Eric Collins Best Quotes From 2021-2025

He's been droppin' more lines than William Shakespeare at a quill factory

During the 2021–22 season, the Charlotte Hornets were, for once in the franchise’s mostly downtrodden history, the talk of the league. A young LaMelo Ball-led team played fast, fun, offense-heavy basketball that earned them spots on annual “League Pass Rankings” across NBA media. That same year, Eric Collins’ high-energy, over-the-top play-by-play calls began going viral.

While Collins’ explosive reactions made headlines, loyal viewers knew the real treat was his wild, homespun similes and one-liners. Phrases like “Tougher than woodpecker lips” and “Hotter than fish grease” became part of the lexicon — right up there with how often you tell your toddler to brush their teeth.

I started tracking these in 2021 and published the first official “A to Z” of Eric Collins quotes in the summer of 2022. Since then, he’s been droppin' more lines than William Shakespeare at a quill factory. In recent years, Ashley, Dell, and even Sonya Curry began joining in, following Collins’ lead with their colorful contributions.

Now, three years later, it feels like the perfect time to revisit and update the list. I also included my top five favorite quotes since 2022 at the bottom of the article.

2021-22

• "Tougher than woodpecker lips"

• "Plum-diddily-dee/Hum-diddly-dee"

• "PJ, get your jammies on!"

• "Confused as a goat on Astro Turf "

• "With the guts of a cat burglar"

• "Hotter than fish grease"

• "Tougher than a $2 steak"

• "Fell apart like a $3 suitcase."

• "Hotter/Stronger than 10 rows of onion"

• "More rejections than Harvard Law School"

• "Tougher than a one-eared alley cat"

• "Good things happen when you’re nice to your mamma."

• "With grit in his eye and gravel in his guts"

• "With the swagger of a Nascar veteran"

• "Like a mad dog in a meat market"

• "Harder than putting socks on a rooster."

• "Quicker than a small town rumor"

• "Tougher than walrus gristle"

• "Hotter than a fur coat in Phoenix"

• "Bottom of the well"

• "Tougher than a New York Times crossword puzzle"

• "Quicker than a hiccup"

• “Harrell flosses with barbed wire."

• "As hot as Amarillo in August"

• "Stronger than a brand new rope"

• "Stronger than bear’s breath"

• "Stronger than Herculeeees"

• "A Meatloaf special, 2/3 ain’t bad"

• "Brothers in the NBA, who would have thought?"

• "Hotter than a pepper sprout"

• "Strong like a bull"

2022-23

• “Tougher than Turkey jerky”

• “As tight as a tick”

• “Tougher than turtle jerky”

• “With the touch of a masseuse”

• “That pass was on the ‘Mark’ (Williams).”

• “A1 since day 1”

• “More drama than a 2nd grade lunch table (Dell Curry)”

• “Colder than a polar bear's nails”

• “The Ukraine Train (Svi Mykhailiuk)”

• “Gargles thumb tacks”

• “Tougher than ice cream at the bottom of your freezer (Ashley ShahAhmadi)”

2023-24

• “Tougher than a day-old oatmeal”

• “Gravel in his guts and spit in his eye”

• “Living LaMelo-loco”

• “That landed like a butterfly with sore feet landing on the rim” (Dell Curry)

• “Smoother than the greens at Augusta National.”

• “Tre Mann-dous” (Sam Farber)

• “Cooler than a milkshake in a snowstorm”

• “In the “Nick”(Richards) of time”

• “Looks like he ate a plate of bad sausage.”

• “Madder than a mosquito in a mannequin factory (Dell Curry, via Sonya Curry)”

• “Like a toupee in a tornado.”

2024-25

• “What’s the score, Dell? I can’t see it.” (Score is 20-20)

• “Weaker than Kool-Aid in the ocean.”

• “When it rains, it pours, and I’m soaking wet.”

• “Vasilije Micic with a leaner, a Vasa-leaner”

• “Tougher than a boiled olive”

• “Higher than jet fuel” (Dell for a high-arcing shot, probably Myles Turner)

• “Tougher than the bottom of Tarzan’s feet” (Dell)

• “Fell apart like a dime store lawn chair”

• “With the touch of a masseuse”

• “Slided it in like he was buttering a croissant.”

• “Striding to the (FT) line like Bubba Wallace”

• “The Hornets didn’t take the Warriors to the woodshed, but they did take them to the Sal-oon” (Salaun)

• “Hotter than a kettle pot”

• “Tougher than a Mensah test”

My Top 5 Quotes Between 2022-25

1. “Vasilije Micic with a leaner, a Vasa-leaner” - I am always drawn to the player-specific quotes. This was creative and also a little forced, which is why I always liked it when Collins found a way to shoehorn it into the broadcast.

2. “That landed like a butterfly with sore feet landing on the rim” (Dell Curry) - I had to pick a Dell Curry addition, they’re rare but special. Every time I hear or read this quote, I can’t help but take a moment and picture it in my head.

3. “Tougher than turkey jerky” - Simple and satisfying alliteration with a smart rhyme, very underused.

4. “The Hornets didn’t take the Warriors to the woodshed, but they did take them to the Sal-oon” (Salaun)" - The longest quote on the list, it’s wordy, lengthy, but I appreciate the effort.

5. “Gargles thumb tacks” - Another simple one, every time I hear it, it makes me want to open my mouth and imitate the act.

Did I miss a quote you remember? Do you have a favorite Eric Collins quote? Add it in the comments below.