The NBA puts some of the best athletes in the world on the court but sometimes its not always about the game. I put together 10 random moments on and off the court from last season that got me to raise and eyebrow, do a double take or just left me speechless….

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow…
Allen Iverson: All star weekend is usually about everything but the game and this year was no different. All-Star regular, Iverson showed up in the team locker room rocking a new do. Gone were the braids that had become his trademark, and were replaced by a fresh buzz with a #2 blade. It was a long overdue change but one that had everyone doing a double take.

Random Acts of Shaqness
Shaquille O’Neal: Shaq has a larger than life personality and it took on a whole new form this season with the help of twitter and a group of masked men. During the all-star game, the Big Shaqtus stole the show as he joined dance group Jabbawokeez in a choreographed routine to introduce the players. (Video) It didn’t stop there as Shaq ventured into the Twitterverse and starting connecting with fans, having them go on Shaq hunts around different cities. One of my favorite stories of an Act of Shaqness came from two guys who met him at a diner.

Lights, Camera, Action!
Lebron James & Shaquille O’Neal: They may be teammates now but last season they had a rather unique duel going on. Who can put together the best pre-game intro’s. Pre-Game rituals have been a part of the game for a while – the dancing in a circle & the chest bumps but Lebron and Shaq took it to another level. Family Photos, Bowling pins, I can only imagine the creativity next season as they will star in the same intro.

Revenge on the Rookie
Jason Thompson: Rookie hazing is pretty common in the NBA, and most rookies get subjected to some level of humiliation during the season. Enter Jason Thompson of the Sacramento Kings, who one day forgot to come through on his rookie duties and well he paid for it. (Video) My favorite part – “Well now you have something to snack on while you driving”

Baby Mama Drama
Chris Bosh: This is one guy who worked hard to create an image. He was the geek, who made a video to gain some votes for a popularity contest. He embraced technology and when he went on twitter and sent out some subliminal messages no one blinked. Late last season that image was marred with the news that he was a “deadbeat” dad. While stories of this nature come out all the time in pro sports, it was a shocker to see who was linked to it this time.

Animal Instincts
Kevin Garnett: Kevin Garnett is a beast. When he steps on the floor, its with a take no prisoners attitude. His competitive edge is great attribute to have but at times last season we saw him go out of control. I for one was pretty disgusted…
Kevin Garnett Barks at Bayless (Video)- Kevin Garnett Gorilla Defense on Calderon (Video)

Tattoo-gate
Marcin Gortat: When speaking fo the Orlando Magic, Gortat is a role player who just happens to have given himself one of the coolest nicknames in the NBA. During the playoffs last season, the “Polish Hammer” got a call from the people at Reebok (who happen to provide him with his shoes) asking him to cover up the Jordan tattoo at the back of his leg. Gortat’s response was a classic – “I don’t think they are paying me enough to take it off.” He never did listen and so along with his new contract came a new shoe deal- this time from Nike.

I Salute You
Nate Robinson: With all the talk about young players throwing up signs during games, Nate Robinson threw up one of his own early in January. It was a salute to his online gamer friends to prove that it was really him playing them. (Photo)

Faux-Hawk Phenomenon
A bunch of players: I can’t recall who the pioneer was, but the Mohawk trend began spreading like wildfire through the NBA last season. Who rocked it best? Greg Oden. He had it right while others look like they just ran off the barber’s chair before he could finish up the job (see: Amare Stoudamire) Really though… it’s not a good look. Come next season I hope the trend has gone to die following the path of grown men wearing pantyhose under their shorts.

Hibachi Gone Cold
Gilbert Arenas: While Arenas wasn’t producing much on the court he was still entertaining his fans over at his blog. It became a place where fans went to embrace his persona and bash it at times, but it kept him relevant through his time away from the court. Just as the season kicked off, he told the press he was shutting down- there was talk about blogging being like a double edged sword and so on but it seems he had bigger plans in store. A book! Score Like Agent Zero – by Gilbert Arenas will be hitting bookstores in Feb 2010 (Via Gilbertology)

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