5 most embarrassing arrests in NBA History

NBA is one of the major sporting leagues in the world with a massive fan following across the globe. One of the major highlights of the league is the plethora of talents on display from all parts of the world. Among the best athletes in the world some of them go on to become superstars and earn massive name and adulation from fans in their career.

It’s difficult to become a star in the NBA as you have some of the best in business competing against you but it’s even difficult to sustain at the top and fathom the fame. Over the years there have been many examples of players who got swayed by their fame and ended up doing things that not only dented their careers but also even got them behind bars.

Here are the top 5 most embarrassing arrests in the NBA:

5. Jason Kidd

Jason Kidd who played for New Jersey Nets was well known to be a hard-working and dignified player in the NBA. Things went south for Kidd when a domestic abuse case was filed against him which hampered his public image and brought him a bad name.

However, things unravelled further during his divorce proceedings in 2007, when he revealed that his wife showed extreme jealousy and threatened him with filing a false police case while accusing him of domestic abuse which helped in the re-imposition of his public image.

4. Jayson Williams

Former New Jersey Nets player Jason Williams was at the epicentre of a tragic incident with killed his limo driver, Costas Cristofi. Jayson Williams allegedly killed his driver while giving a tour of his mansion to his charity members with a shotgun, where an unfortunate incident occurred when the shotgun mistakenly got discharged killing the driver Costas Cristofi.

Jayson Williams was charged with a wrongful death case and he settled with the victim’s family in the subsequent case eventually paying them damages amounting to $2.5 million. He was finally sentenced to an imprisonment of 5 years on the charges of aggravated assault and is currently serving jail time.

Also Read: The Ten Greatest Shooting Guards in NBA History

3. Charles Barkley

The next person in this list is Charles Barkley whose case is an interesting one as it not only shocked his fans but also sparked a debate in the country. In 1993, Barkley was convicted of getting involved in multiple fights outside the basketball court.

In the first case, Barkley got involved in a fight post his match against the Milwaukee Bucks where he broke the nose of the man with whom he had an altercation. In the second case, he threw another man outside the glass plate window in response to a glass of ice thrown at him.

Following these incidents, Barkley said that he is not a role which sparked a public debate. He also said that it’s the role of parents to build the behaviour of their child and not a role model.

2. Allen Iverson

Allen Iverson faced two primary legal charges: The first one being him convicted for being involved in a mob attack at the age of 17 for which he was convicted. In 2002, he was convicted for the second time after serious allegations were levied against him including assault, weapon offences, and terrorist threats.

Iverson was convicted for throwing his wife out of their house during an argument and then while looking for he threatened two people while holding a firearm. At the time of his second conviction, he was bursting into the basketball scene as a dynamic young player. He earlier had a reputation as a ‘bad boy’ which only intensified after his second conviction.

1. Kobe Bryant

In 2003, news shocked the entire basketball fraternity after late basketball legend Kobe Bryant was arrested for sexually assaulting a 19-year-old girl who was a hotel employee during his stay in a hotel in Colorado. While Kobe acknowledged having a sexual encounter with the girl, he denied any truth in the allegation of the encounter being forced.

The victim accused Kobe Bryant of raping her and the basketball legend was arrested and questioned by the police. However, the case was quashed after the victim didn’t testify to the allegations. The woman also initiated a separate civil suit against Bryant after the earlier case which was settled out of the court. Though, Kobe Bryant issued a public apology after the incident he vehemently denied all the accusations levied against him.