Offseason, off topic: What exactly is NBA Top Shot?

Editor’s Note: One of the community members recently reached out to us and wanted to share their experience on a topic we haven’t really discussed until now here at Canis Hoopus: NBA Top Shot. While I personally know almost nothing about the recent phenomenon, our friend Josh Pauly wanted to share his thoughts on how Top Shot works, some good resources for anyone who wants to get involved, as well as some of his favorite Top Shot moments related to Wolves.

Since we can only consume so many Nathan Knight highlights on YouTube before we all lose our minds, I thought this was the perfect time for Josh to share his wisdom and discuss a topic that is important to some but extremely foreign to others (myself included).

Take it off, Josh!

Welcome to the NBA offseason! Man, the Minnesota Timberwolves (and the NBA in general). I don’t know what to watch on my iPad at 11 p.m. while my wife is sleeping next to me. With the 2021 NBA Draft now over, and not much happening outside of Summer League, I’m waiting (hoping?) for fireworks from Rosas. In the meantime, let me introduce you to your new favorite pastime, NBA Top Shot.

I first discovered NBA Top Shot while scrolling through Twitter in January, and then in February on The Ringer’s NBA podcast, The Mismatch. When I heard Dave Benz call (skip to 1:23) from another spectacular Ant dunk on March 14^thgame and he made reference to Top Shot, I knew I had to give it a try. I found the website after the game that night, signed up and scored my first pack at the end of the month. It lasted 5 moments. I had a really cool SGA layup, an emphatic pursuit of the Donovan Mitchell block, as well as dunks from DeAndre Jordan, Terrance Ross and Montrezl Harrel. I sold the Ross and Jordan moments so I could buy Edwards and McDaniels.

I was instantly hooked.

Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images

Let me back up for a second – what exactly is this NBA Overhead Shot? It is a digital marketplace that allows basketball fans, NFT/blockchain enthusiasts, collectors, and anyone else to own “moments.” The moments are fantastic highlights of NBA players’ big games. Think of Moments as enhanced interactive basketball cards, complete with stats and serial numbers. This is possible because these moments are on the blockchain, so unlike highlights on YouTube or your ESPN app, you own them. Top Shot has licensing deals with the NBA and NBA Players Association so players also make money from their moments.

You can get moments by purchasing packs or buying directly from the market. You can create showcases and complete challenges or quests by collecting specific moments. For example, I took on a playoff challenge from the Hawks and received John Collins’ dunk where he posterized Joel Embiid in the second round. You can trade moments with friends, or even sell them. Some of the rarest Top Shot moments from superstar players have sold for well over $100,000. One of the next stops is Hardcourt, which will be similar to DFS where you can use your moments to compete against friends.

You can enter it to make money – and many have – but I’m just in it as a fan. I never really liked basketball cards as a kid, but I love Top Shot. Karl-Anthony Towns was an early adopter of Top Shot and has appeared on some of their live streams (other Top Shot fans include D’Angelo Russell, Paul George, Rudy Gobert, Tyrese Haliburton, Darius Garland and many others – even Mark Cuban and Daryl Morey). I got the entire Timberwolves team, and hope to add Bolmaro if/when he comes next season (hey Timberwolves, announce the signing already!)

Photo by Stephen Gosling/NBAE via Getty Images

And Top Shot also offers real benefits! Those who had enough time with the Suns had the chance to be flown to the NBA Finals game 5 in Phoenix to watch the game in a suite – all expenses paid. The same thing happened for people who owned certain rookie moments: they were eligible for a trip to the NBA draft (actually, I had enough rookies to qualify, but ultimately didn’t win ). A Quavo quest just ended where if you collected two moments from each of his 5 favorite players, you could win autographed jerseys and free Top Shot packs. Other things should happen this season.

(No, NBA teams are turning to NFTs with the Pistons And Bulls come out with their own team-based NFTs that have offered their fans some awesome perks. I hope the Timberwolves step up soon!)

There is a really great, close-knit community that reminds me of our Wolves community here at Canis Hoopus. If you want to learn more about Top Shot, there are many great resources. If you like podcasts or YouTube videos, I highly recommend it The first mint, NBA Best Shots Discussion, Ballers Blockchain NBA Top Shot, Collectors in the fieldAnd DivingFather. They each do an incredible job interviewing relevant people and breaking down all the news related to Top Shot. The First Mint also makes a wonderful newsletter registration is free. Packrip Ewing also has a great blog.

If you’re looking for Top Shot tools and analytics when considering completing streaks or taking on challenges, you can’t beat Own the moment (they also do very well podcasts And YouTube videos). Moment rankings has tons of tools for tracking prices and values, and they even created Play, a way to use your Top Shot moments throughout the season to build lineups and compete for prizes in the first Top Shot daily fantasy sports game. There is even a Collectors’ Choice Award where you can vote for your favorite Top Shot moments.

I’ve divulged way too much information about you, but if you read this far, here’s your chance to win some free Timberwolves Top Shot moments from me! I would love to write a follow-up article about our community’s favorite Timberwolves moments, plays, and memories from our lives. If you share your thoughts with me in this form – and I connect with the memories you shared – I will send you a Timberwolves Top Shot moment. Below are some of my favorite Wolves moments of all time and from last season.

The best Timberwolves moments of all time

• Kevin Garnett returned to the team in February 2015. I was a teacher at the time and ran out the door after the last bell rang to meet two HS friends. We had tickets for the upper deck but I got SHILLS when they did the KG intro.

• Beat the Bulls for 1^st times in 1997-1998. I was 10 years old and thought we were on the verge of becoming NBA champions with a core of KG, Stephon Marbury and Tom Gugliotta.

• Game 7 of KG against the Kings in 2003-2004. What a performance.

Best moments from last year

• Ant’s dunk of the year against Toronto.

• Anthony Edwards and KAT both had 40+ in a win over the Suns.

• Blocking Ant’s pursuit of Jimmy Butler (also known as the “Call Rachel Nichols!” game)

• Jaden McDaniels dives on Taj Gibson counter. Knicks (I couldn’t find any good clips of him putting the clamps on Luka, Harden, Siakam, etc.)

More than half of my favorite moments from last season are captured on Top Shot. You can view all the Wolves moments here. Thanks for allowing me to talk about something I’m really passionate about and I can’t wait to read about your favorite Wolves moments of all time.

Cheers!