Every year, there are a ton of sports moments that go viral and generate a ton of talk. Some of these are just plain silly, others are funny and some even make you think. But the best ones really capture something special about sport and can get people talking for years to come.

For example, you’d be hard-pressed to find many fans of darts who didn’t know the name Luke Littler. And that’s a shame, because the 16-year-old kid from the north of England is one of the most talented players ever to compete in the game.

Unlike soccer or hockey, which are more focused on pure skill and less concerned with the full range of a player’s ability to express themselves, the NBA is a league that allows athletes to become both symbols and paragons. That’s how you end up with a Michael Jordan statue, for instance. And it’s also how you can get a basketball fan to defend the way Joel Embiid plays.

It’s also why the league — and its stars — often finds itself in a position where it must choose between embracing or resisting its most absurd moments. This year, that’s especially true when it comes to viral sports moments. So without further ado, here are a few of our favorite wacky sports moments of 2024.