Alabama Star Labaron Philon's Spiderman Celebration Inspired by Coach

Philon credits assistant coach Preston Murphy for starting his 3-point celebration mimicking the Marvel superhero

Mar. 21, 2026 at 11:19pm

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Alabama sophomore guard Labaron Philon has become a deadly 3-point shooter this season, improving his accuracy by 9 percentage points. Philon has added a new celebration to his game, mimicking Spiderman's web-shooting hand gesture after making big shots. Philon credits assistant coach Preston Murphy for starting the celebration, saying Murphy would beat him in 3-point shooting contests and then pretend to shoot webs at him, which Philon then adopted. However, Philon and his teammate Aiden Sherrell claim Murphy cheats in the shooting contests, often miscounting his own makes.

Why it matters

Philon's improved 3-point shooting has been a key factor in Alabama's success this season, and his new Spiderman celebration has become a fun part of the team's identity. The story behind the celebration's origin provides an interesting look at the team's camaraderie and the competitive dynamic between the players and coaches.

The details

Philon has been dominant this season, averaging 22 points, 4.8 assists, and 3.4 rebounds per game. He's improved his 3-point shooting to 40%, doubling his makes from last season. Philon says the Spiderman celebration started when assistant coach Preston Murphy would beat him in 3-point shooting contests and then pretend to shoot webs at him, which Philon then adopted. However, Philon and teammate Aiden Sherrell claim Murphy cheats in the contests, often miscounting his own makes.

  • Philon has been using the Spiderman celebration throughout the 2022-23 season.

The players

Labaron Philon

Alabama's star sophomore guard who has become a deadly 3-point shooter this season.

Preston Murphy

Alabama assistant coach who started the Spiderman celebration by beating Philon in 3-point shooting contests and pretending to shoot webs at him.

Aiden Sherrell

Alabama forward who claims Coach Murphy cheats in the shooting contests.

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What they’re saying

“Yeah just a really big movie guy. Spiderman: No Way Home, I think that's a really good movie I've been watching it a lot. It's a great movie.”

— Labaron Philon

“We shoot around a lot, I shoot around with guys a lot. So just some prepractice things while we're getting warmed up. Kind of just some friendly competition with a lot of trash talk and stuff. That's where that stems from.”

— Preston Murphy, Alabama Assistant Coach

“I just know Coach Murphy cheats in every shooting contest. He cheats every time. He's cheated me every single time I've tried to go against him. It's crazy. He'll try to count some points, and not count some points. It's crazy. He tries to do it every time.”

— Aiden Sherrell, Alabama Forward

“Yeah, that's true. He only beat me one time, really. He cheats all the time. I can't really do anything about it because he's the coach, but I win almost every time if you want to be completely honest. He'll make a shot, and he'll have like two, and he'll shout out four! He jumps the numbers, so you've really got to watch his shots because sometimes when shots rim out, he still counts them as makes.”

— Labaron Philon

“I would have to fact check that. I don't know how accurate that is, but if he said it we'll just go with it.”

— Preston Murphy, Alabama Assistant Coach

The takeaway

Philon's Spiderman celebration has become an entertaining part of Alabama's identity this season, showcasing the team's camaraderie and the competitive dynamic between the players and coaches. While the celebration originated from a friendly shooting contest, it highlights the importance of fostering a fun, engaging environment that allows players to express their personalities on the court.