LA Clippers: Wesley Johnson and the nastiest ankle breakers this season

James Harden may have ended LA Clippers’ forward Wesley Johnson’s career with an ankle breaker that would make Allen Iverson cry.

The LA Clippers and Houston Rockets game on February 28 would have been an ordinary NBA blowout in which the Rockets coasted to another victory. However, it was much more than that. It was the night that James Harden effectively ended Wesley Johnson‘s career.

Harden, who is MVP frontrunner, has made a career of cooking up defenders and embarrassing even the best NBA players. Wednesday night, though, Harden cooked up perhaps his nastiest ankle breaker to date.

There’s a 99 percent chance you have already seen this lethal ankle breaker. If not, just watch.

https://twitter.com/HoustonRockets/status/969061722005884928

I’ve seen the travel argument, I’ve seen the push off argument. While those arguments may or may not hold merit, Wesley Johnson got embarrassed, period. Maybe the LA Clippers should just cut him now (obviously kidding).

However, we are here to help Johnson keep his chin up after being embarrassed on a nationally televised ESPN game. He is not the only one to get done dirty this season, there are plenty of great ankle breakers this year.

Don’t get me wrong, though; Johnson’s is easily the worst and most embarrassing of the group. We’re here for you though, Wesley, here are some examples of your peers getting crossed over to help ease the pain.

Ben Simmons’ nasty Euro Step:

Something about this one really calls to me. Ben Simmons sent Evan Fournier packing on a trip that he was not even planning.

https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/967556134654619648

I think what I love so much about this one is that Fournier presses up against Richaun Holmes almost as a way to make it seem like a defensive rotation was the plan all along. Instead, Simmons fooled Fournier with one of the oldest tricks in the book, a euro step, that sent him into the abyss.

Elfrid Payton drops Russell Westbrook

Before Elfrid Payton was traded to the Phoneix Suns he manned the backcourt for the Orlando Magic. Back in November, while still with the Magic, Payton dropped the reigning NBA MVP face first onto the court.

I got crossed over once like this and I am not ready to talk about it. However, I will give Westbrook the benefit of the doubt on this one. It looked like he clipped Steven Adams‘ foot, so we can just blame it on that and call it a day.

Josh Jackson makes Jakob Poeltl do the stanky leg

Fourth-overall pick Josh Jackson has enjoyed a fairly decent rookie campaign this year. Perhaps the highlight of the year, though, has to be when he made Jakob Poeltl do the stanky leg. Just watch.

https://twitter.com/DefPenHoops/status/938231818071040000

It wasn’t that first push off that got Poeltl. Instead, it was that second cut by the baseline that rendered Poeltl’s legs useless and dropped him to the hardware. Josh Jackson, welcome to the league. We are glad to have you here.

Masked Kyrie Irving humiliates Darren Collison

Aside from Wesley Johnson, this has to be my favorite ankle breaker of the entire career. Here comes masked Kyrie Irving, Uncle Drew, down the court. Should the defense full court press him, lay off, double team? Darren Collison learned what not to do.

https://twitter.com/VinLaden2_/status/934638099480621056

What makes this even better, as Vinny pointed out, is that Collison followed up the fall with what seemed like an attempt to trip Kyrie Irving. One thing is for certain, though, Collison is never going to fullcourt press Kyrie Irving again. Let’s just play some halfcourt basketball.

Next: Should the Clippers pursue Kawhi Leonard?

These kinds of clips should make LA Clippers forward Wesley Johnson feel a little better about the savage James Harden ankle breaker. At the end of the day, though, Johnson is going to be played on highlight tapes for many, many years.