25 Craziest NBA Photos in League History

The NBA boasts an insane amount of talent, so it's only natural that it has more than its share of craziness.

Over the years, fans have been witness to a countless number of antics both intentional and accidental.

Many of these occurrences give a whole new meaning to the word crazy. There have been moments that are simply crazy, ones that don't seem physically possible and ones that are just downright disturbing, among other things.

Luckily for us, much of the NBA's insanity has been captured and preserved through photography.

And with that in mind, it's time to get crazy.

Headlock Is the New Boxing Out

Before he was a Laker, Ron Artest reveled in putting those donning purple and gold, specifically Kobe Bryant, in headlocks.

Here, the two seem to be battling for positioning, and Artest takes it upon himself to wreak what will become recurring havoc on Bryant's neck area.

Now a spokesperson for peace, we are supposed to believe these antics are behind Artest. Should that prove to be true, we will always have photos such as this to serve as a reminder for the type of crazy he was on the court. 

Jeff Van Gundy Hangs on for Dear Life

The Knicks and Heat are one of the greatest rivalries in NBA history.

What's another great rivalry? Jeff Van Gundy vs. Alonzo Mourning's leg. 

Van Gundy takes on the task of trying to restrain Zo here and clearly loses. Doubtful anyone expected much else though, as Van Gundy's logic was every bit as crazy as this here photo.

Paul Pierce and Metta World Peace's First Kiss

This picture is obviously not crazy for acrobatic reasons, but rather because I thought most opposing players hated the player formerly known as Ron Artest.

Pierce is appears to be the exception to the rule, though. Sure, they were fighting prior to the shot, but maybe Artest whispered some sweet nothings into Pierce's ear.

Either way, crazy only begins to describe this photo.

Why Kobe Almost Had to Get Plastic Surgery

In April 2000, Chris Childs punched Kobe Bryant in what appears to be the throat.

Childs was a relatively tiny player, but it looks like he packed quite a punch. For some reason, though, I doubt this felt as cool for Bryant as it is to look at.

Yao Ming, Meet Nate Robinson

Nate Robinson stands at 5'9" while Yao Ming is listed at a whopping 7'6", and yet Robinson gets the insanely flamboyant block here.

This photo is a true testament to Robinson's crazy hops and one that Yao will remember long after his retirement.

A block like this one just doesn't seem physically possible.

Smush Gets Smushed

Shawn Marion may be laughing here, but I doubt Smush Parker or his groin were much inclined to laugh afterwards.

This photo op is crazy, and a major violation of Parker's personal space.

Kobe Bryant made it clear in a recent anecdote that he wasn't Parker's biggest fan. Perhaps it was he who put Marion up to this.

Tony Parker Gets Tangled

Tony Parker's hand somehow winds up here of all places.

Parker may be one of the NBA's elite point guards, and no one is telling him not to show off his ball-handling skills, but this is ridiculous.

Invasion of personal space seems to be a trend in this league.

Superman Gets a Sidekick

Just in case Nate Robinson's block of Yao Ming wasn't proof enough of his crazy hops, here's a look at the 5'9" guard leaping over the 6'11" Dwight Howard.

Howard may not be as tall as Yao, but then again, Robinson wasn't attempting to clear Yao, either

This captured dunk isn't just crazy, it's completely insane.

Caught Picking Someone Else's Nose

It's bad enough to get caught picking your own nose, but it's even worse to get photographed picking someone else's in mid-air.

I'm not sure if James Posey is sampling a new defensive maneuver or if Stephen Jackson simply had an itch that he asked Posey to scratch, but it doesn't matter.

This picture is unbelievable.

Armpit Full of Elbow

Cheap shots are a part of nearly every NBA big man's game, yet this has to be the first-ever elbow tossed that landed directly in someone's armpit.

Andrew Bynum was clearly trying to send a message here. He either didn't like the deodorant—or lack thereof—J.J. Barea was wearing or he saw something caught in there and was trying to get it out.

Either way, this has to be one of the craziest captured cheap shots in NBA history.

Lamar Odom Loves to Play Defense

If you are going to foul an opposing player, you want to make sure they don't score, and what better way to do that than by removing their line of sight completely?

Lamar Odom isn't exactly known for his dirty defensive tactics, but he's making a case to be with this little maneuver right here.

In Odom's defense, his intention may not have been to cover the eyes, but rather propel himself off of the head to reach the ball.

Regardless, though, it looks pretty crazy.

Why Jerseys Are No Longer One Size Fits All

It seems a fellow athlete is attempting to undress Karl Malone in this picture, but we cannot rule out the Mailman putting him up to this in order to show off his chiseled physique.

