The pull of social media and the internet has become too big to ignore in modern sports franchises. In the case of major American sports leagues like the NBA, the influence has been immense. By helping to unlock new markets and fanbases all over the world, social media and the worldwide appeal of viral content continues to underscore the NBA’s status as the world’s most prestigious basketball league. 2025 has been another amazing year for viral content in the NBA. Once again, the league provided fans all over the world with plenty of clickable moments. In case you missed any, these were our picks for the top three viral moments of 2025 in the NBA.
1. NBA Centel’s Return
Social media can be a tricky realm to navigate through if you aren’t well-versed in all its nuances and intricacies. Among them, parody accounts have become a major attraction. While most savvy social media users enjoy and can appreciate the satire of these accounts, others can be easily duped by them. The NBA Centel parody account on X is a perfect example of this paradigm. When it was briefly suspended earlier in the year, the account’s massive appeal among NBA fans became instantly apparent as it caused a huge online reaction and across the league.
However, the account reappeared later and instantly began dominating basketball platforms once more. The comeback post alone generated over 40 million views. The influence of the account has grown so large that it can even affect online sports betting odds. Earlier in the year, when a fake report about it mentioned that the New York Knicks parted ways with Tom Thibodeau after their Eastern Conference Finals loss, some online sportsbooks even began adjusting their odds.
For the growing number of punters who prefer betting with offshore sites, the Knicks had entered the season around +3500 in US odds to win the championship. However, as a playoff run got closer, those odds dropped right down to +900. For many local punters, offshore sites provided the best action by reacting the fastest and offering other perks like instant payouts, more dynamic odds, and a wider range of individual markets. While the NBA Centel account wasn’t able to shift odds markedly on its own, its growing appeal does demonstrate how fast viral posts can gather traction.
2. Josh Giddey’s Half-Court Miracle
Few plays in 2025 matched the chaos of Josh Giddey’s buzzer-beater for the Chicago Bulls against the Los Angeles Lakers. With seconds remaining, the Bulls needed something extraordinary, and Giddey delivered from near the logo. The United Center erupted, and the clip spread instantly.
The context amplified its reach. The Lakers had just secured a dramatic win days earlier, only to suffer heartbreak at the final horn. Chicago’s late shooting surge and yet another triple-double performance from Giddey turned the game into a case study of momentum swings. The sequence replayed endlessly across platforms, fuelled by disbelief and excitement.
3. The Trade That Felt Unreal
This viral moment was a true shocker. The inexplicable trade sending Luka Doncic to the Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis stunned fans and pundits alike. As the news emerged on social media, it spread like wildfire but still had an air of disbelief. Many can be forgiven for initially thinking it was all just fake news.
However, it was all true. In the end, the post that started it all generated over 100 million views. In hindsight, this was unsurprising given what a seismic decision it was. In no time at all, the news began reverberating across platforms and news sites everywhere. Every major basketball sports caster was speaking about it, and the story was soon dissected in various ways. In the end, it served as a reminder of how much major trades can shake up sports news cycles.
