Best and Worst Cocky Athlete Moments

Whether you approve or not, cocky athletes have forever been a part of sports.

In many instances, arrogance has led to downfall, either ending careers or giving life to unforgettably embarrassing moments.

In fact, in the last year alone, Nick Young irreparably damaged his reputation with a single shot bred by arrogance, while Sammy Watkins tarnished an otherwise impressive rookie season with a memorably cocky collapse.   

Of course, no abstract force demands that arrogance have a negative effect. And when an athlete succeeds in spite of it—or, better yet, because of it—arrogance can serve as an amplifier, adding drama and excitement to a given narrative.

Take, for example, Babe Ruth's home run in the 1932 World Series, which would have been far less remarkable without the cocky antics that preceded it.   

Or, better yet, Muhammad Ali's 1966 bout with Cleveland Williams, which is largely remembered for the arrogant way in which he danced around the ring and baffled his opponent.

And more recently, Golden State's Stephen Curry has turned ordinary jumpers into baskets to cherish and behold, with nothing but a sweet stroke and a dose of cocky.

With, then, these good and bad moments in mind, we've decided to honor both sides of the arrogance coin, specifically highlighting the 12 Best & Worst Cocky Athlete Moments.

In every instance, whether our featured athlete sank or swam, one truth remained constant: His cocky character played the leading role.   

Worst: Dancing Too Soon

From the moment he's introduced, English boxer Usman Ahmed's feeling good. 

Maybe a little too good, in fact.

With an utterly astounding sense of confidence, an overly "relaxed" Uzzy grinds and jives his way to the ring, employing along the way some of the absolute best dance moves Earth has ever seen.

By the time he gets there, you'd expect Ahmed to be worn out. But not Uzzy.

When his opponent—Ashley Sexton—arrives, Uzzy uses his excess energy to promptly gyrate his way right into Sexton's face.

In hindsight, Ahmed may have danced a little too much too soon. 

Naive and ill-prepared, a once-cocky Uzzy "shockingly" fails to make it out of the first round—Sexton gruesomely ends the fight with a punch that is as violent as it is decisive.  

We can't say for sure whether Ahmed would have fared any better minus all the pre-fight antics, though we're certain the early knockdown would have been far less painful and embarrassing. 

Best: 'Fortuna's Gonna Knock You Out'

Some athletes have a way of using arrogance to their advantage, or at least refuse to let it stand in their way. 

That was certainly the case in April 2013, when—with an exceeding supply of cockiness—Javier Fortuna bludgeoned Miguel Zamudio, knocking him down and out cold less than a round into the fight. 

Between the start and end of the one-minute and five-second tussle, Fortuna theatrically bobs and weaves, performs a 360-degree spin move, employs absolutely zero defense and, even still, decks Zambudio on two separate occasions, with two devastating blows.

In a fight that was as one sided as fights get, we're truly thankful for Fortuna's arrogance and aggression, which made the abbreviated bout more than worth our time.  

Worst: Just a Bit Outside

Oklahoma's Stephen Pledger was playing with Steph Curry-like cockiness before even Curry himself. 

Unlike Curry, though, Pledger wasn't quite skilled enough to back it up. 

In February 2012, with Oklahoma trailing Missouri by three points and roughly one second to play, Pledger received the chance for which he'd been waiting, collecting a long offensive rebound with plenty of space and the perfect opportunity to play hero. 

And as the wide-open Sooner let the desperation three fly, he was sure his game-tying attempt would fall. So sure, in fact, that he actually began celebrating—with deep knee bend, fist pump and all—before the shot even reached the hoop.

Unfortunately for Pledger, he was embarrassingly wrong.  

Best: The Prince of Cocky

For the vast majority of Marshall Henderson's career of Ole Miss—which lasted two years, from 2013-2014—he was among the most disliked players in all of college basketball.

Though there were a number of reasons behind his lack of popularity, more than anything, Henderson's brash and often overbearing arrogance was mostly to blame.

More often than not, though, the 2013 SEC Tournament MVP managed to back his cockiness up.

In fact, he did that and more against Vanderbilt the very same year. Henderson not only sent their January matchup into overtime with a last-second, 35-foot, off-balance runner, but also displayed stone-cold confidence—and maybe a little arrogance—in the process, celebrating the make before the ball had even reached the hoop. 

