game: Lions at Broncos
Stadium: Sports Authority Field at Mile High
Look, if you're going to have your own celebration that involves you dropping to one knee in prayer, you've got to expect your opponents to mock said celebration. And, if you're Tim Tebow, you probably don't care since you've got the man upstairs on your side. And wait until His Holiness gets a hold of him.
19.Mario Bailey Does the Heisman on That Hoe (aka Desmond Howard)
Date: 1/1/1992
Game: 1992 Rose Bowl: Michigan vs. Washington
Stadium: Rose Bowl
Karma's a boomerang, and it comes back around hard. Desmond Howard learned that the hard way weeks after he busted out the Heisman Pose. While that's the more iconic moment, Mario Bailey's use during the Washington Huskies' rout of the Michigan Wolverines delivers much more bite. He's here, he's winning, and he's stunting on you. And there's not a damn thing you can do about it.
18.Scottie Pippen Emasculates Ewing
Date: 5/20/1994
Game: Knicks @ Bulls
Stadium: Chicago Stadium
MJ was on hiatus from basketball but that didn't mean someone from the Bulls wasn't sonning the Knicks. Scottie Pippen delivered one of the most vicious slams in NBA history then proceeded to stunt on Patrick Ewing with the epic stare down while standing over the center. Yup, doesn't get much worse than looking up at another man's balls when they just took your own set from you.
17.Shawn Kemp Sons Alton Lister
Date: 4/30/1992
Game: SuperSonics vs. Warriors
Stadium: KeyArena
Most of us obviously wouldn't put our nuts over someone and proceed to taunt them to their face like that. The play looks even more disrespectful now because there's no way this would fly in today's league.
16.Marshawn Lynch Grabs Nuts After Beast Mode Run on Saints
Date: 1/8/2011
Game: Seahawks vs. Saints
Stadium: CenturyLink Field
After putting the dagger in the hearts of the Saints with a ridiculous 67-yard run in the 2011 Playoffs, Marshawn Lynch punctuated the moment with an epic sack grab for the haters. As if that run by Beast Mode wasn't embarrassing enough for New Orleans. The play was nuts to begin with, and if Saints fans still seem salty watching this all go down again, we can probably guess why.
15.Anisimov Sniper
Date: 12/8/2011
Game: Rangers vs. Lightning
Stadium: Madison Square Garden
You're rarely going to see a gun-related celebration as blatant as this without some reaction. That reaction came in the form of Lightning forward Steve Downie, who left his bench to dust-up Artem Anisimov for his antics. It was Anisimov who would get tagged with the $2,500 fine, though.
14.Ahn Jung-Hwan Goes Skating On 'Em
Date: 6/10/2002
Game: South Korea vs. USA
Stadium: Daegu World Cup Stadium
During the 2002 World Cup, the Korean men's soccer team weren't about to drop a game to Team USA and this game-tying goal by Ahn Jung-Hwan prevented it. But Jung-Hwan wasn't done there. He also used his goal celebration to take shots at Apolo Ohno's controversial DQ win over a fellow Korean in Salt Lake City. If dude's trying to make sure all Americans hate him, taking aim at athletes from multiple sports is definitely the way to go.
13.Steve Smith Rows the Boat
Date: 10/30/2005
Game: Panthers vs. Vikings
Stadium: Bank of America Stadium
Smith decided to include this snarky reference to the 2005 Boat Scandal after burning the Vikings secondary. This was a headache from a publicity perspective, but for the players named in the incident? Meh. Allegedly rented two boats and flew in prostitutes from other states for an orgy? Damn straight we did. Where were you, Smith?
12.Donald Brashear's Knockout
Date: 3/10/2007
Game: Capitals vs. Islanders
Stadium: Nassau Coliseum
As the enforcer, Donald Brashear was never used to scoring goals. That may explain why Brashear chose to celebrate this rare goal by doing what he does best: punch out somebody on the opposing team. Hey, what are you gonna do? Old habits die hard.
11.MJ Swagger Jacks Mutombo
Date: 5/13/1997
Game: Bulls vs. Hawks
Stadium: United Center
It's just one of the things you have to do when you get the chance. Seriously, imagine blocking Mutombo in a pick-up game. Would you fall to your knees in reverence and penance? Besides, Jordan rocked Steve Kerr's jaw and did an uncalled shove for his most famous shot. This is far from Jordan's worst, but it's still a great “Take That Take That” moment.
10.Randall Hill Breaks Out the Big Guns
Date: 1/1/1991
Game: Miami vs. Texas
Stadium: Cotton Bowl
If Yosemite Sam were a football player who could run faster than the Millenium Falcon in hyperspace and actually won something, this is how he'd celebrate. On New Year's Day '91, the Miami Hurricanes were out of the national title picture, and took their frustrations out on the Texas Longhorns in an epic ass-whooping that set a bar for team-wide disrespect that hasn't been matched since. Got guns? We got guns, too.
