SAM Cassell is a three-time NBA champion and one of the league’s most brilliant coaches.
But the Houston Rockets icon’s greatest legacy in the NBA is undoubtedly a controversial celebration known as the Big Balls Dance.
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As part of the movement, players place both hands below their groin in a cupping motion, indicating they have large balls after landing a clean shot.
It originates from the 1994 film Major League II, in which baseball player Isuro Tanaka tells teammate Pedro Cerrano that he “has no marbles” when making the gesture.
After watching the film, the then-Minnesota Timberwolves star decided to incorporate the play into his game – and a phenomenon was born.
“I was watching Major League II and I saw him do it. I said, ‘Oh, it would be great if I could hit a big shot and do that,'” Cassell told The US Sun.
Following Cassell’s leadership, several players embraced the change – including LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Eddie House, Kevin Martin, Marco Bellinelli and Caron Butler.
“I know it got big when Kobe Bryant started doing it. When he did it, I thought, ‘Oh, I really did it,’” adds Cassell.
“And LeBron James did it and, and the list goes on, about the players who did it.
“But I just can’t take the credit. I saw the movie Major League, so I started from there.
“But when it comes to basketball, I was the creator of that dance.”
Cassell, who won two NBA titles with the Rockets and one with the Boston Celtics, says there is an art to the celebration.
“If you play basketball, any kind of sport and you get an adrenaline rush like that and something like that, you have a big play or a big catch in football or you make a big shot,” he says.
I think it deserves a celebratory dance at the end of the game.”
“You can’t do that in the first quarter. In the last 30 seconds of the game, you hit a big shot… now you can do the Big Balls Dance.”
The celebration generated a lot of laughter, but the NBA clamped down on it, issuing fines of between $15,000 and $25,000.
I know it got big when Kobe Bryant started doing that. When he did it, I thought, ‘Oh, I really did it.’
Sam Cassell
But that hasn’t stopped players from doing it, especially LeBron, after a long-range three for the Los Angeles Lakers against the Indiana Pacers in 2021.
LeBron was fined $15,000 and received major pushback from NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
“For me, winning is enough. Why do you need to do a stupid, childish dance and disrespect the other team on the court?” Abdul-Jabbar said.
“Does not make sense. GOATS don’t dance.”
Cassell, for his part, doesn’t understand why players are fined for the change.
“They do [worse] things in the league now than that,” Cassell says.
“I think the guys who are issuing all the fines probably never played basketball.
“So that’s why they fine the guys.”
STYLE MOVES
Cassell has become a major factor in the Celtics’ success this season as an assistant coach.
Off the court, he has partnered with online eyewear retailer Zenni Optical to create a new eyewear collection.
Cassell, who is known for wearing stylish glasses backstage, played an important role in creating the Sam Cassell Collection, which has more than 50 frames that reflect his style.
Cassell helped design the frames and also chose the names, such as Post Up, Point Guard and Mid-Range Jumper.
Zenni Optical is also the official eyewear partner of the Celtics.
“I’m one of the stylish coaches on our bench. I like my glasses to match my sneakers,” Cassell said.
“And I played for the Celtics in 2008 and they thought it would be a good partnership.
“I wore glasses to let them know I need them to see. It’s going great. Affordable glasses for everyone.
“They have a pair of frames that anyone can wear and that suits their style, so that’s what I like about them.”
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
