Amin Elhassan has never been shy to offer criticism, whether it be on the air or on social media.
But over the weekend, the tables were turned on the Oddball host after he participated in the Athletes Unlimited Celebrity Hoops Classic celebrity basketball game in Dallas.
As shared by Winsidr’s Myles Ehrlich on X, Elhassan took one of the worst jump shots you will ever see during the event’s pregame warmups. While his form started find enough, the end result saw the former Phoenix Suns front office member’s hands twist in a way not commonly seen on the basketball court as the shot landed inches away from the rim.
Add it to the Amin athletic highlight reel. 😤 pic.twitter.com/Pj2qZ3HOwT
— Myles (@MylesEhrlich) March 17, 2024
Unsurprisingly, Elhassan’s fans and critics alike were eager to chime in on his sorry excuse for a jumper. To his credit, the Meadowlark Media host was more than willing to play along, retweeting some of the best nicknames he received as a result of the video, including “No.J. Mayo,” “James Unworthy” and “Pray Young.” A full list can be found on Elhassan’s X feed.
How can somebody who has spent so much of his life around basketball have such an ugly jumper? As Elhassan explained in a video posted by SNY’s Khristina Williams, there were several factors at play.
“I’m fasting, so this is the holy month of Ramadan. Y’all picking on me, I’m trying to be holy. I’m out here not drinking and eating,” he said. “No. 2, I haven’t played basketball since the 2017 NBA Finals. So that’s a long a** layoff for me to come out of retirement, running up and down here. No. 3, those small balls are really light. So it like flies.”
Elhassan also noted that he has a crooked pinky finger and an injured wrist and back. For good measure, he added, “F*** y’all anyway.”
.@DarthAmin explains his basketball form post-game. https://t.co/jiVNcU7NRY pic.twitter.com/okFTukICnu
— Khristina Williams (@Khristina) March 17, 2024
By this point, Elhassan’s athleticism — or lack thereof — has been well documented. But as was the case with his short-lived appearance on American Ninja Warrior, he’s the one who wins in the end by turning all of this into content.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.