Joe Ingles has done it again.
The Australian basketball star has sent American fans into a spin after a clip from a recent game went viral.
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If you’ve ever played a game of basketball down at your local venue, there’s always an older guy who looks like he doesn’t belong.
He doesn’t look like he’s in great physical shape and he struggles to move up and down the court, but despite his lesser athleticism he continually takes every young kid to school if they dare step up and attempt to guard him.
That’s 36-year-old Ingles in the NBA. He looks so out of place, but time and again he makes his more athletic opponents wonder what the hell just happened.
The clip, from a game against the San Antonio Spurs, has spread across social media like wildfire with fans incredulous over how he manages to make his rivals look so silly.
Ingles is seen dribbling up the court before going around a teammate’s screen and slowly ambling his way towards the hoop as he lays it up beyond the outstretched arm of young block machine Victor Wembanyama.
But it’s what happens next that really makes the video. As his teammates sprint back down the floor, Ingles looks in agony as he attempts to get his body going as he uses his arms like propellers to try and gain some extra thrust.
While the game took place on February 9, the clip has only just started doing the rounds on social media and has, at the time of writing, racked up over 3.5 million views.
Fans couldn’t believe what they had seen unfold.
One user wrote: “The way he runs back on defence has me in tears.”
A second wrote: “He reminds me of a goofy uncle who’s low-key athletic in every sport.”
A third added: “When he 50 he’s gonna be averaging 50 in the YMCA league.”
Another perfectly summed it up with this reply to the video: “Guy plays in a rec league that just so happens to be the NBA.”
Ingles ended the contest with eight points, three rebounds and four assists as the Orlando Magic secured the 127-111 win over the Spurs.
Ingles joined the Magic ahead of the 2023/24 season after putting pen-to-paper on a two-year deal worth $22 million USD ($30,017,000 AUD).
He spent the previous season as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks following eight seasons with the Utah Jazz.
Despite seeing a dip in his numbers across the board, Ingles has become a key piece off the bench for the Magic as they hunt their first playoff berth since 2020.
As the NBA gets set to enter it’s All Star Weekend, the Magic currently sit in eighth place in the Eastern Conference, four games clear of the ninth placed Chicago Bulls.
