Instagram/@cthagod
The Knicks’ guard Josh Hart was involved in a huge scandal after a video clip, showing him performing a very inappropriate and sexually suggestive act to his teammate Jalen Brunson during the post-game celebrations, went viral. The entire incident, which occurred during a live game broadcast, has been widely criticized as most unprofessional of the players and has led to an extensive debate about the behavioral norms in sports.
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Lenard ‘Charlamagne tha God’ McKelry, a radio talk show host and personality, posted the video with a quite provocative but straight to the point caption ‘Congrats To The New York Knicks!!!!!! Let’s Discuss…….’ The internet users did not wait for any more invitations; they took it as a signal to take over the stage.
The sight was quite shocking for the majority. Hart was seen going from behind to Brunson and making a thrusting gesture with his thumb on Brunson’s backside while the rest of the team being in a huddle celebrating. The mixed reaction of Brunson, consisting of surprise, embarrassment, and fake laughter, was seen by millions. The moment became very quickly beyond sports talk and was captured as a viral phenomenon being analyzed for its sheer wildness and foolishness.
Not only was the public reaction quick to come but also it was mainly negative. One of the online users pointed out very explicitly the league’s guilt, saying, ‘Come on now NBA gotta fine him or something for that y’all.’ Others who saw the act as a clear violation of professional ethics sided with the idea of the official punishment being carried out.
The discussion moved very quickly to dark humor and shock. ‘Brunson got SA’d on live tv.. bruh,’ one spectator said, using the abbreviation for sexual assault to make the action’s severity more clear. Another one nicknamed the team ‘the new york finger poppers,’ a moniker that the replies helped to circulate amongst the users.
Most of the people were quick to shift the attention from the whole act to its peculiar and awkward aspect. A very creative person even came up with a range of names, calling it the ‘Plum Thumb,’ ‘Dirt DIGGler,’ and ‘One Knuckle Shuffle.’ They then added, ‘this is Adam Silver’s NBA… never woulda happened in the David Stern era.’ The poster viewed the incident as a sign of changing times in the league in terms of culture and discipline.
On the other hand, while the public outcry was growing, there were still a few people trying to minimize the incident to nothing more than childish and immature behavior in the locker room. One user countered, ‘They’re just kids playin around. If you’re secure you’ll laugh about it.. he was just caught off guard n embarrassed a little bit.’ However, this opinion was comparatively low in number when viewed against those stating the act was intolerable.
The humor spread everywhere, but skepticism was still there. One user jokingly said, ‘Put bro on the sex offenders list smh.’ Another came up with the ongoing celebrity scandals and said, ‘Diddy is outside celebrating with them thumbs up the ass.’ Yet another user foretold a dark future for Hart coming from a humorous place, ’50 next doc series, surviving Josh hart.’
Lenard McKelry’s post turned out to be a hit and even more, it stirred up the very discussion he had in advance asked for. The incident calls for the NBA’s immediate attention to take a stand on the behavior of players on the court that goes beyond technical fouls and flagrant fouls. Physicality is part of the sport, but at the same time, this kind of personal and intrusive white behavior cannot be put under the same umbrella and thus challenges the league’s criteria of player conduct during sanctioned events.
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At the moment, neither the NBA nor the New York Knicks has issued an official statement regarding Hart’s behavior. The video continues to circulate online, ensuring that conversations around topics such as limits, professionalism, and proper ways to celebrate a victory will persist. The league is being closely watched regarding its silence since many believe that its non-addressing of the issue could lead to a bad precedent being set for what is considered acceptable during the most significant events in sports. In related entertainment news, fans are encouraged to support the new thriller Run featuring Claudia Jordan and Erica Mena. Additionally, the thriller Run is also celebrating its cast, including Annie Ilonzeh.
This story originally appeared on Celebrityinsider
