 "2018 in the rearview mirror: From Diego Maradona's World Cup histrionics to Naomi Osaka dancing, funniest moments")
2018 was a barrel of laughs.
From Diego Maradona’s histrionics in the stands at the FIFA World Cup to JR Smith forgetting the score during Game 1 of the NBA Finals, the year was loaded with moments that tickled the funny bone.
Here’s Firstpost’s selection of the most hilarious moments from the year:
That look on LeBron James’ face when JR Smith forgot the score in Game 1 of NBA Finals
this moment is going down in nba history pic.twitter.com/0BoTKFzXU0
— whitney medworth (@its_whitney) June 1, 2018
When Nico Hulkenberg was left ‘hanging like a cow’
Quote of the season...? 🐮#AbuDhabiGP pic.twitter.com/dPcp7QtL6s
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 26, 2018
Virat Kohli clearly having fun in Australia
— Peter Miller (@TheCricketGeek) December 9, 2018
When Kristaps Porzingis met Lomachenko
Kristaps Porzingis is 7'3"
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) December 7, 2018
Vasyl Lomachenko... is not 😂 pic.twitter.com/vdq0u9KYzy
San Antonio Spurs coach Greg Popovic being asked what makes LeBron James difficult to guard
What makes LeBron hard to guard? Pop has a simple answer 🙃 pic.twitter.com/PeRIA1UNlT
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 6, 2018
There was something flying between Fernando Alonso’s legs during a race. And it’s not what you think it is
BEST TEAM RADIO OF 2018 📻
— Formula 1 (@F1) December 6, 2018
There could be only one winner this year! 😂🔩#F1 @ScuderiaFerrari pic.twitter.com/SBbf1eOylq
Why Daniel Ricciardo shouldn’t get excited while driving…
You can't really ask this question to @danielricciardo and not expect a hilarious response 😂 #F1 #GrillTheGrid pic.twitter.com/Hx0nPUNQln
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 29, 2018
James Harden giving himself a nosebleed dunking
Sometimes you kick the football. Sometimes the ball hits you back! Michy Batshuayi knows that now.
Don’t try this at home kids..... #ENGBEL pic.twitter.com/Q82nrZIm2c
— Rio Ferdinand (@rioferdy5) June 28, 2018
Football’s a risky sport. Sometimes.
We discovered Zlatan’s doppleganger
This basketball player looks eerily like Zlatan https://t.co/Y54MVuYeN6 pic.twitter.com/ukK5s80oVv
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) November 29, 2018
Why did Magnus Carlsen change his socks mid-way during World Championships?
The incredible camera footage from @NRKsjakk caught it! Carlsen went from red to black socks during the game. I do not understand Norwegian but saw the footage 😀#SocksGate So do the new socks get some credits for the draw? LOL pic.twitter.com/8ucHoxjJsU
— Susan Polgar (@SusanPolgar) November 19, 2018
NHL mascot’s bad first day at work
Gritty having a bad first day on the job @spittinchiclets pic.twitter.com/24er9dA4gL
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) September 25, 2018
James Harden walks out in…
"OH MY GOD."
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) December 14, 2018
Chuck's not feeling James Harden's pregame look 🤣 pic.twitter.com/0hWbiFF0Bl
When the ball got stuck. And then the towel followed
How ... ?!?! pic.twitter.com/JH0idThipd
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) December 14, 2018
Kings trolling Steph Curry
The Kings showed moon landing footage during Warriors' intros to troll Steph. 😂 pic.twitter.com/DReQr2ISVE
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) December 15, 2018
When Fellaini tried to kill a paramedic in Liverpool clash
Hahahahahahahahahahaha Fellaini has just nearly killed a paramedic pic.twitter.com/PK0JrSoVqY
— Joshua (@JoshBew95) December 16, 2018
Own-goal, NBA style (When the Knicks dunked into their own basket)
The Knicks are out here dunking on their own basket! 🤣#Shaqtin pic.twitter.com/NWMKzOAEb8
— Shaqtin' a Fool (@shaqtin) December 9, 2018
Embiid rises for a windmill dunk. Embiid shanks the windmill dunk. Ben Simmons likes it!