9.A.I. Skips Over Lue
Date: 6/6/2001
Game: Lakers vs. 76ers
Stadium: Staples Center
You've heard the story by now. A sub-6-foot legend carries a team of mostly nobodys to the NBA Finals against the Lakers. Said legend hints at a possible upset bid with an astounding Game 1 performance. Legend captures a soul in the process. The crazy thing is that Allen Iverson said he and Tyronn Lue are the best of friends more than a decade after the sonning. Lue's a saint.
8.Robbie Fowler Does a Line
Date: 4/3/1999
Game: Liverpool vs. Everton
Stadium: Anfield
Some shots can be subtle and others can be blatantly obvious. After Robbie Fowler scored on a penalty kick, he went to the ground and insinuated that he was snorting cocaine. This celebration was in response to the media creating rumors that Fowler was, at the time, using drugs. Afterwards, then-manager Gérard Houllier defended his player stating that he was merely imitating “a cow eating grass.” Yeah…sure.
7.Emmanuel Adebayor Stunts on Former Team
Date: 9/12/2009
Game: Arsenal vs. Manchester City
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
The concept behind this celebration is quite simple and effective. Gallop through Arsenal's pitch, take a knees-forward slide, and flex as if to say, “You're laying witness upon your pending demise. Now lament on thy ruins and gaze upon glory!” What makes the scene stick is how violently upset that Arsenal fanbase gets. That entire fanbase would've caught a case if that wall wasn't there.
6.Randolph Childress' Crossover Ruins a Life
Date: 3/12/1995
Game: Wake Forest vs. North Carolina
Stadium: Greensboro Coliseum
The humiliation of getting your ankles broken in front of millions of people is bad enough, but when the guy that crosses you takes some time to embarrass you even further with a wave before hitting the jumper, then you need to retreat under the nearest rock and hide never be heard from again.
5.Randy Moss Moons Packers Fans at Lambeau
Date: 1/10/2005
Game: Packers vs. Vikings
Stadium: Lambeau Field
Joe Buck sounded personally hurt and offended when Randy Moss pulled this one over at Lambeau. It wasn't that serious, but you're obviously asking for some blowback if you're fake mooning such a devout fanbase. Almost 10 years later, Buck still hasn't stopped crying.
4.Georgia Bulldogs Rush the Field … and Tebow
Date: 10/27/2007
Game: Georgia vs. Florida
Stadium: EverBank Field
Nothing screams disrespect quite like a mass stunting, courtesy of the Georgia Bulldogs, who celebrated the very first touchdown of the game by Knowshon Moreno by rushing onto the field and breaking out a little Tebowing in the process. Hey Timmy, we know the Bible says to turn the other cheek but with these levels of hate, there are simply no more cheeks to turn to, fam!
3.Shoot Yourself in the Leg, Plaxico
Date: 10/27/2011
Game: Jets vs. Bills
Stadium: MetLife Stadium
Why'd it have to be Burress? This was the question many Giants fans asked themselves when one of New York's greatest athletes ended up serving time for something asinine — shooting yourself in the leg. Burress deserved the ragging on and rap punchlines (the above comes courtesy of Nicki Minaj), but at the end of the day, a man lost two years of his life because of stupidity. That earns you no sympathy from Stevie Johnson.
2.Terrell Owens Owns That Dallas Star
Date: 9/24/2000
Game: Cowboys vs. 49ers
Stadium: Cowboys Stadium
To be clear, we don't condone physical violence. But there are certain situations where you're expected to at least be ready to knuckle up. For example, if another man talks slick with your girl while you're by her, you ideally wouldn't threaten to choke him out, but it'd be understandable. Terrell Owens decision to taunt on the Dallas midfield is like the football equivalent of that with a Shmoney Dance thrown in. This isn't simply an opposing team he did that to—this is the Dallas Cowboys. America's Team. And he did it twice in the same game. You couldn't even blame George Teague for taking a stand for his team (and 'Merica!) by the second attempt.
1.Reggie Miller Chokes out MSG
Date: 5/7/1994
Game: Knicks vs. Pacers
Stadium: Madison Square Garden
Ah, the moment Reggie Miller became known as “The Bad Guy.” The infamous choke sign after a 39-point performance (25 of which came in the fourth quarter) in Game 5 of the '94 Eastern Conference Finals was all it took for Reggie to be forever hated by Knicks fans. Sidebar: Spike egging him on didn't help much. STFU, will ya?!