We are in the era of flopping, and it is here to stay. Unless the NBA referees are given instruction to let the grown men compete and accept some physicality, players will always be looking to embellish minor contact and earn the benefit of free throws, momentum changes, or foul accumulation for the opponent. Since the hand-checking rule was enforced, the NBA has gotten progressively less physical and now we are at a stage where the slightest contact leads to foul calls.
Some fans might not like the way players are trying to finesse the referees and proceed with flopping, but it is hard to argue that it comes to the benefit of teams. Realistically, without flopping, the game would have changed considerably and we might have different NBA champions or award winners. There is no doubt that flopping affects the game that much.
Luckily, not all NBA players flop and there are some major guilty participants who constantly embellish minimal contact. They are not doing it for any other reason except for their team’s gain, but perhaps the league should do something about rewarding players for hunting fouls instead of trying to play the game and win fairly. Without further ado, here are the 10 biggest floppers in the NBA ranked in chronological order.
10. Devin Booker
Devin Booker is known for his exceptional offensive skills and his ability to score under pressure. However, on a few occasions, he has been criticized for his tendency to exaggerate contact and flop on the court on more than one occasion. This is a questionable behavior in the basketball community, as flopping is generally considered a form of cheating and gamesmanship. While there is no denying that basketball is a contact sport, players still have a responsibility to play fairly and avoid any form of foul play. In the case of Devin Booker, his flopping tendencies have occasionally been highlighted by fans and analysts, and although he has not been penalized for it yet, it certainly brings his integrity into question.
Phoenix Suns fans will defend Booker, however, because sometimes his flops are actually quite intelligent and cause frustration for the other team.
The shooting guard is getting to the free-throw line with over six attempts from the line this season so Booker is clearly a superstar player who knows how to get fouled. But flopping to get calls is not the best way to generate points and Booker needs to shake that image before it gets worse with the risk of joining other players on this list.
9. Kyle Lowry
Kyle Lowry is a serial flopper and it is quite funny when looking at his massive compilation of worst offenses.
The point guard has a bulldog build in terms of large shoulders and a thick frame, yet he tends to use his center of gravity to receive contact and go flying across the floor for the benefit of his team. He started doing it at a high level with the Toronto Raptors and continues to do it as a member of the Miami Heat.
Lowry has had a great career and is respected for his high basketball IQ, scoring, and playmaking, but flopping has been a massive part of his game. The point guard knows how to create contact to draw fouls and he does it on both ends of the court. Whether we like it or not, as Kyle Lowry is 37 years old and on the back end of his career, his flopping habits won’t change anytime soon.
8. Trae Young
Trae Young is similar to James Harden in terms of being a player who opposing fans and players hate to watch at times. He hounds the refs for fouls and has found ways to create minimal contact and flop his way to the line. While some of his moves aren’t always flops, they are certainly not calls the point guard would have received in the 1990s.
Even more than drawing fouls on shots, Trae is a serial flopper. Some of his flops are just plain embarrassing and he might have a contender for the “Flop of the Century”.
Trae is still a great offensive player with career averages of 25.5 PPG and 9.3 APG, so even if he flops more often than not, the results are there for the point guard and the Atlanta Hawks. Since Trae Young’s game won’t change and the rules won’t either, expect to see the talented point guard continue flopping his way to fouls and generate extra points.
7. Chris Paul
Chris Paul has always been one to embellish contact, but this tendency of his took an entirely different level when he was traded to the Houston Rockets. Learning from one of the greatest floppers of all time in James Harden elevated the “Point God’s” play in terms of forcing referees to blow the whistle whether it was deserved or not. After all, Paul’s history of flailing all over the place is well-documented.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaR6T8MPvTc
CP3 is 38 years old and his inability to stay healthy means the point guard will have to make the most of his time on the floor. Of course, that also means that Paul will continue to flop on the NBA court to try to have an impact. Time will tell if Chris Paul can remain on the court long enough to generate enough points for his team, but the point guard will continue to be a serial flopper until the day he retires.