The look Ben Simmons gave Embiid after he missed that windmill dunk 😂 pic.twitter.com/iusBRZytqf
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) November 20, 2018
Speaking of spectacularly shanked dunks, here’s Dennis Smith Junior with his entry
Dennis Smith Jr. won't be adding this dunk to his highlight reel 😅#Shaqtin pic.twitter.com/hIoFXNwMUh
— Shaqtin' a Fool (@shaqtin) November 18, 2018
Hamidou Diallo has something to say about missed dunks
And here’s Steven Adams rising to the occasion as well
"He cannot jump that high!" 🤦♂️😂 pic.twitter.com/eYEPXnKnLZ
— Shaqtin' a Fool (@shaqtin) November 8, 2018
King James’ nomination is here
Wyd, @KingJames? 😂#Shaqtin pic.twitter.com/zj8X9vxuTn
— Shaqtin' a Fool (@shaqtin) October 26, 2018
Draymond Green rocking the rim
“Nominee Numba 1! Draymond Green!” -@SHAQ, probably #Shaqtin 😂 pic.twitter.com/glMW8zSdku
— Shaqtin' a Fool (@shaqtin) May 23, 2018
Ben Simmons rises. Ben Simmons falls
😬😬😬. #Shaqtin pic.twitter.com/i5f5AercUI
— Shaqtin' a Fool (@shaqtin) May 5, 2018
Jayson Taytum
"Oh noooooo!" 😂@jaytatum0 was too open! #Shaqtin pic.twitter.com/dIoj66eiAO
— Shaqtin' a Fool (@shaqtin) April 1, 2018
Steve Clifford
Steve Clifford's face says it all... 😬😬😬#Shaqtin pic.twitter.com/fv3DOtfzfK
— Shaqtin' a Fool (@shaqtin) April 1, 2018
Joel Embiid with a hat-trick
"It's hard to Trust The Process when it results in three missed dunks." 🤣@JoelEmbiid wins the #Shaqtin A Fool Midseason Award for Worst Moment of the Season! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/vmIoY7IRcG
— Shaqtin' a Fool (@shaqtin) February 22, 2018
Geraint Thomas’ Tour de France trophy gets stolen. Dope cheat Lance Armstrong wants him to give him his
Geraint Thomas' Tour de France trophy was stolen from a cycling show earlier this week.
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) October 12, 2018
So Lance Armstrong came in with an offer 👉 https://t.co/y8kQFaAuUU pic.twitter.com/WlGQRrrvz9
How will Brexit affect Geraint Thomas?
As Geraint Thomas celebrates his Tour de France victory, there are fears his post-Brexit equipment might not be so competitive pic.twitter.com/9ZSNkSkuqx
— The Poke (@ThePoke) July 31, 2018
Naomi Osaka vs Angelique Kerber. WTA Finals. One set all. Osaka makes a mistake. She has a question for her racquet.
"Whyyyyyyyy?" - @Naomi_Osaka_
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) October 24, 2018
@WTAFinalsSG
LIVE BLOG: https://t.co/Zkx7pRmkM4 pic.twitter.com/hQps6FvKeT
When Naomi Osaka lost a mini-tennis game in training to coach Sascha Bajin, her punishment was to dance at Shibuya crosswalk, Part I
What happens when you lose a game of mini tennis against @BigSascha and the loser’s punishment was, “dance in Shibuya crosswalk” 🙃 pic.twitter.com/EsqnvNOlIc
— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) April 16, 2018
When Naomi Osaka lost a mini-tennis game in training to coach Sascha Bajin, her punishment was to dance at Shibuya crosswalk, Part II
Shibuya awkward “dancing” pt 2 💃🏽 pic.twitter.com/fRASMyPb3o
— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) December 20, 2018
When Ellen DeGeneres introducing Naomi Osaka to Michael B Jordan
You’re adorable. I better be asked to officiate the wedding.
— Ellen DeGeneres (@EllenDeGeneres) September 12, 2018
Ellen sending Naomi Osaka a ‘birthday present’
pls block me 😩
— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) October 16, 2018
Naomi Osaka on training days
Nothing has changed from then to now 🤭🤫 pic.twitter.com/dHSDyX0rv6
— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) July 24, 2018
Naomi Osaka tried her hand at #WhatTheFluffChallenge. And it didn’t go as per plan
#whatthefluffchallenge I’m not sure what reaction I was expecting but this wasn’t it 😩🙄😂 pic.twitter.com/ryooRCsY8Y
— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) July 12, 2018
When Naomi Osaka tried her hand at pool
— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) June 9, 2018
Naomi Osaka with probably the best acceptance speech of all time
"This is probably going to be the worst acceptance speech of all time" - @BNPPARIBASOPEN champion @Naomi_Osaka_
— wta (@WTA) March 18, 2018
We beg to differ! #BNPPO18 pic.twitter.com/4XpckdmLtq
Naomi Osaka doesn’t know how to hit a tweener
Can someone please teach me how to do this correctly 😫 pic.twitter.com/GeLh56xBQF
— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) February 27, 2018
Naomi Osaka learning to hit a tweener
.@Naomi_Osaka_ asked for help on the tweener and @DKasatkina came to the rescue!
