The 25 most controversial moments in NBA history

During a game between the Pacers and Pistons in 2004, there was a hard foul between Ron Artest and Ben Wallace. From there, chaos erupted: A fan threw a drink at Artest, which prompted him to charge into the stands, and the situation escalated from there. It was, simply, perhaps the darkest day in NBA history.

Refs are an easy target of blame when things aren't going well for your team, but in the 2000s, there was legitimate cause for concern. Referee Tim Donaghy was caught betting on NBA games that he worked and an FBI investigation later revealed he shared inside information with gamblers. Donaghy was slapped with some prison time and the incident was one of the biggest sports stories in years.

These Western Conference Finals are among the most controversial series in NBA history. The Lakers were facing the Kings, and it was widely believed that the series was rigged in LA's favor, particularly Game 6, when they shot 27 free throws in just the fourth quarter. To add fuel to the fire, Tim Donaghy later alleged that officials were encouraged to extend the series for financial purposes.

Donald Sterling, then the owner of the Clippers, was in extremely hot water when recordings of him making racist comments surfaced. There was mass outrage, and Adam Silver responded decisively. The commissioner, who had then only just recently taken over for David Stern, banned Sterling from the NBA for life and forced him to sell the Clippers.

During a game between the Lakers and Rockets, there was an on-court scuffle which most notably included Kermit Washington punching Rudy Tomjanovich in the face. It was a devastating blow, causing life-threatening head and spinal injuries. Washington received a 26-game suspension, the longest such punishment the league had ever handed out at the time, while Tomjanovich made a full recovery.

After years in Cleveland, LeBron James left the Cavs for the Heat. He didn't just pack his bags and go quietly, though: He informed the world of the move via an ESPN special dubbed "The Decision." The special, dubbed by many as arrogant, promptly made LeBron one of the league's most polarizing stars.

By the end of the 1997 season, Sprewell was a three-time All-Star and one of the league's best guards. Early in the next season, though, he put his future in jeopardy when he choked coach P.J. Carlesimo during a practice. The league suspended Latrell for the rest of the season, and the Warriors cut him from the team.

MJ had just won three championships and was pretty clearly the best basketball player in the world. Then, out of nowhere, he retired from the NBA and pursued a baseball career. The decision left the sports world scratching its collective head, but a widespread rumor about the sudden career change was that the NBA was quietly punishing Jordan for his gambling habits.

In the 1985 Draft Lottery, the Knicks emerged with the No. 1 pick, thanks to their envelope being chosen supposedly at random. But the league was accused of foul play, of freezing the envelope so it would be easy for commissioner David Stern to identify by touch. The theory was that the NBA wanted to allow the Knicks to draft Patrick Ewing to help revitalize the major-market team.

Bryant was accused of sexually assaulting a hotel employee in Colorado in 2003. Bryant conceded that there was a sexual encounter, but he insisted it was consensual, while the accused disagreed. Criminal charges were dropped eventually, and Bryant privately settled a civil lawsuit, but the situation became a major news story and left a stain on Bryant's reputation.

In December 2011, the Lakers and Hornets agreed on a trade that would have sent Chris Paul to LA. But the NBA temporarily had ownership over the Hornets at the time, and commissioner David Stern vetoed the trade for "basketball reasons." Lakers fans were naturally peeved, and NBA fans more generally were baffled by what happened.

As the Warriors reached the Finals in 2016, Draymond Green was reaching the point where additional technical fouls would result in a mandatory suspension. Sure enough, Green got another one and had to miss Game 5. At that point, the Warriors were up 3-1, but they lost Game 5 and eventually the series to the Cavaliers.

Thomas was very clearly one of the best American point guards in the early '90s. Despite that, he didn't make the 1992 US Olympic basketball team, the famed "Dream Team." It was suspected that the reason was that Michael Jordan and other stars had such a strong beef with Thomas that they didn't want to play with him.

A late-game foul in December 2006, by Mardy Collins on J.R. Smith, sparked a huge brawl at Madison Square Garden. It was a concerning moment given that the "Malice At The Palace" happened just a couple of years earlier. Ultimately, ten players were ejected and seven were suspended, including 15 games for Carmelo Anthony, who threw a punch.

In the 2016 playoffs, Durant's Thunder lost to the Warriors in the conference finals. The next season, KD went ahead and joined Golden State, which was already the clear-cut best team in the league. Durant was widely criticized for the decision, as many saw it as him taking the easy way to a championship.

"We're sitting here, and I'm supposed to be the franchise player, and we're in here talking about practice. I mean, listen, we're talking about practice. Not a game! Not a game! Not a game! We're talking about practice." These words have become iconic in NBA history. AI said that to a press conference in a fit of frustration about people questioning his work ethic.

To be clear, this one wasn't controversial because Johnson did anything wrong. But when he announced in 1991 that he was HIV-positive, it came at a time when HIV was widely misunderstood and faced stigma. So, some players were hesitant to play against Magic, but his affliction ended up bringing greater awareness to the facts about HIV.

In the 2021 playoffs, Simmons had an infamously weak postseason run, particularly towards the end. The next season, he refused to report to the 76ers training camp, citing mental health issues and a back injury. But, he was perceived as trying to force a trade, and all the while, Simmons racked up fine after fine. Simmons missed the entire 2022 season and was traded to the Nets.

In multiple videos shared on social media, Morant was seen flashing guns, once in a Denver nightclub and then in a friend's car. Morant faced a 33-game suspension, and the NBA and the Grizzlies mandated that he undergo counseling. There was concern that Morant's conduct set a bad example for the league's younger fans.

At the start of the 1996 season, the NBA was forced to use replacement officials after the league's referees were in the midst of a lockout. The new refs weren't well-suited to the job, though, and it led to player complaints. Weeks later, the lockout ended, and the league's original refs were back on the job.

Before the 2021 season, while the COVID-19 pandemic was still at its height, Harden was spotted partying in clubs without a mask. At the same time, he was demanding a trade from the Rockets and showed up to training camp visibly out of shape. Left with little other option, Houston shipped Harden off to the Nets, but Harden's approach to the situation left a bad taste in fans' mouths.

Arenas and Wizards teammate Javaris Crittenton had a dispute over gambling debts, and it reached an apex when Arenas brought firearms into the team locker room, and they reportedly drew guns on each other. The league suspended Arenas without pay for the remainder of the season, as they did with Crittenton. Arenas resolved to change, making a public apology and changing his jersey number to 9, symbolically putting the old era behind him.

During a 1997 game, Rodman fell into a group of courtside photographers, and out of frustration, he kicked one of them. The cameraman sustained a leg injury and Rodman ended up facing a $200,000 fine and an 11-game suspension. Rodman had long been a controversial figure and this was the latest incident in a long line of them.

At a Knicks game in February 2017, fans were surprised to see franchise legend Charles Oakley being handcuffed and removed from Madison Square Garden. He had allegedly confronted Knicks owner James Dolan with some grievances, and Dolan had him ejected from the venue. Oakley got physical with security and was charged with three counts of misdemeanor assault and criminal trespassing.

During a 2022 practice, Green got frustrated with Warriors teammate Jordan Poole and hit him in the face. The moment was captured on video, which amplified the moment's reach. Green had long been known for having a temper, but this was the apex of that sort of behavior from Green.