It turns out Jeff Van Gundy isn't the only announcer who's sick and tired of flopping in the NBA. TNT's Chris Webber went on a rant about flopping during the Clippers' overtime win over the Grizzlies on Monday night, calling out high-flying L.A. star Blake Griffin.
"I would caution him to be careful of flopping. I played in the playoffs with teams that were known for flopping and you do not get respect," he said in the third quarter after Griffin appeared to embellish contact to get a foul called. "Flopping is not a plus in this game. And what do I mean by flopping? This is what I mean. You're 270 pounds. The other guy is 300 pounds. It was not a blow to send you (to the floor)."
Webber, who played for several seasons in Sacramento with center Vlade Divac, who is widely known as a frequent flopper, warned Griffin that he does not want to be known for flopping.
"Everybody sees it. And you lose respect," said Webber. "I definitely would caution him on the over-exaggeration of embellishing and getting hit out here on the floor."
Griffin has been developing a reputation for flopping, getting called out by other players and becoming a repeat winner of ESPN HoopIdea's "Flop of the Night." Sacramento Kings forward DeMarcus Cousins called Griffin an "actor" after the winner of the 2011 NBA Slam Dunk Contest delivered an Oscar-caliber performance to sell a crucial call to officials.
Webber joins the likes of Van Gundy and ESPN's HoopIdea in a campaign against the flop. Just before the playoffs got underway, a flop by Miami's James Jones sparked a memorable rant by the ESPN broadcaster and former NBA coach in which he accused the league of condoning the trend. Van Gundy even suggested some ways of officiating players who commit such a crime, urging the league to treat flops like technical fouls.
Is there anything the league can do to curtail flopping? Is Griffin a leading culprit?