Lance Stephenson slapped himself in the face during the Charlotte Hornets' matchup against the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night – and successfully drew a foul.
According to Bleacher Report, the hilarious and astonishingly successful ruse came in the first quarter, when Stephenson was running headlong into an oncoming pack of players. Instead of simply pretending to get knocked down, however, the Hornets guard decided for some inexplicable reason to give himself five to the face before throwing his arms up and falling to the floor dramatically.
Some were appalled by the maneuver, but considering it was successful, others proclaimed its brilliance.
"There are flops, and then there is the Lance Stephenson flop," said one ESPN commentator.
So-called "flopping" has been a staple of the NBA for decades, but in recent years there seems to be an arms race in who can get away with the biggest, most dramatic dive. There's a great argument to be made for Stephenson getting the 'Flop of the Year' — if not the decade — for the slap, if there was such an award.
Stephenson, as you may remember, also made headlines last year when he was playing for the Indiana Pacers, after he blew gently into LeBron's ear.