6. Luka Doncic
Luka Doncic has only been in the league for five seasons, yet has become one of the greatest floppers of all time. The Slovenian has made the most of the modern NBA game because even he had to admit that the European game is far tougher, and he is using that to his advantage. At 6’7” and 230 lbs, Luka has incredible size and he uses that to generate contact. Of course, most times, Luka ends up flopping when generating any contact.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTr0-_EDMUA
Doncic is also a funny player to watch when he flops because he doesn’t make it half-obvious. The Slovenian realizes the way the game is headed and does not try to hide the fact that he might have embellished calls. In other words, Luka Doncic makes flopping somewhat charming at times. Regardless, the current Dallas Mavericks superstar will do whatever it takes to get back to the Western Conference Finals, and that means flopping a whole lot.
5. Draymond Green
No surprise Draymond Green appears among the top five. The four-time NBA champion has made a career out of being a defensive-minded player and irritant who is there to spark trouble and get under opponents’ skins. At the same time, Green is there to make winning plays, and flopping is generally a winning play for him and the Golden State Warriors. Although, it must be said some of Draymond’s flops are downright shameful.
Green has a habit of flailing all over the place and it is funny to watch because he does look goofy at times. The problem is, when someone calls him out on it, Green is not afraid to back up his play and is also ready to engage in a confrontation. That essentially means that Draymond won’t stop flopping anytime soon and as long as he has Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson backing him up in terms of star power, we won’t hear the end of it either.
4. James Harden
James Harden is easily one of the most polarizing players of all time. The Beard has to go down in history as one of the game’s most iconic offensive players, having captured three scoring titles and leading the league in assists twice. Harden has been an entire offensive system on his own, and it has led to great success. However, most NBA fans do not enjoy watching James Harden flop and flail all over the court and to be fair, they have a point. The Beard is a massive example of how modern referees reward players for creating marginal contact.
Harden is a free-throw line merchant because he is getting there for an average of over eight free throws per game, which is an insane amount. The Beard is an isolation-based player who thrives on using his handles to get to the rim, and once he does, it is almost guaranteed the referee will be blowing the whistle. James Harden does deserve most of his free throws, but the way he hunts for unnecessary contact and basically tricks referees at times is what makes him heavily criticized by opposing teams and players.
3. LeBron James
How can one of the game’s greatest and most accomplished players appear on a list for being a serial flopper? Well, because LeBron James flops, and everyone knows it. The King’s legacy is secured no matter what he does because four NBA titles, four Finals MVPs, and four MVPs mean he is in a select company. But the man whom haters call “LeFlop” has some pretty bad moments when it comes to flailing around.
Since James became an established superstar, he has made it obvious that flopping is the only way to get calls. To be fair to him, being too big and strong for defenses has meant that he often does not get the benefit of the doubt on contact, similar to what Shaquille O’Neal used to go through. While that is understandable, the way James opts to flop is simply ridiculous at times, and his most recent “crime” against the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals closes the case.
2. Joel Embiid
Superstar center Joel Embiid is one of the game’s greatest players right now, capturing league MVP after finishing runner-up a year ago. Embiid was fantastic on the floor for the Philadelphia 76ers, posting 33.1 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 4.2 APG, 1.0 SPG, and 1.7 BPG. As great as Embiid is offensively and defensively, the big man flops more than almost every other player in the league. Quite frankly, it is frustrating to watch at times.
Some of Embiid’s flops are simply ridiculous. What makes it even worse for most NBA fans is that Embiid and James Harden shared the court together this year and it was basically a Flop Fest. Seeing a 7-footer flail around is interesting, to say the least, but who are we to argue when it clearly works? The superstar center has averaged over 11 free-throw attempts per game over the past two seasons, which is an insane number for a big man who seems to prefer the mid-range jump shot over anything else. Regardless, Embiid won league MVP, so he likely won’t stop flopping if it means he can generate points from the stripe.
1. Marcus Smart
Marcus Smart is currently the king of flopping, and whether we like it or not, it works. Smart managed to win the Defensive Player of the Year award last season and his play even guided the Boston Celtics to the NBA Finals. Smart is certainly a tremendous defensive player and he never backs down from the challenge of defending the league’s best players, and he deserves respect as an All-NBA Defensive Team member.
However, the man flops and does it a lot.
Smart is always finding ways to earn his team more possessions by frustrating the opposition whenever they hear the ref’s whistles. The guard is doing his best for the Celtics franchise and it has worked because Boston made the NBA Finals last year and the Eastern Conference Finals this season. However, being the King of Flops is not exactly a title to be proud of, but if he can capture a Defensive Player of the Year trophy, what does it even matter what we think?