Basketball jerseys, by design, are supposed to have some extra room and give, but this much is absolutely insane.

It's safe to say that this one never quite fit Malone the same again.

The Karate Kid

Ira Newble dulls out a spinning kick on Mike Dunleavy Jr. here in what we would like to think was an accident.

Based on Newble's on-court abilities, few people thought he had such mobility in his possession. It seems Newble would have done better as a karate instructor rather than a basketball player.

Regardless though, this is by far the most, and perhaps only, notable accomplishment of Newble's career. 

Bruce Bowen Goes All Jackie Chan

Bruce Bowen's on-court tactics have always been considered dirty, but this is crazy even for him.

This move looks like something straight out of one of the Rush Hour movies, and is a clear indication that Bowen would do anything it takes to win.

Including a kick to the jaw.

The Mailman Has a Special Delivery

Karl Malone never considered himself a dirty player, but the rest of the league did, and it's not hard to see why after looking at this picture.

It's clear Malone was mid-air and needed to make a decision, but I'm not sure if not-so-innocently-flailing his leg into someone's groin was the right way to buy time.

I'm inclined to believe that the Houston Rockets would agree.

Is This Why LeBron Left Cleveland?

If this is how the Cavaliers celebrated after every time LeBron James put on a heroic display, it's no wonder why he left Cleveland.

James' expression of excitement here must have quickly turned to one of grimace after being kneed in the groin, mid-air, by his own teammate.

This might actually be the one thing he and Dwyane Wade will never do together. 

So That's Why Raja Bell Was Universally Despised

For one of the greatest players of all time, Kobe Bryant sure does get mauled pretty frequently, doesn't he?

In case Chris Childs' throat shot didn't do it a few years back, Raja Bell attempts to finish the job and induce full-blown whiplash on Bryant here.

After studying photos such as these, it's a wonder Kobe's head remains attached to the rest of his body.

Kobe's Revenge

After the beating that Kobe Bryant has taking throughout this slideshow, it's about time he dealt out some eccentric-looking abuse of his own.

It must be noted that this is unfortunate for Emeka Okafor, though. Bryant sees that he is about to lose the rebound, so he shifts his focus to the next best thing: Okafor's head.

My neck is cringing just watching the angle at which his head is being pulled. 

Karl Malone Being Karl Malone

Three of the league's greatest big men are captured here, some in a more prominent fashion than others.

Karl Malone can maintain that he wasn't a dirty player, but here we have another photo of him kicking an opposing player while he is in the air.

It's not Malone's dirty tactics that should shock you, but rather that he has that kind of flexibility to pull off such an "inadvertent" cheap shot.

Now That's a Hard Foul

Just in case you were wondering, the official ruling is that headlocks aren't permitted in the NBA.

That obviously doesn't apply here, though, as this is clearly just an innocent hug gone terribly wrong.

Awesome or Awkward?

Dwyane Wade is known for his great leaping abilities, but never have we seen him apparently try to tweak the chests of opposing players.

Was Wade practicing for his Krav Maga class or does he simply thrive by instigating a realm of awkward?

Whatever it is he is trying to do here looks incredibly crazy. 

Joel Anthony's Time to Shine

Here we have Joel Anthony doing what he does best: immersing himself in discombobulation.

In what most will deem a dunk gone wrong, I'm more inclined to believe this is a player gone wrong, as Anthony's on-court awareness isn't exactly a strong suit.

That's okay, though, because we are bound to get a lot of laughs out of this insanely humorous photograph.

Before Dwight Howard, There Was Dennis Rodman

We call Dwight Howard "Superman," but Dennis Rodman was apparently taking flight long before him.

Recovering loose balls was always a priority of Rodman's, but we never knew that it meant so much to him that he was willing to defy the laws of gravity. That's what this picture implies anyway.

Given Rodman's distance from the floor and his near spread-eagle positioning, I'm inclined to wonder whether he remained in bounds once he came back down to the hardwood.

Another Crazy Karl Malone Tangle

Karl Malone sure is a magnet for crazy pictures, isn't he?

Here we have Malone intertwining with Hakeem Olajuwon. We cannot really be to sure what exactly is happening here, but we can at the very least see Malone once again pulling his trademark cocking of the leg.

You would think such images would get old, but in fact, it's timeless. Crazy often is. 

Rugby on the Basketball Court

Michael Jordan looks like he is on the wrong end of a scrum here.

It's hard to tell whether his fellow Bull is trying to remove the "burden" on Jordan's back or add to it.

Could this be perhaps a version of a scoliosis test that never caught on?

You can follow Dan Favale on Twitter here @Dan_Favale.