Top 25 Most Entertaining Offseason Tweets from NBA Stars

The NBA is great at being entertaining almost year round, and it's to a point where the entertaining bits could have almost nothing to do with basketball, which is kind of strange. Even just a few years ago, the NBA offseason meant a big drop-off in news about basketball, and certainly very little from players themselves.

It's crazy to think now that we are inundated with constant information, that there was a time when we didn't know when Brandon Jennings was having dinner or when Pau Gasol was chatting with Chad's Minister of Sports.

From the insanely mundane to the maddeningly interesting, Twitter has given us an avenue to connect with our favorite people in the world, especially basketball players, who do a great job of giving us constant entertainment year round.

Some players are fine with tweeting about their latest charity event or a camp they're going to be at in the future, but others are constantly giving their fans something to chuckle at. Both have their merits, and both give us something basketball-related to connect to in a time when we'd normally be without much basketball news.

That's why Twitter is so important to the offseason, as players and fans don't take a break from having a relationship with one another. The best tweets from the offseason relate to basketball in some way, or they relate to nothing at all, it depends on how well they land.

25. Dirk Nowitzki Is Maddeningly Plain

For a long stretch at the end of August, Dirk Nowitzki took some time to address some questions from his fans, which has become a popular thing for NBA players to do.

Dirk answered all kinds of questions, but it was one of the simplest, most meaningless questions that stood out and gave me a good chuckle.

"

“@karchkevin: @swish41 If you were an ice cream flavor what would be in you?” vanilla

— Dirk Nowitzki (@swish41) August 26, 2012"

Whether it's the fact that the response is so hilariously boring or the fact that the way Dirk plays ball is so anti-vanilla, this answer just seems funny to me.

24. Dwight Howard Comes Back to Twitter

Dwight Howard isn't entertaining on Twitter or anything. In fact, it seems like he's got a publicist's intern on his account more than anything, but it was strange to see him away from the site for over four months.

That's why his triumphant return to Twitter with a simple tweet about him being in Los Angeles seemed kind of special. It was from him, and it gave his new fans in L.A. something to relate to on Twitter.

"

Hey wooooorllldd. Ya boy is back and I'm here in beautiful lala land. La wassssuppp. twitter.com/DwightHoward/s…

— Dwight Howard (@DwightHoward) August 25, 2012"

Better yet, it seems to give us a picture from the window of his brand new multi-million dollar mansion in Newport Beach.

Even crazier, his account hasn't gone back to pimping out every little product he endorses. Maybe it'll stay that way.

23. Kobe vs. Harden

By far the best thing about NBA player tweets this summer was anything coming from the players in London for the Olympics. We got to follow the team around as they ate dinner, checked out other events and just had a good time together in general.

The coolest part was how many pictures they uploaded, giving us a first-hand experience that we couldn't even get just four years ago.

One of the funniest pictures came from Kevin Love's account, showing James Harden lining up in the starting blocks alongside Kobe Bryant.

"

Kobe and @jharden13 setting up for the 100M final instagr.am/p/N9gf0Qs94Z/

— Kevin Love (@kevinlove) August 5, 2012"

Of course, even though he's wearing a bookbag, it seems like Kobe is ready to run and ready to beat Harden in whatever race they're going for.

22. Harrison Barnes Is The Cat in the Hat

With a single tweet at the end of August, the Golden State Warriors' first-round pick reminded us why Twitter was invented.

"

Had to get in character for this reading...all comments are gladly welcome lol instagr.am/p/O9MAHeEalZ/

— Harrison Barnes (@HBarnes) August 30, 2012"

Try to take this all in if you would. This is Harrison Barnes in full Cat in the Hat makeup, complete with the tall striped hat and the bow tie, looking as miserable as possible.

Not only do we get to go along with him and see what he's been up to this offseason, we get to learn that he doesn't take himself too seriously and that he's not afraid to do something like this, which is cool.

