The 10 most embarrassing moments in NBA history

To make matters worse, later in the game, Recasner found himself guarding Jordan in the post. MJ faked Recasner out so badly, the Hawks guard flipped over Jordan’s back.

Although Recasner had his share of solid performances, these blunders became his most memorable highlights. It’s no shame to be embarrassed by Michael Jordan; in fact, even the GOAT had a moment he’d like to forget.

9. Michael Jordan comes up empty in the clutch—twice

Michael Jordan was a player you could trust when the game was on the line. In fact, he’s widely regarded as the most clutch player in NBA history.

From his legendary game-winner over the Cavaliers—simply known as The Shot—to his championship-clinching jumper against the Jazz, MJ built his reputation on delivering in crunch time.

But even the greatest players have their moments of mortality. The year was 1995, and Jordan had just returned to the NBA after a stint in baseball. He played only 17 regular-season games before entering the playoffs with the Bulls, but a young and hungry Orlando Magic squad stood in their way.

With seconds remaining in Game 1, Jordan had the ball in his hands—the exact scenario fans had seen so many times before. But then… the unthinkable happened.

He lost the ball.

(Starts at 9:56)

Superman had crashed to Earth. This was something no fan could have expected. Even after his initial mistake, Jordan had one more opportunity to redeem himself before the final buzzer.

Surely, this time he would deliver, right?

Nope.

In one of the rarest sights in NBA history, Jordan committed consecutive errors in clutch moments.

While Bulls fans were stunned, Jordan used the loss as motivation—training harder than ever and leading the Bulls to three consecutive titles, including a revenge sweep of the Magic in the 1996 Eastern Conference Finals.

Jordan’s embarrassing mistakes did not hurt his case for being the greatest of all time. Just as the other GOAT candidate’s in-game blunder didn’t tarnish his legendary status.

8. LeBron James’ head-scratching decision

LeBron James, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and four-time champion, is considered one of the sport’s smartest players. However, he occasionally makes moves that leave fans scratching their heads.

During a 2019 matchup against the Denver Nuggets, LeBron’s Lakers trailed by 13 with just over two minutes remaining. In a desperate bid to conserve time, LeBron let the ball roll down the court—only to be outmaneuvered by Paul Millsap, who swooped in before LeBron could react.

A stunned silence filled the arena. Fans couldn’t believe what had just happened. LeBron jogged back, his expression unreadable, fully aware that his blunder had just aired for millions to witness.

Even the greatest players make mistakes—but some slip-ups are just painfully awkward, as Stephen Curry soon proved.

7. Stephen Curry slips, then airballs

Stephen Curry is undisputedly the greatest shooter in NBA history, with four championships cementing his legacy. But dunking? Not exactly his strongest suit.

In a 2019 game against the Lakers, Curry had a golden opportunity. On a fast break, with no defenders in sight, he had two options—lay it in for the easy points or prove he had some dunking skills.

Curry chose the dunk. Big mistake.

Mid-air, he lost his footing and tumbled to the ground, creating a moment destined for the blooper reel. Curry had a chance to redeem himself immediately afterward, standing wide open for a three-pointer.

Surely, he’d drain this one, right? Nope.

Instead of swishing the shot, Curry airballed it, cementing back-to-back blunders that left fans shaking their heads.

Of course, Curry’s legacy remains untarnished. The same can be said about the most dominant player of all time and his recent embarrassing moment.

6. Shaq’s urgent TNT exit

Shaquille O’Neal is arguably the most dominant force the NBA has ever seen. His four titles, backboard-shattering dunks, and larger-than-life personality made him an icon on and off the court.

Since retiring, he’s become a fixture on TNT’s Inside the NBA, alongside Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, and Charles Barkley.

The show is known for its lively debates and nonstop humor, but Shaq unintentionally provided one of its funniest moments in a recent telecast.

As Kenny Smith was analyzing a playoff matchup, the panel was moving along as usual—until Shaq suddenly got up and sprinted off the set.

What followed was pure comedy. His hurried exit immediately became the subject of relentless jokes, with the crew hilariously blaming Shaq’s new olive oil-heavy diet as the culprit for his urgent trip to the bathroom.

For the remainder of the show, Barkley and Smith kept roasting Shaq, questioning whether he left for a ‘Number 1’ or a ‘Number 2’.

Shaq, always a good sport, took the jokes in stride—but the moment remains one of the funniest live-TV blunders Inside the NBA has ever seen.

5. Did Paul Pierce really need that wheelchair?

Paul Pierce is an NBA champion, but before he found glory, he experienced a near-fatal situation in 2000. While at a nightclub, he was unexpectedly attacked and suffered 11 stab wounds to his face, neck, and back.

Pierce underwent lung surgery—but in a remarkable show of resilience, he suited up for all 82 games the following season. Many praised Pierce for overcoming the ordeal, but rapper Benzino later questioned his truthfulness on the situation.

This made people question some things Pierce has said or done. One such moment occurred in Game 1 of the 2008 Finals.

While defending Kobe Bryant, Pierce tangled up with Kendrick Perkins, fell to the ground, and immediately looked to be in agonizing pain. Celtics medical staff rushed out with a wheelchair, seemingly for a devastating knee injury.

Yet, in a dramatic turn, mere minutes later, Pierce sprinted out of the tunnel to the deafening cheers of the Boston crowd. While the official diagnosis was a sprained knee, internet speculation suggested he might have had a bathroom emergency that required a quick wardrobe change.

For years, Pierce denied the speculation. That was until the 2019 Finals, when he casually admitted, “I just needed to use the bathroom.”

Was Pierce being truthful, or simply playing into the spectacle? We may never truly know.