— wta (@WTA) March 4, 2018
Think Naomi will pull it off at @BNPPARIBASOPEN? pic.twitter.com/ObcLXlLMVi
Ravi Shastri on India’s Test victory at Adelaide
When Fernando Alonso missed a chicane
Final day in the office? One little shortcut won't hurt 😉#F1 #FridayFeeling @alo_oficial pic.twitter.com/Pk0NJLNF3d
— Formula 1 (@F1) December 21, 2018
When Curry headed the ball away
.@StephenCurry30 use your head and cash in the #ShaqtinGoldenTicket for this one… 🤕🎟 pic.twitter.com/TR3MOAhIOk
— Shaqtin' a Fool (@shaqtin) January 18, 2018
Raikkonen wins a race after 112 grands prix. Finnish commentator loses it
Niki. Täysillä! Aina! #cmoref1 #icemanwins pic.twitter.com/SYhB3FbaZ1
— Ossi Oikarinen (@Ossi_Oikarinen) October 21, 2018
When Taj Gibson defended with a shoe in his hand
When seven-foot tall Anthony Davis was still too short
Boban playing keep away from Anthony Davis is hilarious pic.twitter.com/JC2ClYhRwE
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) April 10, 2018
Partizan Belgrade fans pelting linesman with snowballs
Partizan Belgrade fans pelting the assistant referee with snow balls 👀
— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) December 15, 2018
pic.twitter.com/R51WYKIePR
When LeBron James snubbed Josh Hart
I WILL HIGH-FIVE YOU, JOSH HART. pic.twitter.com/ahlVIWcTjv
— Lakers Nation (@LakersNation) October 23, 2018
What’s Maitlan Brown’s hidden talent?
Umm what? Check out Maitlan Brown’s hidden talent 😮🤭🥴 #GETONRED pic.twitter.com/E4aqOM3EwI
— Melbourne Renegades (@RenegadesBBL) November 30, 2018
AS Roma’s Twitter handle issues a ‘threat’
Pay rise or we riothttps://t.co/7lgtdL3f6G
— AS Roma English (@ASRomaEN) October 16, 2018
When Rod Laver participated in a Mexican Wave
When @RodLaver waves, the world waves. #LaverCup pic.twitter.com/Au5dC5WwTy
— Laver Cup (@LaverCup) September 21, 2018
That’s not how you smash a racquet, Andrey
David Beckham advises Zlatan Ibrahimovic to work on moving past his ‘shyness’
"500 goals! That makes you really, really old." 😂
— LA Galaxy (@LAGalaxy) September 17, 2018
David Beckham congratulates @Ibra_official on #Zlatan500 🙌 pic.twitter.com/RIS7178Zbt
Chris Evert bowing to Naomi Osaka
When Bruce Banner bows when meeting T’Challa I thought of Chris Evert bowing to Naomi Osaka after her US Open win 😂 pic.twitter.com/oUbiS9MINF
— Sibongile Mafu (@sboshmafu) September 24, 2018
Here’s why Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer would not have made a very successful doubles pair
Well, that was AWKWARD 😳 pic.twitter.com/WHJKFL56qD
— Laver Cup (@LaverCup) September 22, 2018
Thomas Bjorn getting a tattoo on his butt after losing bet with Ryder Cup teammates
The #RyderCup has (literally) left it’s mark on @thomasbjorngolf 🏆✍🏼 pic.twitter.com/MGfVtsSPVL
— Ryder Cup Europe (@RyderCupEurope) December 24, 2018
Tim Paine does some talking
More cheeky banter caught on the TV stump mic! #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/pDbuJIfJJI
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 17, 2018
When Duisburg goalkeeper took to break in the middle of a game, the predictable happened
Iran’s Milad Mohammadi made everyone laugh with a spectacularly botched attempt at a throw-in against Spain at the FIFA World Cup
Senegal making waves with their wacky training regimen
Senegal coach Aliou Cisse also made an impression during the FIFA World Cup
via GIPHYHe wasn’t the only one to make an impression at the FIFA World Cup
Of course, we all know that Maradona had a cold during the World Cup
Maradona would neither confirm nor deny anything
Shaktar Donestsk coach Paulo Fonseca coming to a post-match press conference donning a Zorro costume
At Russia, Neymar also grabbed headlines with his performances. Not with the ball at his feet.
Mo Salah’s statue, which looks nothing like Mo Salah
Who does Mo Salah's statue ACTUALLY look like? pic.twitter.com/kpivD3xkDD
— Soccer AM (@SoccerAM) November 6, 2018
Well left by Nick Kyrgios
Shaun Pollock’s wardrobe malfunction
On Friday during the Test between 🇿🇦 and 🇵🇰, @7polly7 provided us with one of the funniest cricketing moments of 2018 😳👖🤣pic.twitter.com/v3SiCnInVQ
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) December 30, 2018
Brazil celebrated all their goals at the FIFA World Cup with a lot of vigour. Too much vigour probably
Tite gets swallowed up in #BRA's Coutinho goal celebration 😂 pic.twitter.com/Z1BOFrx4yE
— SI Soccer (@si_soccer) June 22, 2018
 "Is Akaay, son of Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma, a British citizen by birth? Here are the rules")
 "Who will R Ashwin join in the 100 Test matches club?")
 "Virat Kohli’s photo with daughter Vamika at a restaurant goes viral")
 "Virat Kohli lauds Team India's youngsters following Test series win over England")
 "Is Akaay, son of Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma, a British citizen by birth? Here are the rules")
 "Who will R Ashwin join in the 100 Test matches club?")
 "Virat Kohli’s photo with daughter Vamika at a restaurant goes viral")
 "Virat Kohli lauds Team India's youngsters following Test series win over England")