21. Quincy Acy's Kid Is Cooler Than All of Us

Quincy Acy did two things this summer; he had the best photos from the rookie photo shoot at the beginning of August, and he turned into a gold mine on Twitter. I already like him more than any other draft pick and he hasn't played a game yet.

What I found to be his best tweet of the offseason wasn't necessarily his funniest, but it was both humorous and endearing.

"

#picstitch Like Father Like Son ...lol #TheAcyYell instagr.am/p/N95RiUAp5d/

— Quincy Acy (@QuincyAcy) August 6, 2012"

A split-screen of himself and his son, who looks like the coolest little kid in the country, both yelling in triumph is funny and cool enough to earn a follow from me.

20. JaVale McGee Arbitrarily Talking About Washington

JaVale McGee has taken the strangest turn on Twitter over the offseason, which is kind of impressive considering how strange he was in the first place. McGee has taken to retweeting himself in every tweet, even talking in the third person for a time near the middle of the summer. If we break that down, he's both retweeting his own profile and speaking in third person, which seems like he's somehow communicating to us in fifth or sixth person, which is mind-boggling.

All that aside, one of the most intriguing tweets from him over the past few months seems to call out a member of the media from back in Washington.

"

RT @javalemcgee34 IM GLAD I DON'T GET INTERVIEWED BY THA DIAPER BREATH BANDIT IN DC ANYMORE...

— JaVale McGee (@JaValeMcGee34) July 30, 2012"

It leaves so many questions unanswered. Who is this Diaper Breath Bandit? How bad must someone's breath be to be dubbed the Diaper Breath Bandit? Even further, how bad must it have been to illicit a tweet from a guy a half a year after he left Washington?

Never change, JaVale. Never change.

19. Carmelo Anthony Sees Himself in Wax

Apparently Kareem Abdul-Jabbar wasn't the only one who got news of a statue in his honor this summer. Carmelo Anthony was honored with a wax sculpture of himself from Madame Tussauds' strange wax museum.

Nevermind the fact that the statue is mad creepy, and it is (although it's insanely impressive at the same time), there's something else that's got me confused. Whose idea was it to put that horrible microfiber ball in Wax Carmelo's hands? Where can you even get a microfiber ball anymore?

"

I am truly honored. I appreciate all my fans who came out to support. Once in a lifetime experience! Wow! #MeloWax twitter.com/carmeloanthony…

— Carmelo Anthony (@carmeloanthony) June 26, 2012"

18. Pre-Opening Ceremony

This was probably the most iconic photo tweeted during the Olympics, coming from Kevin Love, who seemed like he was the team's photographer while they were in London.

"

@trey5 @carmeloanthony getting fitted for the Opening Ceremoniesinstagr.am/p/Njj5piM9_X/

— Kevin Love (@kevinlove) July 26, 2012"

We got the first taste of London from the eyes of the basketball players involved and it was really what sparked a million bloggers dubbing the 2012 Olympics as "The Social Media Games."

Aside from all the sappy look into the future stuff, you've got to admit that Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony can really rock that hat-blazer combo. Those are two fly dudes right there.

17. LeBron Finding Twins

Somehow, not once but twice, LeBron James tweeted pictures of his Olympic teammates and their London doppelgangers while the team was in England.

The first one he tweeted was of Kevin Love and Kevin Love's London twin:

"

@kevinlove7 and his long lost twin brother! Wow instagr.am/p/NW4TC_iTF4/

— LeBron James (@KingJames) July 21, 2012"

But then he and the gang found a Kobe Bryant twin before the opening ceremony that was almost too creepy to be real.

"

Kobe 1 & Kobe 2 #LOL instagr.am/p/NmahKiCTFV/

— LeBron James (@KingJames) July 27, 2012"

16. LeBron Finds Some Cheaper Shoes

LeBron James tweeted a picture of some shoes that are a bit less than $315 in July, but certainly don't look like they should be worth anything more than a few bucks at the best.

