Who popularized flopping in the NBA?

[Tor_Raps]

The Refs

This. How hard is it to never give the benefit of the doubt to known floppers. If they complain, you simply state I can't tell when you're flopping and when you're actually being fouled. Case closed.

[Blaze94]

Lebron def..he was the biggest name and soon everyone followed..thats when nba had to step in and start giving fines

[ATRAIN53]

The Pistons Bill Laimbeer was a master of the flop. Then taught teammate Rodman the art of embellishing little to no contact.

I didn't even know what flop was until LAMEBEER came along and was flopping all over the floor.

His NBA.com legends page even details how legendary he was-

https://www.nba.com/history/legends/profiles/bill-laimbeer

Baffles me how he not yet in the HOF. The guy I loved to hate.
He belongs in there. He played hard and changed the game.

I miss guys like him in the NBA.

[snaquille oatmeal]

Laimbeer and Rodman for sure. Vlade came after, and he flopped with the best of him. I think the "euro's introduced flopping to the NBA" is an overstated thing. People attribute it to soccer, and much of Europe has more of a soccer culture than the States. People point to Vlade and Manu because they were quite artful about it, but the Bad Boys were no slouches in this department.

By the late 2000s, players were getting pretty sophisticated with baiting the refs. The Bad Boys, Reggie, Vlade, alll the people who are getting mentions are the pioneers.

The topic is who made it popular not who did it first.

[Soulyss]

Divac came first to mind, but I’m sure it goes further than that

Divac popularized it, Manu perfected it.

Manu merely adopted the flop. Vlade was born in it, molded by it.

Naw, no one masters the flop like Manu without giving his whole heart and soul to it...

[loserX]

Lol @ LeBron being on the poll, much less getting multiple votes. Yeah, nobody ever even heard of it before him, I guess. Oh, you guys.

Divac was a flopping god (and it looked even more absurd because he was so huge) but yes, if one player can be said to have "popularized" it, it would be Manu.

[kodo]

Laimbeer definitely did it, but IMO he never "popularized" it to the point other NBA players and young kids said "I want to be Bill Laimbeer!" and emulated his game. Vlade also was very good at it, but again nobody wanted to be Vlade when they grew up, other stars certainly didn't want to copy his game.

[Letsgokings]

Divac started it but Ginobli was the king at it.

[70sFan]

Players flopped back in the 1950s, it's nothing new in NBA history.

[BoatsNZones]

Divac popularized it, Manu perfected it.

Manu merely adopted the flop. Vlade was born in it, molded by it.

Naw, no one masters the flop like Manu without giving his whole heart and soul to it...

Well, BatmanU does indeed win the war, doesn't he.

[Jay_Sizzle]

That was literally Derek Fisher's role on LAL. Surprised he is not showing higher.

Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk

[RapsFan2000]

Back then for me, probably Reggie Miller & Ginoboli... then Chris Paul & Lebron James... now? LeBron James.

[infintybeyond]

Lol @ LeBron being on the poll, much less getting multiple votes. Yeah, nobody ever even heard of it before him, I guess. Oh, you guys.

Divac was a flopping god (and it looked even more absurd because he was so huge) but yes, if one player can be said to have "popularized" it, it would be Manu.

It is possible. Lebron was the biggest superstar in the game, on the most popular team, and on the biggest stage doing things like this. Divac and Manu don't have the public reach or cultural impact of a superstar like Lebron James.

IMO, it was that whole generation of superstar floppers like CP3, Lebron, and Wade that really popularized it.

[loserX]

Lol @ LeBron being on the poll, much less getting multiple votes. Yeah, nobody ever even heard of it before him, I guess. Oh, you guys.

Divac was a flopping god (and it looked even more absurd because he was so huge) but yes, if one player can be said to have "popularized" it, it would be Manu.

It is possible. Lebron was the biggest superstar in the game, on the most popular team, and on the biggest stage doing things like this. Divac and Manu don't have the public reach or cultural impact of a superstar like Lebron James.

IMO, it was that whole generation of superstar floppers like CP3, Lebron, and Wade that really popularized it.

Disagree, it was already plenty popular before those guys got to it.

[Raps in 4]

Vlade brought it over from Europe. Manu was probably the most prolific flopper though.

[maradro]

I posted a freaking flopping manual published in sports illustrated in the 60s and there are still people blaming europeans/foreigners, willful ignorance rules the day again...

[Texas Chuck]

I don't care who popularized it but Barea perfected it. He drew one or two offensive fouls with it every game and now that he's done he even revealed his secret weapon of hooking the other guys arm then flopping and releasing so it looked like he was getting pushed when really he was pulling the guys arm into him.

Once again the disrespect shown to Barea here is appalling.

[Raps in 4]

Two masters of the craft:

Watch on YouTube

[BenoUdrihFTL]

How are people voting Manu when Vlade came well before him?

[HEKTOR]

Vlade Divac