Wilson Chandler Crushes the Rim, Sends Nuggets Bench Into Frenzy

Before his rim-rattling dunk against the Los Angeles Clippers ever happened, Denver Nuggets swingman Wilson Chandler saw it taking shape. And based on the way the Denver bench stood up in unison well before the high-flying flush, it saw it coming, too.

Late in the second quarter of the Nuggets' March 7 tilt with the visiting Clips, the tattooed wing sprinted up the floor as Ty Lawson advanced the ball to Andre Iguodala on the left side. Chandler filled the lane, received the slick drop-back pass from Iggy and elevated.

The resulting slam had a number of immediate effects.

First, it created the most inked-up poster in NBA history, as the Clippers' Matt Barnes—the only guy on the court with anything close to the number of tats Chandler boasts—was in the vicinity as a defender. Barnes wisely shuffled sideways as Chandler swooped around him on the way to the rim, but he probably didn't avoid the flash bulbs that will immortalize the play.

Second, Twitter rushed to coin new nicknames for Chandler after his high-wire act. Hardwood Paroxysm was quick to the party, playing off of a nearly 20-year-old Nas record in its rush to hand out a moniker:

"

willmatic.

— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) March 8, 2013"

After that, Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post joined in, offering a nickname that certainly captured the menacing spirit of Chandler's flush:

"

ILLLLLLLLLLLLLLWILLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

— Benjamin Hochman (@nuggetsnews) March 8, 2013"

But what about poor Barnes? Wasn't anyone thinking of him? Based on SportsNation's tweet, Barnes has something to be excited about too:

"

Wilson Chandler just invited Matt Barnes to the poster party

— SportsNation (@SportsNation) March 8, 2013"

On second thought, maybe Barnes would prefer a little less notoriety. He probably doesn't want to attend that party.

Oh, and finally, Chandler's slam ignited the Denver bench. Most notably, Kenneth Faried and JaVale McGee covered a collective 10 feet to find one another for an embrace of shared incredulity.

So in a way, just as the dunk nearly took the rim apart, it brought the Nuggets together.

Powerful stuff, right?