"

LeBronold Palmer 9 lows #yikes instagr.am/p/M65Tx5iTKO/

— LeBron James (@KingJames) July 11, 2012"

With the summertime look of the shoes, from the colors to the palm tree design and the low-top cut, these things are as far away from basketball shoes as you can get, and they make your feet shout out like a crying child.

You know what, on second thought, these things are pretty cool looking. Put me down for a pair of these in a 13 if you would.

15. Kevin Seraphin Is the NBA's Jake the Snake

Apparently Kevin Seraphin likes snakes. Like really, really likes snakes. One snake big enough to engulf you whole is good enough for most people, but two is pushing the extreme.

"

I know i know,i am crazy but I love snake lool(snake massage) no homo instagr.am/p/OuaYP0jTwT/

— kevin seraphin (@kevin_seraphin) August 24, 2012"

Seraphin tweeted a few photos of him with these snakes, and it's unclear whether these beasts are his or if he was hanging out with Jake the Snake Roberts over the offseason.

14. Party of the Summer

What was easily the picture of the entire summer came out in the middle of August following what was apparently the party of the season, thrown by none other than James Harden, the man in the picture.

I'm trying to figure out what's best about this picture, the fact that he's wearing a leopard-print hat, a Mr. T-length chain, that he's shirtless or just the fact that his beard continues to draw attention, even with everything else going on.

Upon waking up the following morning, J.R. Smith gave us the rundown on the night before:

"

I'm sorry everyone but party of the year goes to @jharden13 last night was uncalled for! They were 👆👇👉👈!!!! @trimskit was 🏃everywhere!

— JR Smith (@TheRealJRSmith) August 19, 2012"

James Harden pretty much put it all into perspective with just a few words:

"

Last night was unreal.....

— James Harden (@JHarden13) August 19, 2012"

13. Yao Ming and a Rhino

It's been a long time since we've seen Yao Ming doing much of anything in the public eye, at least here in America, which is kind of sad. There's something fun about seeing an extremely tall man do everyday things, like, well, just existing for one.

That's why when Yao tweeted about his summer encounter, I was more than thrilled.

"

I came face to face with a large black rhino bit.ly/Tkzds5

— Yao Ming (@YaoMing) August 27, 2012"

Yao Ming did in fact get to pet a rhinoceros, which is something that almost nobody can say, at least for a rhino out in the open. Better yet, that leathery-skinned, dangerous-looking animal looks damn cute.

12. Bernie Lee Watching the RNC

For those of you who don't know him, Bernie Lee is a basketball agent, fronting for a bunch of low-level basketball players, namely John Lucas III and Mike James, but not too many more people otherwise.

In his spare time he enjoys being nothing short of terrific on Twitter. I would probably sign with him just because of how funny he can be at times.

Recently, he tweeted during the Republican National Convention, getting into the whole thing and really seeming to enjoy it, tweeting:

"

Hahaha they are booing now in unison.... Someone please give me a Hacksaw Jim Duggan "HOOOOO...".

— Bernie Lee (@bleebasket) August 31, 2012"

Any time you can get a Hacksaw Jim Duggan reference to land solidly you're alright in my book.

11. Kim English Is Jesse James

Along with Quincy Acy, Kim English has already given me a reason to like him on Twitter. English tends to tweet in bunches, going on for a short time and then disappearing for a few days, which tends to make for the best tweeters. You don't get a guy flooding your timeline, and you only get the golden thoughts from the tweeter.

English's best came to mind randomly at the end of August, giving out some information about, well, nothing really that important.

"

When out to eat. I always sit with my back to the wall and facing the door. Like Jesse James. He's my 23rd favorite person of All Time.

— Kim English (@Englishscope24) August 27, 2012"

Why English is afraid of being ambushed from behind if his back is to the door is confusing enough, but who are those other 22 favorite people?

10. Will Barton's Nonchalant Drop

Will Barton was to many people the steal of the second round, going 40th overall to the Portland Trail Blazers.

