The greatest athletes the NBA has ever seen are idols, heroes and role models to hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people around the world. But even if a player has at least a somewhat positive reputation in the league, this does not mean that he is absolutely innocent off the field.
In this material, “Championship” will talk about six legendary basketball players who were arrested during their performance in the NBA.
Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers, 2003)
Kobe Bryant, 2003
Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Police in Colorado arrested Lakers star Kobe Bryant after he was accused of rape in the summer of 2003. He was brought in by a 19-year-old employee of the hotel where Kobe was staying on the eve of his upcoming knee surgery. . At first, the basketball player denied that he had an intimate relationship with the girl, but later stated that everything happened between them by mutual agreement. On June 18, 2003 he was officially charged.
There were several unpleasant details in the already scandalous case, so what happened certainly affected Mamba’s reputation. McDonald’s and Nutella terminated their contracts with him, and sales of T-shirts with Bryant’s name plummeted. To psychologically confront what was happening, the athlete decided to turn to religion.
However, in September 2004, the criminal case against Kobe was dismissed, as the accuser decided not to testify at trial. The girl filed a separate civil lawsuit against Bryant, which the parties settled privately. That same day, the basketball player made a public statement that said:
“Although I sincerely believe that our encounter was consensual, I now understand that she did not and does not consider this incident the same as I do. After several months of studying the case file, listening to her attorney and even her personal testimony, I understand why she believes she did not give her consent for this meeting.”
“Mamba Mentality”:
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Allen Iverson (Philadelphia 76ers, 1997)
Allen Iverson, 2001
Photo: Getty Images
Star Allen Iverson was in trouble even before he was in the NBA. Then, on February 14, 1993, he and several of his friends went bowling. There, the teenagers behaved quite loudly, so a fight broke out between them and other visitors to the establishment, and on racial grounds. As a result, Iverson and three of his companions were arrested. Allen, who was 17 at the time, was charged with mob mutilation and sentenced to five years in prison. After spending four months in a prison, he was acquitted due to lack of evidence.
However, even while playing in the NBA, Iverson had problems with the law. In the summer of 1997, a Virginia police officer stopped a car carrying 22-year-old Allen, recently named NBA Rookie of the Year, and two of his friends for speeding. As the officer was about to ticket the driver, he smelled marijuana and asked the company to exit the vehicle. Finally, two marijuana cigarettes and a gun were found in the passenger seat, where Iverson was. The young basketball player was arrested, but later avoided prison time and was sentenced to three years of probation and 100 hours of community service. He also underwent mandatory NBA drug testing for two years.
And in 2002, a year after Ai had the best season of his career, he got into trouble after a domestic dispute with his wife. The player was then charged with three serious crimes: illegal entry into private territory, possession of weapons and conspiracy to commit a crime. The list also included six misdemeanors, including simple assault, false imprisonment and terroristic threats. You can read more about what happened in the recent “Championship” material.
Iverson History:
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Charles Barkley (Philadelphia 76ers, 1991)
Charles Barkley, 1996
Photo: Alexander Hassenstein/Bongarts/Getty Images
An unpleasant situation happened to Charles Barkley on December 22, 1991: that day his Philadelphia team lost to Milwaukee in an away game, after which the eminent forward quarreled with a local fan. A 25-year-old Bucks fan saw the basketball player in the center and yelled at him: “Charles, I hear you’re one of the baddest guys in the NBA. You are so tough on the court. Show me how cool you are.”
When Barkley himself recalled what happened several years ago, he shared unusual details of what happened:
“I played Karate Kid. I took off all my clothes because three healthy guys tried to hit me. He wanted them to think he was crazy. It was snowing and I thought they would think I was crazy and leave me alone. But a boy was still standing right in front of me. Two guys left and one fool remained in place. And I kicked his ass, broke his nose. Shirtless. Without shoes. No problem!”.
As a result, the fan suffered not only a broken nose, but also several cuts, and was taken to the hospital. Barkley himself returned to the hotel, where he was arrested a few hours later: he was taken to the police station, after which he was released on $500 bail.
And back in 1997, while playing for the Houston Rockets, Charles also got into a fight with a fan in Orlando on the eve of a preseason game with the Magic. He was at a bar when one of the customers threw a glass of ice at him. Barkley chased the guy and an off-duty police officer even tried to intervene in the situation. However, this did not stop the athlete from grabbing the criminal and throwing him into the street through the shop window.
