Marshawn Lynch Receives Hilarious Shooting Lesson at Valkyries Practice

Marshawn Lynch used to lament extracurricular activities. Most famously, he replied to every question during his Super Bowl XLIX media night availability with, “I’m here so I won’t get fined.”

Now retired from the NFL, the former star running back and Super Bowl champion is up for anything - from credentialed photography on the sidelines to guest-starring in “Euphoria” and purchasing minority ownership stakes in multiple franchises.

Lynch added basketball practice to the list on Wednesday.

The Golden State Valkyries’ performance center is in Oakland, Lynch’s beloved hometown, and he casually appeared at the Valkyries’ practice like a next-door neighbor just popping by to say hi. Nathan Canilao and Kenzo Fukuda caught a hilarious moment on video during Lynch’s visit.

Valkyries All-Star forward Gabby Williams gave Lynch an impromptu shooting lesson. She stood in the paint and demonstrated the proper technique. Lynch’s signature humor showed when Williams missed, and he said, “You smoked it already.”

Lynch took the ball and tried to mimic Williams. Before shooting, he quipped, “This how y’all practice?” He had trouble going through the motions because “my shoulders don’t do that” - a decade as the NFL’s most physically imposing runner will do that - but he made the shot.

The Valkyries posted more footage of Lynch crashing their practice, including a video soundtracked by his “I’m here so I won’t get fined” audio:

The Valkyries captured hearts across the Bay Area with a historic inaugural WNBA season last year. Golden State became the first WNBA franchise to reach the playoffs in its inaugural season, and the Valkyries set all-time attendance records in total fans (397,408) and average game attendance (18,064).

So far this season, the Valkyries are 4-2, and they’ll next host Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever (4-2) on Thursday night. The game will stream on Prime Video, beginning at 10 p.m. ET.

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This story was originally published May 27, 2026 at 8:58 PM.