-
Kalan Hooks, ESPN
In the world of sports, one team’s loss is another team’s troll.
NBA Twitter is one of the most active communities on the social media platform. Not only do fans post on X about their favorite teams while they are in action, but some have also created fan and parody accounts for their favorite players.
One creative took a vintage route to engage with NBA X.
Social media user @nba_paint — who asked to remain anonymous — uses Microsoft Paint, a raster graphics (two-dimensional picture as a rectangular matrix or grid of pixels) design software in a comedic way to illustrate game-changing moments throughout the league.
The account owner says the inspiration for their page came from doodling while they watched basketball games, then sending their work to a fantasy basketball group they belonged to. However, the X user found it challenging to store all of the images they had created and wanted a bigger platform to do so, sparking the creation of @nba_paint.
The account started in December 2020 and has amassed 436,800 followers — and counting — on social media.
With 14 series in the playoffs, @nba_paint oftentimes had to find a way to manage the account with multiple games happening simultaneously. The owner found a home on NBA X.
“I find it easy in the fact that there’s so much going on that it makes it easy to build content and it’s such a passionate community, specifically on [X], which makes it all fun to engage with people who are super passionate as well in being and talking in that specific space,” the @nba_paint creator said.
The account doesn’t just get engagement from fans; it also gets boosts from NBA franchises.
Team accounts such as the Boston Celtics or Minnesota Timberwolves will sometimes repost the artwork, collaborate on a post with @nba_paint or make a doodle their profile pictures. Of the 30 NBA teams, 24 have interacted with the account’s work. Ruffles also collaborated with the X user by adding Celtics forward Jayson Tatum to a bag of chips, a reference to @nba_paint’s nickname for Tatum — “Jayson Potatum.”
@nba_paint has taken a share of the NBA social media spotlight in the postseason. Here are the best moments of the playoffs as told by the social media account.
The Timberwolves cooked the Nuggets
The defending champion Denver Nuggets were seen as the favorites to run it back for another NBA title this season. But Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves had other plans. In a series that went to a decisive seventh game, the Nuggets had a 55.8% win probability according to ESPN Analytics after losing by 45 points in Game 6.
Though Minnesota trailed by 20 at the beginning of the second half, the Timberwolves rallied back, led by Karl-Anthony Towns‘ 23 points and 12 rebounds.
Timberwolves devour the Nuggets to win game 7. pic.twitter.com/4M3BFQZUVa
— playoff paint (@nba_paint) May 20, 2024
The Nuggets’ team name is a nod to the Colorado gold rush, but @nba_paint trolled Denver by portraying the team with a chicken nugget. The Timberwolves also made the artwork their profile picture.
‘Spida’ Mitchell to the rescue
Game 7s in the NBA playoffs sometimes come down to who can make the biggest plays at the most important moments. For the Cleveland Cavaliers, Donovan Mitchell was the person for the job. In a do-or-die Game 7 against the Orlando Magic, Mitchell erupted for 39 points, leading Cleveland to a 106-94 win.
Mitchell’s social media handles include his “Spida” nickname. With Mitchell’s performance saving the Cavaliers’ season, he became the Peter Parker of the series.
Spida takes down the Magic. pic.twitter.com/l6tEKDxfRo
— playoff paint (@nba_paint) May 5, 2024
Bye-bye birdie!
Kyrie Irving was in his bag during the fourth quarter of Game 6 in the first round against the LA Clippers. Up by 20 points, Irving received the ball with P.J. Tucker guarding him on an island. Irving penetrated right for a step-back crossover and hit a 3-pointer in the corner, while drawing contact from Tucker for a four-point play.
@nba_paint reimagined the play, referencing the Dallas Mavericks sending Tucker and the Clippers on vacation after ending their season.
New 8K footage of Kyrie Irving’s insane shot over Tucker. pic.twitter.com/BcqFFivmYH
— playoff paint (@nba_paint) May 4, 2024
Jamal Murray’s four-point play
The Nuggets were down by as much as 20 points in Game 2 of the first round against the Los Angeles Lakers. But Murray’s 14-point performance helped chip away at the deficit to get the Nuggets back into the ball game.
In the final seconds, Murray — guarded by LeBron James — forced Anthony Davis to switch on defense for a mismatch. With one second left, Murray hit a game winner, sending Davis to the Nuggets bench.
@nba_paint re-created the memorable moment “in 4K.”
4K Footage of Jamal Murray’s buzzer beater. pic.twitter.com/RVzbEwn50S
— playoff paint (@nba_paint) April 23, 2024
Luka magic
Luka Doncic is a jack of all trades — he can facilitate an offense, score the ball effortlessly and make winning plays when they matter most. Doncic’s 28.8 points per game thus far in the playoffs have propelled the Mavericks’ finals run.
Luka Magic. pic.twitter.com/TZbpT8zKKM
— playoff paint (@nba_paint) May 23, 2024
— playoff paint (@nba_paint) May 23, 2024
— playoff paint (@nba_paint) May 23, 2024
In Game 2 of the Western Conference finals against the Timberwolves, the game came down to the wire with Dallas down by two. After drawing a mismatch with Rudy Gobert, Doncic’s between-the-legs step-back 3-pointer sealed a 109-108 win where the guard finished with 32 points.
The X account suggested a new nickname for the guard.
Bazooka Doncic. pic.twitter.com/GSyUqxWAk6
— playoff paint (@nba_paint) May 25, 2024