Stephen Jackson was a part of the 2004 Pistons/Pacers brawl, a major part, actually, and found himself swinging fists at random people near the end of it all. Then, two years later, he was arrested for allegedly firing a gun and kicking a disabled man in a strip club. The arrest resulted in felony criminal charges of criminal recklessness and a misdemeanor battery.
Lucky for him, he struck a plea deal that nixed the felonies and got him off clean with a $5,000 fine – which doesn’t seem like too much for someone making millions per year. He’s gotten his life together since those days and is working hard to lead a campaign in support of his late friend, George Floyd.
Rashard Lewis
Rashard Lewis’s attitude definitely isn’t the reason he’s on our list. He’s dealt with some of his own, inner demons throughout his career, as well as some injuries that have prevented him from playing out some games. He was waived by the Mavericks in less than a week after signing after the injury was discovered during a physical.
Those were the end of his days in the NBA. In 2017, he returned to the court to play with the 3 Headed Monsters in the BIG3.
Semih Erden
Semih Erden’s name has popped up on a list of the “50 Most Worthless NBA Players of All Time.” And, while “worthless” may be a strong word, it’s true that he wasn’t necessarily the best in the game. Of course, with a center who averages 3.4 points and 2.1 rebounds, that’s sort of obvious, isn’t it? Those aren’t the kind of stats that will get you to put on any “best of” lists.
His NBA career ended in 2011 when he returned to his home in Turkey to play for a Turkish basketball club. As of 2019, he was still playing in Turkey, this time for the Turkish Basketball Super League.
Chris Andersen
Chris Andersen, AKA “the Birdman,” played for a whopping 16 years in the NBA. Unfortunately, during the 2005-2006 season, he received a two-year ban from the league for failing his drug test. Most recently, you may remember Andersen being involved in an elaborate internet catfishing scheme.
In 2018, he signed a contract with the BIG3 and helped his team win the championship that year. So, perhaps he wasn’t the best teammate last decade, but he’s definitely improved since the ban.
Coach Isiah Thomas
In 2007, when Isiah Thomas was coaching the NY Knicks, one of the team executives reported that Thomas had made several unwanted sexual advances towards her. When they weren’t reciprocated, he then made demeaning comments instead. Unfortunately, Madison Square Garden decided to fire her instead of dealing with him, which later resulted in her them and walking away with more than $11 million.
After the court case, and a less-than-stellar run in coaching in 2008, the Knicks fired him. Somehow, he managed to convince a few other teams, including FIU, that he’s worth a shot – only he always proves them wrong.