Barkley was arrested for aggravated assault and resisting arrest without violence. He spent five hours at the police station, after which he was released on $6,000 bail.
Barkley’s prognosis:
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James Worthy (Los Angeles Lakers, 1990)
James Worthy, 1990
Photo: Otto Greule Jr/Allsport/Getty Images
A rather embarrassing episode occurred to Los Angeles Lakers legend James Worthy on November 15, 1990, when he sought escort services at an agency that had recently been closed due to the efforts of the police. The unsuspecting basketball player arranged to make the payment when, instead of the girls, two undercover agents arrived at his hotel room and made the arrest.
On that day, the Lakers played an away game against the Rockets in the regular season. Worthy was released from the police department shortly before the initial confrontation, although he first had to post $500 bail.
James didn’t have time to get to the stadium at the start of the meeting: Los Angeles expected him to return to California, and Sam Perkins was given a spot in the starting five. However, the star forward rushed to the stadium and still made it there in the second quarter. He entered the court and played 39 minutes, scored 24 points and the Lakers won in overtime (108:103).
“The crowd started making noise and we turned around. Here is the. It was wonderful. It’s great that he received a standing ovation. This means a lot. Whatever happens, it doesn’t concern us. He is here. He plays. He showed us a lot. It showed how dear we are to him. Everyone makes mistakes in his life, but he’s our guy. I still love him despite what he did. I just hope everyone can put this behind them,” the legendary Magic Johnson said at the time.
Worthy was officially accused of using sexual services. A month after the incident, a trial was held where the basketball player was sentenced to a fine of one thousand dollars, 40 hours of community service and 12 months of probation.
Jason Kidd (Phoenix Suns, 2001)
Jason Kidd, 2001
Photo: Getty Images
Jason Kidd, then playing for Phoenix, was arrested on January 19, 2001. He was detained after his wife contacted police with a report of domestic violence.
That day a domestic fight broke out between the athlete and his wife. The girl wanted to go to the gym, so she asked Jason to take care of her and feed her two-year-old son. Kidd took French fries from the boy’s plate, after which his wife asked him not to eat her son’s food. In response to this, he turned around and spit the potato right in the girl’s face. The conflict continued to escalate and as a result, Kidd struck his wife in the jaw area. He suffered a cut and slight swelling on his lip.
Kidd himself admitted that he had raised a hand against his wife and was arrested when police arrived at his family home. He spent several hours at the police station but was eventually released into the custody of his attorney. Jason was banned from contacting his wife until the trial.
As a result, the athlete was found guilty of using physical violence, fined $200 and forced to undergo anger management training. However, in 2007, when he filed for divorce, dark details of the couple’s relationship were leaked to the press: both Kidd and his wife claimed that this particular case of domestic violence was far from an isolated case. You can also read more about this whole situation in the recent “Championship” material.
Childish moment:
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Honorable mention: Dennis Rodman
Dennis Rodman, 2019
Photo: Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images for Sapphire Gentlemen’s Club
In the case of Dennis Rodman, it would be quite difficult to name a specific incident; After all, he himself admitted that he had been arrested at least 100 times throughout his life.
“I had too many parties at my house. For seven years they were held seven times a week, 24 hours a day,” said the five-time NBA champion.
According to Rodman, the police alone visited his luxurious Newport Beach mansion up to 60 or 70 times. The star basketball player’s neighbors were unhappy because he regularly threw crazy parties at his house and they repeatedly complained about the noise. Dennis ended up at the police station so often that, over time, law enforcement officers simply gave up.
“I didn’t kill anyone, I didn’t hurt anyone, I just ended up at the station. They wanted me to stay there three or four hours. But they didn’t realize that every time the police took me away, more people came to the party. So over time they basically stopped doing it,” Rodman recalled.
However, in addition to violations of public order, his record included drunk driving, domestic violence, fights, rowdy behavior, petty vandalism… Furthermore, these misunderstandings occurred both during Dennis’ performance in the NBA and many years after the end of his career. . Rodman was last arrested in October 2019 when he started a fight at a Florida bar on his 58th birthday.
Rodman’s first season:
“Like in a supermarket.” Dennis Rodman earned only $75,000 in his debut season in the NBA
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