The latest video of LA Clippers’ J.J. Redick flagrantly flopping has gone viral. Reddick, one of the league’s best shooters, inexplicably contorts his body and hurls up a wild shot instead of just nailing the open jumper — why? (see below). Here’s one reason: Redick shoots .876% from the free throw line and, despite being near the top, only .484% from the field. If he feels he’ll get the call, Redick’s odds of getting two points nearly double by flopping.
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is so sick of flopping (and the harm it causes the NBA’s integrity) that he’s funded a study to find a scientific way to determine with biomechanics whether a player is faking it. But for now the referees are still in charge, and they can be easily fooled. 2paragraphs asked Cuban a year ago why players immersed in a macho tough guy culture like the NBA suddenly go all Meryl Streep trying to act out phantom fouls. What’s the psychology of these supposed tough players faking it? Cuban replied: “The psych is easy. They want to win and fellow players reward flops as a great action.”
[Cuban, btw, shared the Redick flop video on CyberDust without the need for comment.]
