10 Craziest NBA Players Ever: Wild Stories You Won't Believe

For the better part of the NBA's history, we've come across some crazy bunch of characters. These athletes carved out popularity for themselves with their unusual antics or strange behavior off the court. So join me as I take you through the 10 craziest players in NBA history. Number 10. Rasheed Wallace. Hey, there's no doubt about Rasheed Wallace's ability. He and Scottie Pippen led the Portland Trailblazers to the Western Conference Finals and were on the verge of clinching a spot in the NBA Finals. During his prime, Wallace was one of the most gifted and versatile forwards in the league. He possessed athleticism, a wide range of post moves, a great fadeaway jumper, a three-point shooting stroke, and decent defensive skills. Now, despite his talent, he was noted for being a flamboyant personality. In 2001, he racked up a whopping 41 technical fouls. That works out to almost two technicals every game. Wallace had a ferocious temper unlike anyone else. He was also the Portland Trailblazers' poster boy. At one point, he confronted infamous referee Tim Donaghy. Wallace's fury was felt by all whether they were friends or foes. Arvita Sabonis learned this the hard way. When Sabonis was trying to draw a foul on Shaquille O'Neal, he accidentally smacked Wallace. Wallace became enraged, curled a towel into the face of Sabonis. On a pretty regular basis, Wallace also took it to other top power forwards. Nobody was safe from Sheed, whether it was Devin Garnett or Karl Malone. 9. Charles Barkley Sir Charles has always been one of the NBA's quirkiest characters, never hesitating to make a controversial statement or give an absurd quip. The most famous instance occurred in 1991 when he attempted to spit on a fan who was yelling racial slurs at him. But the spit swerved off target and fell on a young girl instead. There was also Nike's divisive, I am not a role model campaign in which Barkley told people who looked at him to raise their kids, igniting a national debate over athletes' roles in society. Sir Charles refused not to back down on or off the court, earning him multiple arrests during his profession, including a legendary bar fight in which a man believed it would be a good idea to throw an empty glass at Barkley, only to be caught and physically assaulted by Barkley. 8. Delonte West Delonte West did not have the simplest of journeys in the NBA. While suffering from bipolar disorder, he has been the subject of numerous absurd rumors. Besides, he's had legal issues as well. He was suspended for part of a season after being arrested for weapons charges after being stopped for a traffic violation in 2009. During the 2010 playoff, he was romantically linked to LeBron James' mother, Gloria, a rumor that may have influenced LeBron's decision to leave Cleveland that summer. And there was also the time West was arrested for riding a motorcycle with a guitar case full of firearms on the back, as well as a weird Twitter outburst directed at a journalist who he thought had done him wrong. Almost everyone viewed these events through the lens of West's previous legal troubles, so whether it's fair or not, this is one of the expenses of being a well-known, well-paid athlete with highly uncommon, off-the-court legal issues. 7. Walt Frazier Crazy isn't always a bad thing. Sometimes one's craziness is simply innocent humor. Walt Frazier, a Hall of Famer, was one such player. On the court, he was tough, but off, he was known for his opulent and flashy flair, often appearing before games in a designer suit or a mink coat while driving a Rolls Royce. Because of his predilection for outdressing fellow athletes and prominent men, he's an all-time style legend. Clyde became known for his black turtlenecks, gold chains, capes, and huge hats after being picked number five overall by the Knicks in 1967. It was the latter that earned him the nickname Clyde in the first place. In 1970 and 1973, Frazier led the New York Knicks to their only two NBA titles. He was also a champion dresser. His outfit of a turtleneck, a clean gold pendant on a long chain, and a wide-brimmed felt hat was a winner then and a trend even today. He's got a distinct sense of flair in the commentary booth now that he's an announcer. 