Here’s Will Ferrell hitting a ‘cheerleader’ in the head with a basketball
The basketball-loving world reeled back in October at the news that beloved halftime performer Red Panda had chosen to hang up her unicycle and bowls. Luckily, however, it seems we’ve found the next big thing in NBA halftime entertainment: Will Ferrell. Naturally.
The “Saturday Night Live” alum-turned-major motion picture star — no stranger to hoops-related comedy, NBA game appearances in particular and sports–associated ephemera in general — turned up on the hardwood at Smoothie King Center during halftime of Wednesday’s matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans, with the express purpose of attempting a half-court shot.
It did not go super well, as evidenced by this clip shot by Bleacher Report’s Kevin Ding:
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Dance team members don’t get paid enough for this, man.
As flocks of concerned colleagues and on-lookers rushed to check on the fallen dance teamer, Ferrell was promptly set upon, hoisted and hustled off the floor by arena security:
… which is probably what tipped off any of you whose B.S. detectors had yet to redline to the probability that this was all a set-up.
Yep, Ferrell was in the Crescent City to shoot a scene for the forthcoming “Daddy’s Home,” in which he’ll again line up alongside “The Other Guys” co-star Mark Wahlberg to play “a mild-mannered radio executive who is determined to become the best stepdad possible to the children of his new wife,” played by Linda Cardellini — a wonderfully talented actress who has played many fine roles and yet will always be Lindsay Weir to me — and finds himself in competition with said kids’ biological dad (hey, Mark) in the process. Hence, the appearance in the halftime shooting contest mishap, which you can feel a bit better about laughing at now that you know it was a “stuntwoman playing a Pelicans cheerleader” who got rocked.
here’s a longer look from the stands at the scene in question, including some M.C. work by Paul Scheer of “The League,” “Human Giant” and the great podcast “How Did This Get Made?” and the pretty clear implication that Ferrell’s character is drunk/high/impeded during his aborted heave:
“Daddy’s Home” is slated for release later this year, but if you can’t wait that long for more, Pelicans.com has some more photos of Ferrell’s court-storming.
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Dan Devine is an editor for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
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