The 2021-22 NBA season was one of the most exciting in recent years, with the players and teams delivering plenty of memorable moments.
The Golden State Warriors were amongst the bookmakers’ favorites to win the title, and they duly delivered after a thrilling series against Boston Celtics.
Most new betting sites are tipping the Celtics to gain their revenge next year, and it will be enthralling to see if they can live up to expectations.
Before the new campaign gets underway, read on as we take a look at 15 of the best moments from the 2021-22 NBA season.
Bey puts Orlando to the sword
Saddiq Bey enjoyed the night of his life in March, scoring a whopping 51 points in the Detroit Pistons’ 134-120 win over Orlando Magic.
He became the youngest player in Pistons’ history to record a 50-point game – not bad for a player whose previous career-high was 34 points.
Stewart pursues James
LeBron James’ halo slipped a little after he received a one-game suspension for an altercation with Stewart during a clash between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Pistons in November.
Stewart understandably took exception to being elbowed in the face by James and went after his opponent. He got a two-game ban for his antics.
Jackson skips past the Lakers
Reggie Jackson skipped his way into NBA folklore during February with an entertaining winning score for the Los Angeles Clippers against the Lakers.
Jackson skipped the length of the floor before spinning past two defenders to drain a floater along the baseline and secure a dramatic 111-110 victory.
Brown joins Celtics legends in the 50-club
Jaylen Brown etched his name into the Celtics’ record books in January, becoming the seventh player in franchise history to bag 50 points in a single game.
Brown’s performance against Orlando saw him join Larry Bird, Sam Jones, Kevin McHale, Paul Pierce, Jayson Tatum, and Isaiah Thomas in the elite club.
Fournier clips the Celtics’ wings
Evan Fournier topped 30 points on just five occasions last season, with three of those coming against the Celtics in October, December, and January.
His 41-point effort at the start of this year was his highest tally of the campaign – pretty remarkable as he ended the season with a 14.1 points-per-game average.
Jordan has a shocker
While DeAndre Jordan would probably disagree, he was responsible for one of the most hilarious moments of the 2021-22 NBA season.
He threw an outrageously bad pass into the stands during the Lakers’ defeat against the New Orleans Pelicans in February. He was cut from the team the following day.
Raptors’ mascot riles Booker
Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker had an unlikely encounter with the Toronto Raptors’ mascot late in the fourth quarter of a game during January.
Booker was attempting the first of two free throws when the mascot tried to distract him. He brought it to the attention of the referees but eventually saw the funny side.
Holiday uses his smarts
Jrue Holiday highlighted that you can rarely keep top-class players down, even when they are enduring a difficult night on the court.
The Milwaukee Bucks star kept his team’s playoff hopes alive against the Celtics with a last-second steal on Marcus Smart.
Wiggins steps up to the plate
Steph Curry suffered a rare off night for the Golden State Warriors in their Game 5 NBA Finals victory over the Celtics.
Andrew Wiggins stepped into the breach, netting a team-high 26 points capped by an emphatic dunk to seal a vital 104-94 win.
Brown smokes Curry
While Curry eventually had the last laugh against the Celtics, his intercepted pass in Game 4 of the Finals put the Warriors in a bit of a tight spot.
Jaylen Brown stole a bad pass from Curry before going the length of the court and finishing with a superb lay-up to put the Celtics in front.
Adebayo beats the clock
Miami Heat looked to be cruising to victory when they opened up a 26-point lead against the Celtics during a playoff game in May.
The Celtics cut the deficit to one, but a superb clock-beating score by Bam Adebayo settled their nerves to help the Heat take a 2-1 lead in the series.
Lucky 14 for Paul
Chris Paul set a new NBA post-season record in April when he scored 33 points on a perfect 14-out-of-14 shooting effort for the Suns.
The veteran’s performance helped his team clinch victory over the Pelicans and book a place in the next round against the Dallas Mavericks.
Booker’s baby fist bump
In Game 2 of the series between the Suns and Pelicans, Devin Booker produced another of the standout moments of the season.
After netting his final score of the first quarter, Booker turned to the crowd and fist-pumped a baby to celebrate his stunning shot.
Curry has the last laugh
Steph Curry demonstrated that form is temporary by class is permanent by bagging 34 points for the Warriors in Game 6 of the Finals against the Celtics.
He was particularly prolific during the third quarter, bagging three triples during a three-minute period to break the Celtics’ resistance.
Green tells the haters to ‘shut up’
While winning a fourth NBA title in eight seasons is a phenomenal achievement, there are still plenty of doubters willing to criticize the Warriors.
Draymond Green was eager to hit back at the doubters during the team’s victory parade, vociferously telling them to ‘shut up.’