6. Enos Cantor When Enos Cantor is involved, even a free summer basketball program may develop into a political issue. The Turkish consulate in New York objected to the NBA player holding a children's camp at the Islamic Center of Long Island in 2019. Cantor's constant criticism of Turkish President Recep Erdogan played a role in the Turkish government's objection to the kids' basketball camp. Cantor, who was born in Switzerland to Turkish parents and reared in Turkey, has now become a persona non grata in the country due to his outspokenness. In 2017, the Turkish authorities revoked his passport, accusing him and his family of terrorism. Cantor hasn't visited Turkey in years and hasn't spoken to many of his relatives who still live there. In Turkey, his NBA games have been banned and he has had to cancel foreign team travels, especially to Europe, due to the threat of being arrested abroad. 5. Dennis Rodman There's arguably no better term to define Dennis Rodman than Enigma. Rodman was one of the greatest rebounders of all time and he was an influencer long before social media existed. From frenzied tabloid romances to crazy colored haircuts to befriending foreign dictators, Rodman was involved in it all. Nothing was off-limits for the 6'7 rebounding machine who weighed in at about 220. In fact, the lunacy of his rebounding abilities is only surpassed by his ever-changing hairstyles. Cheetah print, a happy face, slime green, and a somewhat muted bleach blonde have all been on his head. In an incident from 1997, the unpredictable character that he is, Rodman kicked a cameraman in the unmentionables for no apparent reason. And among the most bizarre and well-documented parts of his life is Rodman's bond with North Korean ruler Kim Jong-un. It's unclear how the two became friends or whether Rodman truly believed he was attempting to improve relations between North Korea and the U.S. or was it just a bizarre on-brand publicity gimmick. Number 4. Ricky Davis Ricky Davis was a unique breed of crazy. With the Cavaliers leading the Utah Jazz by 25 points with 6 seconds to go and only one rebound needed to complete a triple-double, Davis did what any reasonable person in that situation would do. He gathered an inbounds pass, took a shot on his own hoop, and got his 10th rebound of the game. Unfortunately for Davis, he was not given credit for the rebound since he did not grasp the laws of basketball. He was then transferred to the D-League, where he attempted to resuscitate his career after actions like the triple-double incident gained him a reputation as a selfish player around the NBA. When the Cavs drafted the future king, he stated, I assumed LeBron James was just going to be another player to help me score. A unique breed of crazy? Indeed. Number 3. Andrew Bynum In 2012, Lakers coach Mike Round benched all-star center Andrew Bynum against the Warriors after an ill-advised three-point shot. Until that point, Bynum had taken seven threes in his career and had hit one of them, so one could say he was due. But why would Bynum, he with just 16 seconds left on the clock during the third quarter of the Lakers' 104-101 win, over the Golden State Warriors? Well, needless to say, he did not double his career makes from beyond the arc. Following that beauty of a shot, Mike Round did what you do to players in that situation. He yanked him off the floor. After being benched for the remainder of the period, you wouldn't believe it, but Bynum was seen laughing about the events on the sideline, later refused to join a huddle, and told reporters, I just sat where he put me. That is next-level crazy. Number 2. Latrell Sprewell Latrell Sprewell was a bully. During practice, some players got disciplined by their coach while some choose to not get disciplined and choke their coach instead. Spree belonged to the latter group. Spree choked coach B.J. Carlissimo for 15 to 20 seconds while playing for the Golden State Warriors because Carlissimo dared to reprimand him. After 20 minutes, Sprewell returned to fire another shot at Carlissimo. Needless to say, Sprewell received a 68-game suspension and his contract was cancelled as a result of this occurrence. Talk about pushing the limits. Number 1. Marvin Barnes Had he been here now, bad news Marvin would have completely ruled SportsCenter. The guy's shenanigans were the talk of the town during his ABA days. The finest Barnes tale is about the time after missing the Spirit's flight from New York to Norfolk. He chartered a plane, insisted the team pay the pilot, then walked into the locker room minutes before tip-off carrying a bag of McDonald's burgers and wearing a mink coat over his uniform. Then he went out and scored 51 points and grabbed 19 rebounds. A legendary performance indeed. So what do you think? What do you make of these players? Which of these players do you find the craziest of all? Let us know in the comments below. Hey, we hope you enjoyed watching the video as much as we enjoyed bringing it for you. See you next time. Goodbye.