NBA stars often shine brightest on the biggest of stages. However, there are some who’s spotlight is overshadowed by their controversies. We’re not talking about the simple ones. We’re talking about serious allegations, criminal charges, problematic behaviors, and whatnot. Here are the top 5 most controversial NBA players this year that have caught everybody’s attention so far.
5. James Harden
Former Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden has been making headlines throughout his career. Well, 2023 is no different from what he’s been doing in the past five years. From always being disgruntled, demanding a trade, not fully committing to the team, showing up overweight, outrageously underperforming, to slowly imploding that eventually destroys a team, Harden may just be the worst superstar to have on a contending team.
The last 3 years of James Harden’s career summarized in 2 minutes
COOK HIM. pic.twitter.com/WiH2g0ZLDj
— omo the conqueror (@yungmustard23) November 11, 2023
Mavericks announcer Brian Dameris perfectly sums James Harden’s career in the last three years and dropped the axe on the 10-time All-Star and 2018 MVP. Is Harden really the problem? Should the Los Angeles Clippers be worried?
4. Kai Jones
Basketball fans have been wondering what’s going on with Kai Jones. Not only did the former Texas Longhorn post a series of outrageous and hilarious tweets, but he also recorded himself in multiple disturbing videos which he shared on Instagram and TikTok.
An Instagram livestream that went viral saw Jones acting weird and was seemingly either drunk or high on drugs. His words in the video were incomprehensible and there were abstract scribbles on his wall. As a result, netizens believe that Jones may have been on “Crack” while filming. However, he later confirmed that he was not intoxicated nor was he under the influence of drugs.
Seems like Kai Jones still on whatever it is he’s on😂😂😂👀👀👀 pic.twitter.com/WtwpBtCCqF
— Lakers•Fan (@LakersRealmHQ) October 5, 2023
Kai Jones also relentlessly calls himself the GOAT (Greatest of all time) and he believes it one hundred percent. He even brags about it online with the #GOATLIFE on his socials. With this kind of peculiar behavior, it’s not shocking that some people believe Kai Jones is going through something serious. He may just want to be the laughingstock of the NBA but this could also tell something else. Many speculate that Jones may be suffering from severe mental issues (e.g. depression). Unfortunately, he was waived by the Hornets and no team signed the 22-year-old forward in the 2023-2024 season.
3. Kevin Porter Jr.
Back in September, Houston Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr. was arrested in New York City after being accused of assault and domestic violence. Porter Jr.’s girlfriend, Kysre Gondrezick, called 911 at 6:45 AM and reported that the NBA star assaulted her. The call was made from the Millennium Hilton Hotel in New York. Shortly after, the cops responded and arrested KPJ.
Kevin Porter Jr. allegedly punched Kysre Gondrezick repeatedly in the face with a closed fist, cutting her above the right eye and causing bruising and substantial pain. Porter also forcefully squeezed her neck, leading to difficulty breathing, redness, and bruising according to… pic.twitter.com/5W0hz8274U
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) September 12, 2023
Sadly, this isn’t the first time KPJ had a legal issue and tie-up with the police. Back in August 2020, when Porter Jr. was still playing for the Cavaliers, the young NBA star allegedly assaulted a woman in Cleveland by punching her and pulling the victim’s hair. A few months later, in November, Kevin Porter Jr. was in the middle of another incident where he was arrested for possessing a loaded gun which was found out after he was involved in a car accident. Fortunately for him, the charges were eventually dropped but the Cleveland Cavaliers were keeping KPJ on the sidelines.
2. Ja Morant
2023 is definitely the worst year for Memphis Grizzlies superstar, Ja Morant. Multiple assault and battery allegations that dated way back to 2022 resurfaced on the internet, causing an uproar to the NBA star. One of which is when he was accused of punching a 17-year-old last year. But, Morant puts the cherry on top of the cake after two unnecessary “gun videos” on Instagram.
Ja Morant was accused of punching a 17-year-old boy 12-13 times and flashing a gun at him during a pickup basketball game last summer, according to a police report obtained by @mollyhc
Full story: https://t.co/NsRnhsIXlk pic.twitter.com/DH0utTt37V
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 1, 2023
The 2-time All-Star made some of the wildest moves online that caused him a lot of money, and maybe even his career. Right now, Ja Morant is still suspended as part of the NBA’s decision during the summer following his recent league violations.
1. Josh Giddey
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Josh Giddey went viral in November not because he scored a hundred points, but because he was allegedly dating a minor. Yes, you read that right, a minor. It was not confirmed, but Giddey was reportedly being intimate with a 15-year-old girl named Livv Cook, who also happens to be from Oklahoma.
https://twitter.com/wstgoat7/status/1727608780777456070?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1727608780777456070%7Ctwgr%5Ef3638b857f8296ea2c06fb50c0c303633da04d8c%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.spieltimes.io%2Fnews%2Fjosh-giddey-oklahoma-city-thunder-scandal%2F
Photos of the Australian star and the young woman circulated on the internet, causing massive outrage from everyone. Though the NBA and the authorities looked into the case and started investigating, Cook and her family weren’t cooperating. Josh Giddey was not reprimanded by the league.
