In the NBA, players are suspended all the time. Some of the biggest stars in the league's history have been unable to play for games at a time for a variety of infractions, some big, and some small. Anything from a positive drug test to a fight in a game can land a player out of action.
However, some NBA players have gone above and beyond in the league's history to be canned and put on the sidelines. These basketball stars received massive suspensions for a variety of reasons, with some never even touching the court after their time was up.
10 Dennis Rodman (11 games)
In the 1996-97 season, the Chicago Bulls were looking to score yet another championship. They wound up doing it, as they had their big three of Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman who willed them to victory against the Utah Jazz.
However, they nearly didn't have Rodman, as he was handed a serious suspension in January. In a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the big man tripped over a cameraman's wire. In response, Rodman kicked the cameraman in the groin, resulting in him getting an 11-game suspension.
9 Carmelo Anthony (15 games)
Carmelo Anthony is a fan favorite these days, but he had a bit of a controversial stint to start his career in Denver. In December 2006, the future All-Star was involved in a skirmish with the New York Knicks.
After Mardy Collins hard-fouled J.R. Smith, Anthony sucker-punched him. For the skirmish, ten players were suspended in all. However, Anthony got it the worst, getting a 15-game suspension.
8 Joakim Noah (20 games)
Joakim Noah was past in his prime in 2017. Despite that, the New York Knicks had recently given him a new deal, and it seems that the All-Star was motivated to play like his prime self, and was willing to go above and beyond to do it.
In March 2017, Noah tested positive for Ligandrol, a banned SARM. As a result, he was handed down a 20-game suspension, missing the rest of the 2017 season, and some of 2018 as well.
7 John Collins (25 games)
John Collins is one of the most underrated power forward's in the game today. However, before he was viewed that way, he had a bit of a bad reputation, mostly stemming from a suspension that he earned in November 2019.
Collins tested positive for Pralmorelin, a growth hormone, seeing him be suspended for 25 games. The lengthy suspension essentially ended the Hawks' hopes that year, as they weren't able to play well without the star.
6 DeAndre Ayton (25 games)
Less than two weeks before John Collins was suspended for a positive drug test, DeAndre Ayton received his own punishment. In October 2019, the All-Star tested positive for a diuretic. As a result, he was suspended for 25 games.
This suspension was much more impactful for the Phoenix Suns than for the Atlanta Hawks. The squad famously missed the playoffs by tiebreaker rules but would've obviously won more games if they had Ayton on the court for the first half of the season.
5 Stephen Jackson (30 games)
Stephen Jackson was hit with a couple of suspensions in his NBA career. However, his longest came from the famous 'Malice at the Palace' in 2004, where the Indiana Pacers got into a brawl with fans in the stands.
After Ron Artest was hit with a cup by a fan, Jackson decided to descend into the crowd to punch that fan. He would be hit with a 30-game suspension, but that wasn't even close to the worst that a player got punished for the scandal.
4 Gilbert Arenas (50 games)
Gilbert Arenas' run with the Washington Wizards came to a close in 2010. Just two years after his massive contract from the team, he was suspended 50 games for an insane run-in with fellow teammate Javaris Crittenton.
The two apparently had drawn guns on each other in the locker room over gambling debts, thus breaking state and NBA laws in the process. Crittenton was handed a 38-game suspension, while Arenas was suspended for 50 games. The latter received a longer suspension because he was already under investigation for firearms.
3 Latrell Sprewell (68 games)
Latrell Sprewell was an All-Star during his time with the Golden State Warriors from 1992-1997. Sadly, the stint with the team ended in calamity, as he was criticized by the head coach P.J. Carlesimo in practice one day, and all hell broke loose.
Upon being criticized for his passing issues, Sprewell began assaulting the head coach. He punched, elbowed, and choked the Carlesimo for the criticism. He was first suspended for 82 games but was put down to 68 games upon appeal.
2 Ron Artest (86 games)
Stephen Jackson looked like a choir boy in comparison to his teammate, Ron Artest, at the infamous Malice at the Palace. After getting into a scuffle with Ben Wallace, he was then hit with a cup by a fan. In response, he went into the stands and began punching a fan.
After being corralled back to the court, Artest then punched two other fans in the melee. In response, the NBA handed him a massive 86-game suspension. The suspension is the longest that a player has received in terms of games.
1 O.J. Mayo (life)
O.J. Mayo was a troubled player in his NBA career, but still a solid scorer. Sadly, in 2016, his basketball career would come to a close, as he was suspended for life. He was previously suspended for 10 games for steroids in 2011, so the league came down harsh five years later.
Mayo was suspended for two years for another drug infraction, but the substance isn't known. While the initial suspension was only for two seasons, he was never reinstated after 2018, thus making his NBA career over for good.
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