Phoenix Suns: The 4 best Kelly Oubre patented eccentrics

The Phoenix Suns electric forward and Valley Boyz originator, Kelly Oubre, has a ton of fun antics on the court. Here are the best ones.

Last week, Kyle Manthe wrote a post featuring the top eight random moments in any given Phoenix Suns game, and number one was pretty much everything Kelly Oubre does. While we await the fate of the Suns ahead of Thursday’s vote, I decided to do a ranking within the ranking and count down the top four best Kelly Oubre antics.

I’m a firm believer that while players’ abilities make a team good and thus endear them to fans, it’s the players’ personalities and idiosyncrasies that make fans fall in love with a team. And when you get a player that combines ability with a unique personality and eccentric idiosyncrasies, you get Kelly Oubre.

I ranked these because everyone loves a good ranking, but honestly, I think I might love each of these exactly the same.

4. The First Down Signal

Pretty much every NFL running back and wide receiver pops up and signals for a first down after they make a big play that, well, leads to a first down for their team.

Leave it to Kelly Oubre to bring that trend to the hardwood. After a turnover (typically caused by Oubre) where the ball goes out of bounds and the Suns get the ball, Kelly pretends he just caught a 50-yard one-handed pass and aggressively throws his arm toward the Suns’ basket signaling who has possession.

It makes me chuckle every time.

3. The Head Bob

This celebration, often seen post-vicious-dunk, is so intense it elicited two technical fouls this season. As a kid, these referees probably dropped their blanket into a swimming pool and strived to be just like that when they grew up.

The move brings so much energy to what is usually already exhilarating dunk, and despite what those two curmudgeon officials say, it isn’t overly disrespectful to the dude who just got posterized. It’s simple, fierce, and gets everyone more amped than they are already are.

2. The Push-Ups

I could watch the Phoenix Suns play with Kelly Oubre on the team for fifty years and him doing push-ups mid-game would never get old.

This move of his is a little more special because he doesn’t do it all the time. But when he’s feeling good after a hustle play that requires him to dive on the floor, he hammers out three quick push-ups and it makes me laugh every time.

1. The Blowing of Kisses

The greatest way to tick off a group of people who are mad at you is to show them nothing but sarcastic love, and this is exactly what Kelly Oubre does after draining a big-time 3 when he blows kisses to the crowd, to the bench, and pretty much everyone in the arena.

No game was more kiss-heavy than the Phoenix Suns win over the Portland Trail Blazers to close to the decade when Tsunami Papi hit a career-high seven 3-pointers and blew kisses to all the fans antagonizing him after each one.

The kisses are kind of like what a chef does after nailing the perfect dish; an artist admiring his creation.

And Kelly Oubre is an artist.