Mark Sears couldn’t help but smile as soon as he heard the words, and Grant Nelson quickly followed with a grin.
The phrase “crimson crane” immediately sparked that reaction from the two Alabama men’s basketball players as they sat at the podium for their postgame press conference.
During No. 7 Alabama’s thrilling 93-91 overtime upset over No. 1 Auburn at Neville Arena on Saturday, Nelson threw down a dunk over Dylan Cardwell and instantly struck the crimson crane pose.
So, what prompted him to taunt Auburn with that gesture at that moment?
“I don’t know,” Nelson admitted. “I just decided to. It was the first thing that popped into my head. He was standing in front of me. I don’t know. I just did it.”
Inspired by the iconic crane kick from The Karate Kid, the pose gained popularity with Alabama football in 2021. Since then, it has frequently been used by opponents after defeating the Crimson Tide. That’s exactly what Auburn players did on Feb. 15 when they beat Alabama in Tuscaloosa.
Nelson simply returned the favor.
After posterizing Cardwell late in the first half and drawing a foul, Nelson bumped into Johni Broome before confidently striking the crimson crane pose.
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Auburn players and coaches were furious.
Johni Broome immediately approached the officials, urging them to review the play while mockingly imitating the crimson crane pose himself.
Auburn coach Bruce Pearl also voiced his frustration, engaging in an intense discussion with the referees.
However, no technical foul was assessed to Nelson. Instead, he was awarded a free throw—and he calmly knocked it down.
Nelson ended the game with an impressive 23 points, including three shots from beyond the arc.
