The 5 most unusual NBA pre-game rituals

The Clippers having their pre-game introduction runNBA players, by nature, are extremely competitive and will look for the tiniest edge over the others to win it all. In some cases, this strong desire to win can lead them to adopt certain seemingly strange and funny mannerisms.The coolest among these are the pre-game rituals that they perform. A lot of superstar ballers perform these ceremonial tasks in hopes of keeping luck on their side and warding off any negative energy before game time.Along with their pre-game routine (which consists of a structured practice schedule with ball handling and shooting drills), the players have certain rituals like eating a particular meal, wearing a particular sock/headband or even hitting a particular shot before the game to ensure their success. There are few players however, who have very strange but extremely cool traditions that are a lot of fun to witness.

#5 Shaq\'s bowling strike

Shaquille O’Neal has definitely been one of the most entertaining people the hardwood has ever seen. During his amazing tenure with the Phoenix Suns, Shaq had his bench players turn into bowling pins; with him air bowling them to get a strike. To make matters funnier, he made sure one of the last players (pins) took a while to get knocked down giving the whole ritual a choreographed sense of excitement.

Here’s how it looked:

#4 Jason Terry\'s shorts

Jason Terry still follows a ritual that he started way back in college with at-the-time teammate Mike Bibby when they went to bed wearing their uniforms to get into the proper mindset before the game.

Since then, Terry goes to bed wearing the shorts of the team he’s going to play the next day. Example, if he’s playing the Lakers the next day, he’ll go to bed wearing the Lakers’ shorts that night. We don’t know for sure if the weird ritual helps Jason Terry get into his opponent’s mindset, but that’s what he aims for when getting into their shorts.

#3 The King\'s chalk toss

Although LeBron James himself isnt quite sure about how and when he started doing the chalk toss, its one of the most iconic pre-game moments for Cleveland and Miami fans. James has a proclivity for drawing out the energy from the crowd and the chalk toss gets the whole arena going because they know something magical is about to happen. The fans love it so much that they often have confetti in their hands and toss it in the air to join the king as he tosses the performs his ritual.

#2 Wade\'s pull-ups

Even though Vince Carter precedes Wade in doing pre-game pull ups, Dwyane Wade take it to a whole another level when he does it. Grasping the rim, he shows off his upper body strength by doing a three signature pull-ups to match his number. It’s always a fun sight for Miami fans as their best player does those traditional pull ups with style.

#1 Garnett\'s head banging

Anyone who knows Kevin Garnett knows that he’s full of emotion and passion. The 15-time All Star is a fierce man on the court and he likes to build the pressure in his pre-game routine. Just before tip-off, KG walks under the basket and faces the padded stanchion.

Eyes down, he leans his forehead into the padding and begins adjusting his uniform, tucking his shirt into his shorts, stretching the elastic waistband. All the time, he is mumbling under his breath. We wouldn’t be surprised if Garnett is even trash talking to the padding but old teammate Paul Pierce says it’s all about total focus.

Edited by Staff Editor