The biggest off-court NBA scandals ever

The NBA is known for its exciting product on the floor, but it has had some captivating storylines that originated off of the court as well. We’ll take a look at some of the most memorable scandals in NBA history, all of which have brought on a boatload of media attention and discussion.

Perhaps the largest scandal in league history involved the former Los Angeles Clippers owner, who was banned by NBA commissioner Adam Silver. Time Magazine remembers the audio that leaked in April 2014, which contained racist comments from Sterling. The audible footage caused a firestorm that ended with Sterling being forced to sell the team.

The saga has taken on new life in 2024, as “Clipped”, a show about the scandal, began airing. NPR wrote that the series has gone beyond the racist comments Sterling made, and delved deeper into the toxic atmosphere he created. Everyone down, from the front office to Clippers players, were hamstrung by Sterling’s views and attitudes.

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Charles Oakley is revered amongst New York Knicks fans as the heart and soul of the 1990s contending teams, but he found himself in hot water after an altercation with Madison Square Garden security in 2017. Oakley took exception to being approached by security after ABC News reported that he made critical comments to Knicks owner James Dolan, seated a few rows in front of him.

The stalemate between Oakley and Dolan continues, as the former Knicks forward still has a bad taste in his mouth after what happened. Oakley told The Associated Press in May 2024 “They’ve got to apologize. We’ll go from there. Can (Dolan) be man enough to say, mistakes happen. And he made one.”

The Last Dance documentary chronicled Jordan’s unparalleled competitiveness, which extended to matters off the NBA floor. The Hall of Famer wanted to claim victory in nearly every facet of life, including when it came to wagering money at the casino or in a card game. Basketball Network wrote about mini golf games Jordan and a Bulls employee would play back in the 1980s.

Jordan was also involved in bets that were for exorbitant amounts of money, and the NBA decided to take a closer look at his activity. Sports Illustrated wrote that the NBA closed the investigation shortly after they started it, as there was no connection found between his social betting life and wagers involving NBA basketball.

The Chicago Bulls made it a habit of making the NBA Finals in the 1990s, winning six championships in the decade. They decided to add the ultra-talented but mercurial Dennis Rodman to the roster in 1996. During the 1998 NBA Finals, head coach Phil Jackson allowed Rodman to visit Las Vegas between games, but things got a little out of hand.

Rodman did not return to the Bulls when he was supposed to, according to CBS Sports, which forced Jordan and Jackson to go to Sin City to find their starting power forward. They located him and all was well that ended well since they won the championship, but it was quite the adventure.

Kobe Bryant had won three championships and was one of the biggest NBA starts in the early 2000s. However, things took a turn for the worst in June 2003, as a 19-year-old woman claimed she was assaulted by the Los Angeles Lakers guard. His image, which has been pristine to that point, was tarnished as the legal proceedings ran their course.

The Los Angeles Times reported that the case was eventually dropped in September 2004. The accuser decided not to testify in criminal court, and a civil lawsuit she filed was settled in March 2005. Things could have gone much differently for Bryant in this scenario, but his NBA career was never interrupted as a result.

Many believed that University of Maryland star Len Bias was going to change the shape of the league in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The Boston Celtics with the second pick in the 1986 NBA Draft. Tragically, Bias never played an NBA game, as he was found dead in his college dormitory after suffering a cardiac arrest, according to The Washington Post.

A urine sample also found traces of cocaine in his system, and medical experts believed that his heart ailment could have been caused by persistent drug use. NBA fans didn’t get a chance to see the talented Bias at the next level, and Bias was robbed of what could have been a special career. The Washington Post noted that use of cocaine in the 1980s was rampant amongst NBA players.

The NBA decided to move to a lottery system to determine the order of the 1985 draft. This made sense, as it was put in place to deter franchises from intentionally losing games in order to guarantee a valuable selection. However, the very first draft lottery had its fair share of controversy.

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ClutchPoints revisited the timeline leading up to the 1985 draft lottery. Many around the league felt that commissioner David Stern wanted to move heaven and earth to give the New York Knicks the first pick, which would allow them to select Georgetown star Patrick Ewing. That’s exactly what happened, and many have speculated that this was pre-arranged from the start.

The Los Angeles Lakers thought they were about to have one of the greatest backcourts of all time. They agreed to a trade with the New Orleans Hornets in 2011 that would have brought Chris Paul to Los Angeles to play alongside Kobe Bryant. Bleacher Report wrote that “the Lakers will boast one of the more intimidating starting units in the league.”

There was only one problem; the trade never actually went through. NBA commissioner David Stern blocked the deal, as the Hornets were owned by the league at that time. League spokesperson Mike Bass told the New York Times, “franchise-altering decisions will ultimately be reviewed by the league.” Paul was instead traded to the Los Angeles Clippers.

Washington Wizards teammates Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton both brought guns to the locker room after a poker game got out of hand in 2009. According to Sports Illustrated, Arenas brought four unloaded guns to the locker room, and Crittenton pulled out a loaded gun and pointed it at Arenas.

Both players were suspended for the remainer of the season, and they pled guilty to misdemeanor weapons charges. The incident spelled the end of the line for Crittenton’s NBA career, as he would never suit up in the league again.

Social media has changed the landscape of society and the NBA, but one league executive decided to weaponize it to shape a narrative. Philadelphia 76ers President of Basketball Operations Bryan Colangelo resigned from the team in 2018 after his wife admitted to the creation of anonymous Twitter accounts that criticized players and 76ers operations.

The Ringer chronicled the tweets, some of which badmouthed Philadelphia players. Others questioned the moves of the 76ers’ coaching staff, while also speaking ill of other NBA front office members. It almost seemed too ridiculous to be true, but Colangelo’s name was sullied as a result.

The New York Times reported that Knicks basketball executive Isiah Thomas had to be rushed to the hospital after overdosing on sleeping pills. Police found Thomas unconscious in his home, prompting the need for expedient medical attention. The story got a little stranger after that.

Thomas would tell the New York Post that his daughter Lauren was the person who needed urgent care, and not him. This caused a back and forth between a New York police chief, David Hall, and Thomas. “I understand that this person claims it was his daughter,” Hall told the Post. “He is lying. We know the difference between a 47-year-old black male and a young black female.”

Former Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey tweeted in support of protestors in Hong Kong in October 2019, which caused a firestorm involving the NBA, China and the United States. NBC Sports’ website wrote that Morey was fine with his tweet months after the fact, but the league wasn’t so supportive.

NBC Sports’ website wrote that the tweet likely cost the NBA $400 million, as the league had sponsorships and business dealings in China. Ironically, the Rockets have long been one of the most popular teams in China, dating back to Yao Ming’s time with the NBA franchise.

The Boston Celtics seemed to be on a great track with Udoka as their head coach. He led them to the NBA Finals in 2022, and appeared to be poised to take the next step with the franchise. However, an embarrassing scandal involving adultery and Boston’s head coach led to a quick dismissal and pivot.

Before the 2022-2023 campaign, ESPN and others reported that Udoka used crude language with a female Celtics employee, before engaging in an improper relationship. The team decided to part ways with Udoka despite his basketball success, and promote assistant Joe Mazzulla to the top chair.

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