The handshake debate: do you care if playoff opponents refuse to shake hands?

[Roy H.]

After Marcus Smart leaped above the Garden parquet, grabbed the 76ers’ last-gasp heave, and fired it back into the air, Joe Embiid pulled off his facemask and walked straight off the court. He did not stop to shake hands with the Celtics on his way to the locker room.

According to Yahoo Sports Ben Rohrbach, that did not sit well with the Celtics. He reported that several Boston players sounded annoyed by Embiid’s sportsmanship in the locker room after their Game 5 series-clinching victory, “especially after he talked so much trash.”

“At least man up,” one Celtics player said.

https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-celtics/2018/05/11/celtics-joel-embiid-man-up-shake-hands

I think it to some degree shows a lack of class to not shake hands, but it's not a huge deal.  It's probably not worth a Celtics player griping about it.

[Phantom255x]

This might sound like a ridiculous, contradictory response, but I usually don't care.

THAT SAID, I did care when Embiid refused, after all the yapping and trash talking he did this series. Then right after Smart intercepts the pass and seals the deal, Embiid just runs into the locker room immediately. I'm sure Embiid is a great guy off the court, but he sure can act like a clown on the court (and he acts all entitled too).

If that makes sense...

[manl_lui]

i'm very iffy on that topic, on one hand i think it shows competitiveness but like Roy said, it also shows lack of sportsmanship and class.

I think this is where I stand

during the series, after the game is over, I'm probably fine with not shaking hands with an opponent, you're still at war with each other

but after the series is over, shake their hands, it's over, just say, good series, we'll see you guys next year and move on, war's over

[apc]

I’m sure that if you look back you’ll find many good Celtics who have done the same.
KG maybe ?

[apc]

Yeap I was right . KG didn’t shake hands after losing game 7 to the heat 2012.
Google it.

[Monkhouse]

I really couldn't care.

You don't have to shake hands with anyone, but if you're gonna talk trash, you better make sure to back it up.

[Phantom255x]

I really couldn't care.

You don't have to shake hands with anyone, but if you're gonna talk trash, you better make sure to back it up.

Yep, this. TP.

I echoed the same sentiment above^^

[celts10]

I think KG and Rondo refused to shake hands and went straight to the locker room after the Game 7 loss against the Heat in 2012. I do remember Paul and Ray out there congratulating the Heat, though.

[Donoghus]

Doesn't really much matter to me either way although I think the hockey handshake lines at the end of playoff series' are pretty cool.

[bdm860]

This is something I speculated about here before Game 5.  I had a feeling Embiid wouldn't shake hands.


But to cut him so slack, it can be tough to process a "last second" loss like that.  It must be hard for anybody to go from thinking you still have a chance to realizing the series is over that quickly, it probably takes a moment to process it all.  He was respectful to the C's on instagram and during his postgame press conference, so it takes away some, if not all of the distaste I have for not shaking hands.  Had Embiid pouted after the game "I don't think the better team won", "the refs took the game from us", etc. I would have been more perturbed about it.


Though on the other hand, I love a salty rivalry, and wouldn't mind these guys constantly hating each others guts...

[Monkhouse]

This is something I speculated about here before Game 5.  I had a feeling Embiid wouldn't shake hands.


But to cut him so slack, it can be tough to process a "last second" loss like that.  It must be hard for anybody to go from thinking you still have a chance to realizing the series is over that quickly, it probably takes a moment to process it all.  He was respectful to the C's on instagram and during his postgame press conference, so it takes away some, if not all of the distaste I have for not shaking hands.  Had Embiid pouted after the game "I don't think the better team won", "the refs took the game from us", etc. I would have been more perturbed about it.


Though on the other hand, I love a salty rivalry, and wouldn't mind these guys constantly hating each others guts...

I don't get the Embiid hate. He's a stellar player with a bright future if he maintain longevity. But he's super competitive, and you can see it in his game on and off the court.

I really couldn't care.

You don't have to shake hands with anyone, but if you're gonna talk trash, you better make sure to back it up.

Yep, this. TP.

I echoed the same sentiment above^^

Great minds think alike, TP back at ya!

[timpiker]

I think u should shake hands after a game. 

And, I think there's a very good possibility that Embiid just didn't think about it and ran to the locker room to avoid the crowd.

[bdm860]

This is something I speculated about here before Game 5.  I had a feeling Embiid wouldn't shake hands.


But to cut him so slack, it can be tough to process a "last second" loss like that.  It must be hard for anybody to go from thinking you still have a chance to realizing the series is over that quickly, it probably takes a moment to process it all.  He was respectful to the C's on instagram and during his postgame press conference, so it takes away some, if not all of the distaste I have for not shaking hands.  Had Embiid pouted after the game "I don't think the better team won", "the refs took the game from us", etc. I would have been more perturbed about it.


Though on the other hand, I love a salty rivalry, and wouldn't mind these guys constantly hating each others guts...

I don't get the Embiid hate. He's a stellar player with a bright future if he maintain longevity. But he's super competitive, and you can see it in his game on and off the court.

Where is the Embiid hate in my post?

[Boris Badenov]

It bothers me.

We involve kids in sports primarily to teach them the value of teamwork, and how to deal with adversity in a healthy and graceful manner. Those are valuable life skills.

If our best athletes can't set an example, then shame on them. And I don't want to hear the "we are not role models" crap. It's not a major ****g lifestyle change. You shake hands and congratulate your opponent, win or lose, and if the other guys have acted like scumbags, it's all the worse for them when you rise above it.

[hodgy03038]

I do not care. Just more fuel for next meeting. Brady didn't hand around to shake Foles hand so who cares. I can understand a player being so upset that they cannot accept it right away in the moment. Let it go. No participation trophies like kids sports.