At a recent youth basketball camp, Dallas Mavericks forward Naji Marshall had an interaction that quickly went viral for its bizarre and hilarious twist. After giving two young campers a casual high-five, the kind of feel-good moment you see all the time at these events, the kids did something no one saw coming.
Almost immediately, both of them licked their hands, as if they had just been blessed by a basketball legend’s magical touch.
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The moment, caught on video, spread across social media within hours, sparking an avalanche of fan reactions that ranged from playful roasting to genuine disbelief. Many compared the scene to something out of Game of Thrones, with one user writing,
“This is some GFOAT like stuff here,” suggesting the kids were treating Marshall’s high-five like a royal seal of approval.
Others took a more sarcastic tone, with one fan joking, “You better go to league too since you wanna be a nasty superstitious lil boy,” poking fun at the superstition-like reverence the campers seemed to show.
Some were less impressed, branding the move as a sign of modern youth, with one comment reading, “Corny a** generation,” while another joked about wanting to be part of the chaos: “How do I sign up for this camp?”
It wasn’t all laughs; some fans threw in mock concern, especially for the parents of the kids.
“Bro I feel sorry for his dad,” one commenter quipped, while another compared the act to a pop culture moment, saying, “He went in his Space Jam bag,” implying the boys believed they had just absorbed some of Marshall’s NBA talent through osmosis.
Of course, in the current health-conscious climate, it didn’t take long for the COVID-19 jokes to surface.
“And that’s how COVID started folks!” one fan remarked, adding to the wave of humor over the unsanitary but oddly wholesome moment.
Another comment summed up the sentiment of the more cynical crowd: “Nah this s**t outta hand, bring back bullying,” a tongue-in-cheek way of saying kids might need a little more self-awareness.
For Naji Marshall, who joined the Mavericks in the offseason and is known for his gritty play and defensive hustle, this probably wasn’t the welcome-to-Dallas moment he envisioned.
Still, it’s a reminder that athletes at community events often become larger-than-life figures to young fans. To these campers, the high-five wasn’t just a simple gesture; it was something worth remembering, even if it meant doing something the rest of the world found strange.
The Mavericks camp is designed to give kids a chance to interact with NBA players, learn basketball fundamentals, and create memories. In that sense, mission accomplished. Whether these kids were simply being goofy or genuinely believed they were taking a piece of Marshall’s magic with them, the internet made sure the story lived far beyond the gym.
