While many of us were glued to our screens watching the 2016 MTV Movie Awards, there was another event taking place that you may have missed. An NBA game happened to be taking place at the same time, and the home team happened to be the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers. Before the start of the game, there was a warm-up competition scheduled called the Three Point Contest. A total of 12 players took the court for this exhibition match, and one of them was a certain Hollywood bachelor who shares the same name as the player. Yes, we’re talking about you.
As previously mentioned, the 2016 MTV Movie Awards were held on June 14th. Hosted by Michael C. Hall and Matt Baetz, the evening was full of surprises as it witnessed the musical superstar Beyoncé and the famous ballerina Misty Copeland showing up to support their fellow performer Taylor Swift. At the end of the night, the award for Best Female Performance went to Swift for her role in the upcoming blockbuster blockbuster Cats. Later that evening, the 56th Annual Grammy Awards were held, and Taylor’s Bad was nominated for Album of the Year, but lost out to Beyoncé Formation. Let’s take a trip back in time, shall we?
What Is the Three Point Contest?
For those of you who may have missed out on the action, the Three Point Contest was a friendly exhibition match between the 2012 VMA (Video Music Awards) winners and some of the biggest names in basketball. In it, you’ll see superstitions, fierce competition, and yes, even a little bit of rock and roll. It’s no wonder why the Three Point Contest is famous because it’s always a real nail-biter. Let’s get down to the action.
Who Are These Players?
On the court for the Cleveland Cavaliers were their biggest stars Lebron James and Dion Waiters. James plays for the defending NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers, and Waiters plays for the new Thunder team. On the opposite end of the bench was Kawhi Leonard, who plays for the Los Angeles Clippers. Also in the starting lineup for the home team were Kevin Love and Andrew Bynum. Since all of these players have very familiar faces, you can bet that the crowd at the match was mostly made up of true basketball fans.
The Game
With two minutes remaining in the first quarter, the players took their positions on the court. As the referees blew the whistle, the fans went crazy as they witnessed an exciting moment. Waiters, who played for the Magic team in the 2012 VMAs, was about to take a shot when he noticed the ball wasn’t moving. Thinking quickly, he grabbed a piece of paper and began furiously drawing on it, hoping to confuse the defense and get the ball to roll. Unfortunately for Waiters, the strategy didn’t work and he missed the shot.
It’s always exciting when a Hollywood superstar shows up at a sporting event, but that excitement would soon turn to horror as the next moment took place. After James dribbled the ball, Waiters, still on the loose paper, attempted to steal it. Without notice, James swatted the ball away and took it in for a layup.
Waiters was visibly upset about this incident, but the most shocking part came when he walked over to the scorer’s table to argue the call with the officials. In the heat of the moment, he threw down his wrist band, revealing a heart tattoo that he got earlier that day. While many people may have been offended by this gesture, Waiters explained that he got the tattoo to show how much he loves basketball.
Robert Pattinson’s Experience
Although he didn’t play a single minute of the game, Robert Pattinson was in London to support Taylor Swift. The 27-year-old Australian singer-songwriter performed at the O2 Arena on June 14, and although he wasn’t in the mood to watch the action, he couldn’t stay away. Even if he doesn’t speak a word of English, he somehow learned the rules of basketball and became a huge fan of the sport. According to a rep, Pattinson was watching the game via Periscope, a live streaming app that allows users to engage with others through broadcasts. While many big names were locked in a heated game that ended up being a double overtime, Pattinson was riveted to his smartphone.
So, let’s get back to what happened on the court. Waiters, who scored a mere 4 points in 37 minutes of play, was clearly upset about his first half experience. In his VMA acceptance speech, he railed against the officials, complaining that they didn’t get the call right. Despite his poor showing, he had Jimmy Buffett come out onstage with him to perform a memorable duet at the VMAs. In other news, Kevin Love scored 18 points for the Cavaliers in the 132-114 win.