NBA Controversy: Take a look at the list of top 10 biggest controversies to have ever taken place in the world of NBA that shook the fanatics to their roots.
There is no league in the world that symbolizes an entire sport. Yet the NBA begs to differ upon this, as it has stamped itself as the face of basketball and has produced all the elite sporting stars. With the reputation marked so high, there are always some chance of a controversy taking place when the standard is so highly set.
Wondering what are the biggest controversies to ever take place in the NBA? Then need not look any further as this article lists down the most shocking of those scandals.
NBA Controversy: Top 10 Biggest NBA Controversies To Ever Have Happened in the League
10. Kermit Washington TKOs Rudy Tomjanovich
In the early days of basketball, fighting matchups on the court were a common side, but they usually did not lead to an extensive end. Yet in a game between the Rockets and Lakers this statement took a toll.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Kevin Kunnert battled for a rebound, which the latter secured secured. Kermit Washington then pulled him back to ensure Kevin Kunnert couldnโt get away in a fast break.
Kunnert, infuriated by the incident, threw an elbow at Washington, which connected. While Abdul-Jabbar tried to play peacemaker, Washington responded by throwing a punch at Kunnert. Washington then spotted Tomjanovich running towards him, assuming he was going to be brutally hit, he threw a sharp right hand that caught the Rockets player flush on the face, knocking him out in the process.
Rudy Tomjanovich crumpled in a heap of blood with a fractured face and spinal fluid leaking into his skull capsule. With even such brutal knock to the face, Rudy was handed no ban.
9. Jayson Williamโs Man Slaughter
Jayson Williams played for 76ers and Nets during his NBA career. Always inclined in some or the controversey, Williams had one of the most spoiled reputations among all the players back in the day.=, be it because of his incident of breaking a beer mug on a patron or fooling around with guns.
Speaking about the latter issue, two years after his retirement, Williams ended up shooting his 55-year-old limousine driver Costas Christofi while playing with his shotgun during an NBA charity event in front of the rest of the team members. He was tried in a court for charges of manslaughter but the jury ended up in a deadlock.
8. Gilbert Arenas brings guns to the center
Gilbert Arenas was one of the finest players during his peek time, but one of his controversy will always make it into the top 10 in NBA. Washington Wizards player Javaris Crittenton had lost a card game to JaVale McGee, leading to an argument between the two.
When Arenas got involved, Crittenton threatened to shoot him. Although it was likely said in jest, Arenas took offense to Crittentonโs statements and ended up bringing four loaded firearms to the Wizardsโ stadium several days later.
7. Len Biasโ Demise
He was the #2 pick in the 1986 NBA All-Star draft by the Boston Celtics, having won the ACC Player of the Year two times, Len Bias was expected to one of greatest young talents to ebrce the NBA court. Yet things donโt seem as simple as they sound.
Les than 48 hours after he was selected in the draft pick, basketball fanatics were shocked to witness the news of Len Biasโ death. The cause of death was attributed to a cardiac arrhythmia induced by a cocaine overdose.
6. The Betting Scandal of Tim Donaghy
Tim Donaghy was an NBA referee between 1994 and 2007. He had quite a decorated career in that period, officiating in 772 regular-season and 20 playoff games in total. Yet the growing problem of sportsmen and referee betting in the modern-day NBA has always been a problem.
Donaghy was a serial gambler and used his knowledge of the NBA, the referees and the coaches to bet and even attempt to fix matches. He went on to reveal that many games in the NBA were fixed for the leagueโs best interest, including the 2002 NBA Finals between the Kings and the Lakers.
5. Sexual Assault Charges on Kobe Bryant
Considered to be one of the best-behaved and most loved basketball player ever to enrich the court with his presence, the late Kobe Bryantโs fans were shocked to their roots when he was charged with sexual assault charges in 2003 from a report in Colorado.
Bryant had flown to Colorado to have surgery on an injured rotator cuff. He checked into a hotel in Edwards following which he invited a 19-year-old employee to his room and allegedly forced himself onto her. With Bryant denying all these claims, the alleged victim also denied to impose charges, hence Bryant was let free.
4. Jason Kiddโs Domestic Abuse
He is the leading triple-double scorer for Brooklyn Nets and arguably one of the best players in his prime, yet Jason Kiddโs Domestic Abuse ranks number 4 in the top 10 biggest NBA controversy of all time. Starting about the series of domestic abuse by kidd, in 2001, Kidd was arrested and pled guilty to domestic abuse for assaulting his wife Joumana.
Although after a rather less serious punishment, in January, 2007, Kidd filed for divorce, citing “extreme cruelty” during their relationship. He contended intense jealousy, paranoia and the threat of false domestic abuse claims to the police as reasons for the divorce.
This did not go well with his wife as on February 15, 2007, Joumana Kidd filed a counterclaim for divorce, claiming that the NBA star, among countless instances of abuse, broke her rib and damaged her hearing by smashing her head into the console of a car.
3. Mark Cuban Sexual Assault Case
He is arguably one of the richest man to own an NBA team. Mark Cuban has a net worth of over $1 Billion. However, the Dallas Mavericks owner was charged upon sexual assortment, which gazed serious questions upon NBA not taking strict action against players and owners who regularly violate womenโs rights.
2. Isiah Thomas and MSG Sexual Assault Case
Isiah Thomas is considered to be one of the most decent and highly reputed NBA Hall of Famer. The crux of the story was that Anucha Browne Sanders, who was fired in January 2006 from her position as vice president of marketing. Browne Sanders filed a $10 million lawsuit against Thomas and MSG.
The eventual settlement happened outside the court, which was revealed months later as Knicks decided to pay Browne Sanders $11.5 Million to bury the NBA controversy.
1. Derrick Rose Cheating His Way Into the NBA
The current New York Knicks player had his best days while he was with Chicago Bulls. He is till date is considered to be one the payers, if it wasnโt for his injury. But did he really make his way into the NBA? Did he fulfill his requirements to make it into the NBA?
Derrick Rose never gave the SAT’s. Instead, he made a friend gave the exam under his name. The candidate cleared the exam and Derrick Rose and the score resulted in Rose getting admitted to the University Of Memphis.
However, when the controversy broke that Derrick Rose had cheated, the Memphis Tigers had to forfeit all 38 of their victories from that 2007-2008 season. Derrick Rose is accused of cheating, lying and acting against the spirit of college basketball. Rose and University of Memphis both denied any such allegations.
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