4. Ron Artest’s unique defensive tactic

Before Ron Artest became Metta Sandiford-Artest and before the infamous Malice at the Palace, he was one of the best defenders in the NBA. He even won the Defensive Player of the Year Award in the 2003-04 season.

His aggressive playing style, however, sometimes led to bizarre moments—including one against Paul Pierce in 2005.

During a game against the Celtics, Artest attempted an unusual defensive maneuver by pulling down Pierce’s shorts as he tried to create space for the ball.

For most players, this would be enough to rattle their confidence. But Pierce? He simply pulled his shorts back up, grabbed the ball, and continued playing like nothing had happened.

Instead of disrupting Pierce, Artest’s strange move had the opposite effect—it fueled Pierce’s determination, leading him to make Artest pay for the failed stunt. Pierce buried a three in Artest’s face, proving nothing could faze him.

If Artest’s shorts pull wasn’t embarrassing enough, he made it worse the following year when he decided to apologize to Pierce in the most unexpected way—by singing.

In a pregame moment before the Pacers faced the Celtics, Artest sang an awkward, off-key apology to Pierce, cementing his reputation for unpredictability.

While Artest has had his share of infamous moments, this blunder remains one of the funniest. What isn’t funny is losing track of the score during an NBA Finals game.

3. JR Smith’s Finals blunder

JR Smith, known for his explosive dunks and three-point shooting, was never a franchise player but was an integral piece in Cleveland’s championship puzzle. He averaged 12.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, and hit two threes per game.

Smith’s cocky attitude added flair to his game—but it also led to unforgettable blunders. One of his finest moments came in the 2016 Finals, when the Cavaliers overcame a 3-1 deficit against the 73-win Warriors.

In Game 7, Smith hit crucial shots and played a pivotal defensive role in what would become LeBron James’ legendary chase-down block on Andre Iguodala. Without Smith’s pressure, that block likely wouldn’t have happened.

Fast forward to 2018, and Smith’s name became synonymous with one of the biggest mental lapses in Finals history. It was Game 1 against the Warriors, now featuring Kevin Durant.

Despite the odds, Cleveland fought hard and found themselves tied 107-107 with 4.7 seconds left. George Hill was at the free-throw line, and what happened next left fans stunned.

Hill missed the shot, but JR secured the rebound. Instead of putting the ball up or passing to LeBron, Smith dribbled out the clock, only passing to Hill at the last second.

This was after being screamed at by LeBron as time slowly ticked away. LeBron’s reaction? Pure frustration, looking like a father disappointed in his own son.

The Cavaliers went on to lose the game and were ultimately swept, marking the end of LeBron’s time in Cleveland. The internet roasted Smith relentlessly, with personalities like Joe Rogan speculating about his state of mind during the play.

Yet, Smith didn’t let the moment define him. He won another title in 2020, with LeBron in LA, enrolled in college to study liberal arts (earning a 4.0 GPA), and even joined his school’s golf team.

Today, he’s moved on—hosting Call of Duty tournaments for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and proving that redemption is always possible.

2. Latrell Sprewell: “I have a family to feed”

Some players make bad decisions on the court. Others derail their careers entirely. Latrell Sprewell did both.

Sprewell was once viewed as an elite talent, capable of challenging the game’s best. But in 1997, everything changed when he attacked his head coach, P.J. Carlesimo, during practice.

In a shocking outburst, Sprewell grabbed Carlesimo by the throat—and then returned 20 minutes later to attack him again.

This led NBA Commissioner David Stern to issue one of the longest suspensions in league history: 82 games (later reduced to 68). The incident cost Sprewell $6.4 million and his spot on the Warriors roster.

Fast forward to 2004, and Sprewell was thriving with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He played alongside Kevin Garnett and Sam Cassell, contributing solid numbers.

The Timberwolves offered him a three-year, $21 million contract extension. Despite making $14.6 million that season—and being a 34-year-old guard—he declined the offer.

His reasoning? “I have a family to feed.”

Fans were stunned. A player making millions had turned down millions, believing it wasn’t enough.

After rejecting the deal, Sprewell had a disastrous season. He averaged 12.8 points and 2.2 assists per game on 41.4% shooting. The Timberwolves cut him, and he never played in the NBA again.

Later reports suggested Sprewell had to start a GoFundMe for his sick granddaughter—an unfortunate turn for a player who once had millions at his fingertips.

Instead of securing a comfortable future, he ended up struggling financially, all because he refused to accept the offer in front of him.

 1. Ricky Davis’ awkward triple-double attempt

At the top spot on our list, we are going to talk about the player who was “The Guy” in Cleveland before LeBron James arrived. Yes, Ricky Davis was the guy for the Cavaliers.

Unlike LeBron, however, Davis wasn’t known for triple-doubles. So, when he had a chance to notch his first in a 2003 game, he did the unthinkable in an attempt to secure his 10th rebound.

Davis was putting up an impressive stat line—26 points, 12 assists, and nine rebounds. His team led by 24 points with just six seconds remaining, and Cleveland had possession.

Instead of letting the clock run out, Davis deliberately shot at his own basket, hoping to grab the rebound and secure his triple-double.

It didn’t work.

The attempted rebound was ruled invalid, and to add insult to injury, DeShawn Stevenson fouled Davis hard for even trying such an absurd move.

The play made Davis the laughingstock of the league. Nobody could understand why he thought shooting at his own hoop would be a legitimate way to get a rebound.

Years later, Davis admitted that his triple-double attempt was one of his biggest regrets.

“I did some bad things, but the only thing I regret is my triple-double. But everything else comes with experience,” Davis said.

“People forget I got drafted when I was 17, so I had a lot of young ‘myself-myself’ attitude, and now it’s more about being part of a team and more of what I can do to help the team.”

Davis has made amends for his embarrassing play, and at the end of the day, these moments remind us all that these high-profile athletes are ultimately like us… human.