Being on the receiving end of a filthy, poster dunk is one of the occupational hazards of being a center in the NBA. Even the best rim protectors of all time, such as Hakeem Olajuwon, Dikembe Mutombo, Mark Eaton, and Rudy Gobert, have experienced the sting of getting dunked on. And that's exactly what Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young thought after San Antonio Spurs center Zach Collins took exception to Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr.'s evisceration of him at the rim.
Posting on his official Twitter account, Young mocked Collins for taking umbrage to something the Spurs center should know is part of what he does for a living.
âDude got mad he got dunked onđ.. It happens bruh!â Young wrote.
After Porter threw down a nasty, left-handed dunk right in Collins' face, Collins took umbrage to an apparent taunt from the Nuggets forward. As a result, Collins blindsided Porter with a shove from behind, which escalated into a full-on fracas where the other Spurs and Nuggets players and coaches had to separate the two. The tussle led to both of their ejections.
Of course, no highflyer would ever dare challenge the rim-protecting ways of Trae Young. Remember when Ben Simmons decided to hand off the ball to Matisse Thybulle during the 2021 playoffs instead of throwing it down right in Young's grill?
Kidding aside, Collins is not the first player to take out his anger on the person who put him on a poster. In one of the most iconic plays of Shaquille O'Neal's career, New York Knicks center Chris Dudley threw the ball at the legendary Los Angeles Lakers center out of frustration, even yelling out an expletive in the process.
Meanwhile, other players even simulate contact just to try and nullify a thunderous poster slam. That is what Luka Doncic did in the 2022 playoffs after Andrew Wiggins took off and hammered down one of the nastiest dunks in postseason history.
Still, it's not too difficult to see why Michael Porter Jr. felt hard done by his ejection. After all, is it really his fault that Collins acted as the roadblock on his way to a loud, two points?
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