Who, When, Why? The Unwritten Rules of Butt-Slaps in the NBA

NEW YORK — Few players can electrify onlookers as prolifically as Brandon Jennings. His wicked crossover routinely leaves opponents falling back on their heels. He relishes the spotlight, too, and has no qualms turning down the mundane to seek it out.

Jennings is the rare player who can bring both the crowd and teammates to their feet. Watch the New York Knicks on any given night and chances are high that at some point you’ll see their bench leap out of their leather folding chairs during a timeout to commend Jennings for a highlight play.

He loves those moments. Like all players, he enjoys the praise. He does, however, have one rule when it comes to the physical embrace that often accompanies the celebration:

“Everything up high,” a smiling Jennings told Bleacher Report. He then raised both arms above his head.

“I’ll say, ‘Up here, up here,’” he added, indicating how he requests his slaps, “and make sure everything’s up top and nothing below the waist.”

But Jennings, it turns out, might actually be an outlier among his peers—even in the uber-masculine world of the NBA.

Games today seem to include as many butt-slaps as high-fives. Players enthusiastically greet teammates with them. Coaches use them with referees to sarcastically communicate disapproval. Even opponents exchange butt-slaps, usually as a way to express respect—or at least that seemed to be the case Monday night when Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins and Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid swapped multiple pats on the rear. 

“I like that kid a lot,” Cousins told CSN Bay Area following Sacramento’s 102-100 win. “I don’t give a lot of people props, but I like that kid a lot. I think he’s got a great chance at being the best big in the league… after I retire.” 

The butt-slap may have evolved into the league’s go-to congratulatory gesture, but players still expect it to be deployed with reservation. After all, there are rules to smacking teammates and fellow men on the posterior. 

“After somebody makes a good defensive play, that’s a perfect time,” Knicks guard Courtney Lee told Bleacher Report. He then demonstrated how to do so on the air in front of him. “A good offensive play, something when you’re like, …

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