Well, if pick-up games in the offseason are meaningful at all, then Portland fans should be jumping for joy after Barton played a pick-up game in Baltimore.

"

Dropped 72 points on team Under Armour down st Frances. This my city so I had to protect my house. K.ing O.f Baltimore I am!!!!!

— Will Barton (@WillTheThrillB5) August 15, 2012"

The way he seems so nonchalant about scoring 72 points initially is just too funny for me. Long live the K.ing O.f Baltimore.

9. Stephen Curry Is as Confused as All of Us

During the Spain-USA gold medal game, most of the world noticed Spain's head coach using something very familiar to outline plays on the bench.

Most people, like Stephen Curry couldn't quite put a finger on what it was, but they came pretty darn close:

"

Woah that's an etch a sketch on the Spain bench

— Stephen Curry (@StephenCurry30) August 12, 2012"

Spain's coach Sergio Scariolo was using the classic Magna Doodle to outline plays in the huddle, which is just great. No word yet on whether or not he used a Wooly Willy to pick out his hair each day.

8. Jared Sullinger and Irony

I love seeing basketball players take a stand for something early on in their careers, whether it be helping kids back in their old neighborhood, going overseas with Basketball Without Borders or just donating money. One of the old go-to issues is to try to help people lose weight.

Sullinger is going after just that, and really, he's pretty qualified to speak on the issue. Sully lost a ton of weight between his freshman and sophomore season, making him more mobile and stronger in the paint.

However, this tweet about his program was just too funny:

"

My goal is to make everybody healthier..... I know it's hard but it's worth a shot. TeamSully.myvi.net

— Jared Sullinger (@Jared_Sully0) August 30, 2012"

It's not that Sullinger isn't in good shape, it's just the fact that he chose the word "healthier" after getting medically red flagged prior to the draft that seems too funny.

7. Roy Hibbert Won't Name Names

Roy Hibbert's Twitter account is always good for a peek into Hibbert's mind, being an extremely truthful and open tweeter. That's why when he tweeted about his draft back in 2008 I was really intrigued.

"

Maybe I should let it go. But this dude should not have went higher than me in the '08 draft. I've been told 2 shut my mouth on naming names

— Roy Hibbert (@Hoya2aPacer) July 24, 2012"

Half of me really thinks it was just one of the bad players drafted above him back in 2008 like Robin Lopez or Joe Alexander. However, I really kind of hope he's taking a shot at someone like Kevin Love or Derrick Rose, stirring up some serious stuff in the NBA.

C'mon Roy, just tell us who it is.

6. Pau Gasol Hallucinates

The night after the Olympic Opening Ceremony, Pau Gasol gave us a look into his mind and how surreal the event really was.

"

I'm still hallucinated by the moment that we lived yesterday! I hope you had a chance to follow from wherever you were! #London2012

— Pau Gasol (@paugasol) July 28, 2012"

I love that Pau Gasol tweets everything in Spanish and English, and I love that he's got such a proper sounding grasp on English. However, hearing "hallucinated" as a transitive verb just sounds hilarious.

It sounds crazy to think that Gasol is literally hallucinating about the Opening Ceremony, then again, maybe he was, who am I to know for sure?

5. Kevin Love's Dad Swag

Kevin Love gets to the top of the offseason tweet list with a whopping three tweets out of the top 25, which means you should all go out and follow him, I suppose.

The final Love tweet comes in the form of him busting out his best dad look prior to the gold medal game against Spain.

"

Thinking of changing my look for the medal rounds...how is this one? #swag? instagr.am/p/OBvOaYs96a/

— Kevin Love (@kevinlove) August 7, 2012"

The mustache is something only Love could popularize in the NBA. I mean, if Anthony Davis is willing to rock the unibrow, why not get Love to keep that big wooly worm above his lip?

4. Kenneth Faried Gets Ready for the Rookies

One of the best things about the beginning about each new season in basketball (or really any sport for that matter) has to be learning about the rookie hazing rituals going on. Whether it be the young bucks going to get breakfast for everyone every day or having to carry the luggage, it always gives me a good chuckle.

