Kawhi Leonard buzzer beater spurs conspiracy theories on YouTube, Reddit

Many conspiracy theorists aren’t buying Sunday’s winning shot by Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard (left).
Steve Russell/Getty Images

When Kawhi Leonard of the Toronto Raptors shot an incredible buzzer beater during Sunday’s NBA playoff game against the Philadelphia 76ers, many spectators were stunned. 

Others weren’t buying it.

The shot, which looked like it wouldn’t make it in, scored the Raptors a win after the score had been tied at 90. The ball bounced against the rim several times before going through the hoop to wild cheers.

KAWHI CALLED SERIES! pic.twitter.com/V4AIuMULNO

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) May 13, 2019

But since the game, some people on YouTube and Reddit have been calling the shot rigged. 

“There are people on YouTube truthering the Kawhi shot saying it was a magnetic rim,” tweeted Tyler Conway, a writer for Bleacher Report, who shared screenshots of some of those comments.

There are people on YouTube truthering the Kawhi shot saying it was a magnetic rim 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/p3UKoK4xN8

— Tyler Conway (@jtylerconway) May 14, 2019

“The ball looks and sounds heavier than it should be,” one person wrote in a YouTube comment.

“Magnets came in clutch here,” another added.

One Reddit thread posed the question: “Is it possible to theoretically rig a shot?” One user responded saying it wouldn’t be hard to do, as all that’s needed is to “make the ball slightly magnetic and then run a strong current through the rim.”

Another thread poked fun at the situation, posing the topic: “Kawhi Leonard’s buzzer beater bounced four times. Let’s rank the bounces.”

The NBA couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.

The internet has no doubt facilitated the spread of conspiracy theories on platforms like YouTube and Reddit, which have tried to push back against that kind of content. In January, YouTube said it would start cutting down on recommendations of conspiracy theories. Last March, the company said it would add snippets of information from Wikipedia to videos focused on conspiracy theories.  

Last year, Reddit banned several subreddits, including r/greatawakening, for “repeated violations of the terms of our content policy.”