NBA Playoffs Social Media Awards

In today’s day and age of social media, NBA players are in the spotlight more than ever before. Twitter, Facebook and other outlets have become part of their daily routines, and that notion hasn’t changed since the playoffs tipped off on April 20.

Since the start of the postseason, we’ve seen a number of memorable tweets, posts and videos go live on the World Wide Web. The question, of course, becomes: Who has separated themselves from the rest of the pack?

Players, fans and analysts have had the opportunity to interact, giving the players we love—and sometimes hate—the opportunity to express themselves. There’s no one way to determine a Social Media Award winner, but like in the playoffs themselves, we’ve seen a number of people step up their games with the year coming to a close.

Best Supporting Role: Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant hasn’t had a supporting role on the Los Angeles Lakers for quite some time. Healthy or not, he is the undisputed star of the organization, but as we learned during the 2012-13 season, even an old dog can learn new tricks.

When Bryant was lost for the season, he took on the role of fan and coach. The future Hall of Famerhad jumped on the Twitter bandwagon during the regular season, and he picked up the pace once his team entered the playoffs.

Bryant’s series of Tweets became headline news during Game 1 between L.A. and the San Antonio Spurs. Not only was he showing his support for the team, but he was offering his advice from the comfort of his own home.

Unfortunately for Bryant, the attention wasn’t what he desired, and he opted to tone it down for the remainder of the playoffs.

Bryant’s decision to stop tweeting was unfortunate for the star, but an even bigger bummer for his fans. The candid nature of his Tweets provided entertainment, which was something that was often absent when actually watching the Lakers play.

Best Picture: Cleveland Cavaliers

Mixed in with the playoffs was the NBA draft lottery on May 21. The San Antonio Spurs defeated the Memphis Grizzlies in overtime that night, but the big story from earlier was the Cleveland Cavaliers being crowned the kings of the lottery.

Nick Gilbert, son of GM Dan Gilbert, has been to the draft three times since the departure of LeBron James. Twice the team has won the first-overall selection, giving it hope as it continues to rebuild.

Simply put, you can’t look at this picture and not feel good for the recovering organization. That is, unless you’re one of the other lottery teams that missed out on the No. 1 pick.

Sorry, Charlotte Bobcats.

Boldest Tweet: Quincy Pondexter

The Memphis Grizzlies had a successful run in the playoffs in the eyes of most fans. No, they couldn’t take down the Spurs in the Western Conference Finals, but they did get past two extremely talented teams in the Los Angeles Clippers and the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Their confidence was high for much of the postseason, and Quincy Pondexter kept that momentum rolling when he asked out Miss Tennessee without even knowing who she was.

The exchange began as a simple query: Who won Miss Tennessee this year?

It then proceeded to catch the eye of Chris Vernon, host of The Chris Vernon Show, revealing thatPondexter was looking for a girlfriend with his season having come to an end.

Miss Tennessee inevitably caught wind of this conversation. Her name is Chandler Lawson, and after receiving one of the best pickup lines you’ll see on Twitter, she accepted a date with the 25-year-old small forward.

Like many of us, Pondexter used Twitter as a social outlet during his downtime. Unlike most of us, he landed himself a date with one of the top 10 contestants from the 2013 Miss America pageant.

The power of Twitter at its best.

Best Starring Role in a Comedy: Not Bill Walton

NBA analysis comes in all shapes and sizes. From small-time bloggers to the mainstream media, we have 24/7 access to information and opinions, and it can be overwhelming when choosing who to favorite and who to ignore.

Luckily for fans, if you’ve lost your way and are taking the game too seriously, Not Bill Walton is here to save the day.

The self-proclaimed “Parody Artist” gives fans real-time updates with a satirical spin. He’s picked up his game as the year has progressed, which is something not all NBA players can claim.

The best part about Not Bill Walton? He says what television commentators not only want to say, but what they should be saying.

And of course, like all good parody artists, Not Bill Walton digs deep into the archive to revive the vernacular once used by the real-life version of himself—the real Bill Walton.

We all know that parody isn’t for everyone. Some fans like their NBA news hard, and to them I say, loosen up and learn how to have some fun to each his own.

But let’s not forget that at its most fundamental level, the game of basketball is simply a game.

Let’s have fun with it.

Best Beef: Kendrick Perkins and Shaquille O’Neal

During his 19 years as an NBA center, Shaquille O’Neal was a nuisance to virtually every big man he faced. He dominated the paint on both ends of the floor, and he made life difficult for opposing players on a nightly basis.

Today, Shaq has retired from the game, but that doesn’t mean all beefs have cleared with the game’s current crop of centers.

During one of the Oklahoma City Thunder’s off nights in Round 2, Kendrick Perkins posted a critical tweet regarding Shaq's on-air style. O’Neal, having never shied away from confrontation—or the spotlight—shot back both on Twitter and on camera.

Another notable postseason beef features Roy Hibbert and David Lee. When Lee was injured in Round 1, Hibbert reached out to the forward to wish him well, while reminding him how much he dislikes him.

Lee thanked him for the concern, but not without declaring his mutual hatred.

This may have been the most polite beef in the history of rivalries, giving the award to Shaq and Perk without much question.

Best Animated Series (of Tweets): Metta World Peace

If Twitter suddenly changes its rules and only allows you to follow one person, you’d be remiss not to choose Metta World Peace.

For fans of the NBA, the former Ron Artest has provided entertainment year after year. Most of it has been harmless fun, and there’s no better forum for animated analysis than Twitter during the playoffs.

We  learned that World Peace aspires to become a better player in 2013-14.

And don’t forget, of course, about World Peace the self-promoter.

But if there’s only one thing to take from the 2013 Postseason Edition of the NBA Social Media Awards, let it be this: Follow World Peace on Twitter.

You won’t regret it.