For the Denver Nuggets this season, Kenneth Faried and JaVale McGee took up the task to get the rookies their own luggage.

"

The rookies are set for this year.. Me & @bigdaddywookie hooking them up instagr.am/p/OsNkGvPecu/

— Kenneth Faried (@KennethFaried35) August 24, 2012"

I'm not sure about everyone else, but that Care Bears backpack is pretty sweet, even if you are a grown man making a few million bucks to play basketball. I'd be hoping for that one over the Rainbow Bright backpack, although I'm really intrigued about the hood inside.

3. JaVale McGee Is a Wordsmith

Normally when I see JaVale McGee tweeting in his now customary fifth person, I'm not expecting much in the form of a deep, thoughtful tweet.

Every once in a while, however, he sneaks one in on you. You read it and blow by it, but it sticks in your brain and eventually you come back to take another look at it, kind of like this one:

"

RT @javalemcgee34 RHETORICAL QUESTION: WHO CARES?

— JaVale McGee (@JaValeMcGee34) August 8, 2012"

There's not a whole lot behind it, and if you listen to some of the people who talk and write about him, you wouldn't think that he would even be able to spell the word "rhetorical," but this is some funny stuff.

2. D-Wade Is a Champion

It's simple, it's not trying to be more than it is and it's real, that basically sums up each and every thing that comes from Dwyane Wade's Twitter account. In the end, he has one of the best accounts out there because he is so real with it.

That's why the day after the Heat ended up with their first title as a group, this tweet from him really summed it all up:

"

I woke up & went 2 the bthrm & then got back in bd..until I realized OMG it wasn't a dream. Iam a WORLD ... m.tmi.me/s7BjS

"

"— Dwyane Wade (@DwyaneWade) June 22, 2012"

The text finishes (for the lazy who don't want to click on the link at the end), "I am a WORLD CHAMPION once again. Wow. Six hard, long years." 

That's really all that matters with this game, isn't it?

1. Blake Griffin Solves the DirecTV Problem

Blake Griffin was busy this offseason. No, he wasn't working with Hakeem Olajuwon, and he wasn't off in London winning some gold, he was at home fixing the breakup between DirecTV and Viacom.

It started with a simple tweet at DirecTV about him not being able to watch Workaholics, a problem many people had this summer.

"

.@directv why are you trying to ruin my life and not let me watch #workaholics on comedy central? xoxo thanks

— Blake Griffin (@blakegriffin) July 19, 2012"

DirecTV gave him a nice little response that they probably sent out a few hundred times a day, but it was a response nonetheless.

"

@blakegriffin Blake, we're working nonstop to reach an affordable deal for all of our customers => directvpromise.com #DIRECTVHasMyBack

— DIRECTV (@DIRECTV) July 19, 2012"

After that one, Griffin got another tweet, this one blaming Viacom for keeping him from watching Workaholics:

"

Ok thanks RT @directv: @blakegriffin To be clear Viacom is responsible for you missing workaholics.It if were up to us, itd be on! #Boomer

— Blake Griffin (@blakegriffin) July 19, 2012"

That's when Blake got down to business, working to get the two fighting lovers back together in order to see the hilarity that is Workaholics. This time he turned his sights toward Viacom:

"

Yo @viacom word is you're the reason I'm missin some channels. Let me know. Hope you're well. Thanks.

— Blake Griffin (@blakegriffin) July 19, 2012"

The next day came the big news:

"

Everyone, we did it. Shoutout @directv@wsj: Breaking: Viacom reaches deal with DirecTVon.wsj.com/OM0pgd

"

"— Blake Griffin (@blakegriffin) July 20, 2012"

What's the only thing that we can take away from this Twitter exchange over the course of just a day? Well, Blake Griffin ended the Viacom-DirecTV dispute of 2012. You saw it here people, Twitter heals all wounds.