NBA
What are the longest suspensions in NBA history?
The NBA has punished some of its stars for misconduct inside and outside the courts over the years and Ja Morant has been the last one.
Three months ago, Ja Morant was in the spotlight not for his undoubtful basketball skills, but for his behavior outside the courts.
The Memphis Grizzlies star was suspended last March for eight games after an Instagram Live video was released showing him displaying a firearm in a nightclub in Denver.
Two months later, the 23-year-old All-Star was filmed posing with a firearm in a car and the Grizzlies decided to suspend him from team activities since then.
The NBA announced on Friday that after conducting an investigation, Morant will face a 25-game suspension to start the 2023-24 campaign.
However, this is not something new. Over the years, the league has had to deal with similar situations with other stars.
Longest suspensions in NBA history
O.J. Mayo: 164 games
The No. 3 pick of the 2008 NBA Draft O.J. Mayo headlines the list of players that were punished with the most severe suspensions.
The former Milwaukee Bucks shooting guard was suspended for two entire seasons after a second positive drug test in 2016. His best season was with the Memphis Grizzlies, where he averaged 18.5 points per game (2008-09).
Ron Artest: 86 games
Artest is considered one of the most controversial players in NBA history for a reason. The former Indiana Pacers player was suspended for the rest of the 2004-05 campaign after entering the stands to fight with the fans. He missed 73 regular-season matches and 13 postseason games.
Latrell Sprewell: 68 games
Another NBA episode that went down in history is the one between Latrell Sprewell and coach P.J. Carlesimo. During a Warriors practice back in 1997, an argument between them saw the player punch and choke Carlesimo. But that wasn’t all.
Some minutes later, after being removed from the practice, Sprewell returned and attacked the interim coach, punching him in the face.
He was punished with the first season-long suspension in the league’s history, but he saw his suspension reduced to 68 games. Moreover, he had to pay $24 million when his contract was terminated and lost his merchandising deal with Converse.
Gilbert Arenas: 50 games
It’s impossible to take a look at Gilbert Arenas’ career and miss his suspension.
He was out of the courts for 50 games in 2010 after pulling out a gun in the Washington Wizards’ locker room during a dispute with Javaris Crittenton over gambling debts.
The former three-time All-Star member was carrying a gun without a license in the District of Columbia, to which he pled guilty.
Javaris Crittenton: 38 games
The Wizards know what it feels to have players suspended for misconduct. Three weeks after the Arenas punishment, Javaris Crittenton got the attention of the whole league after being suspended for the rest of the 2009-10 season.
That was the end for Crittenton in terms of his NBA career, as he would never play another game in the league. He was charged and indicted with the murder of a 22-year-old mother of four. In 2013, he pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced to 23 years of prison, which was later on reduced to 10 years. He was released from jail last April.