Like the rarest of elite shooters—which, love him or hate him, Henderson no doubt was—the polarizing Rebel knew exactly where his ball was going: the bottom of the bucket.

And he displayed the cockiness to prove it.  

Worst: The French Revulsion

While some cockiness is justified, most of it is not. 

If, for example, you're acting arrogantly because your team is losing, but by a small enough margin to still advance, then your behavior is likely both embarrassing and inappropriate.   

After all, your team is still losing, right?

Of course, Layvin Kurzawa—a member of the French under-21 National Team—was guilty of this exact transgression last October, when he obnoxiously celebrated the goal he scored to cut Sweden's lead to 3-1 (note: France had to lose by two goals or less to advance). 

Upon scoring in the game's 86th minute, Kurzawa paraded around the field as if his team wasn't still trailing by two goals, getting in Swedish faces, talking trash and antagonistically saluting all the while.

And, as if his cocky and over-the-top celebration wasn't grossly misplaced to start with, it became all the more laughable when Sweden responded with a fourth goal less two minutes later. 

The moment represented a type of poetic justice that seemed almost too good to be true. The goal not only eliminated France from tournament contention, but also gave literally the entire Swedish team the opportunity to force-feed the repulsive Kurzawa a handful of his own medicine, as they mockingly saluted their way through post-goal and postgame celebrations. 

Best: Good Before It Goes

It may be hard to remember—or, for some, to believe—but there was once a time when Gilbert Arenas was among the NBA's deadliest marksmen. 

Fans knew it, the rest of the NBA knew it and Arenas definitely knew it. 

Simply put, The Hibachi was far from humble. 

But to dominate the NBA and perform in the clutch like Arenas used to, a little arrogance can be helpful, and maybe even necessary.

As a result, no one was the least bit surprised in January 2007, when Agent Zero not only sank the Jazz but—before officially doing so—proved skilled enough to know he would and cocky enough to make everyone aware. 

Worst: Down Goes Campbell!

When it comes to failing due to arrogance, Nate Campbell set the standard and a lofty one at that. 

In his 2003 bout with Robbie Peden, Campbell experiences firsthand just how costly cockiness can be. 

With Peden staggered and seemingly on the metaphorical ropes—thanks in large part to a right hook that appeared to break his rib—Campbell decides, in perhaps the most bizarre and senseless move in boxing history, to completely drop his hands and graciously offer up his face.

And, just as one would expect, Peden happily accepts Campbell's more-than-generous proposal.

With nothing but air between his glove and Campbell's arrogant face, Peden pounces, obliterating his cocky opponent and ending the fight with a single unadulterated wallop.

Truthfully, in this instance, we aren't entirely sure what crippled Campbell more: outright arrogance or plain stupidity.

Best: A Curry Kind of Cocky

Gilbert Arenas may have done it first, but Stephen Curry has, more recently, made an art form out of calling his shot. 

Though his March 4 assault on Milwaukee—which culminated with a cocky Curry turning away to celebrate a three before he actually made it—has received the most publicity, it hardly represents the first time Golden Eye has wowed with such skill and arrogance.  

In equally impressive fashion, Curry embarrassed the Timberwolves and showed off his insane shooting prowess in a game last February and, before that, pulled off the very same "I don't need to watch, I know it's going in" trick in a 2014 postseason battle with the Nuggets. 

To display that kind of justified confidence—or cockiness, depending on interpretation—on even one occasion is both bold and impressive. But to do so multiple times in less than a year is simply insane, as unprecedented as it is extraordinary. 

If you're smart, you'll cherish Curry while he's still around, for he very well may be the most prolific and unabashedly bold shooter you'll ever get the chance to see. 

Worst: Not so Fast, Sammy!

Wide Receiver Sammy Watkins had one heck of a rookie season for the Buffalo Bills, to the tune 65 catches, 982 yards and six touchdowns.

For even the ultra-talented rookie, though, not every moment was a bright one.

In fact, on October 26, Watkins let his ego get the best of him in a costly and highly visible way.

For the most part, he did just about everything it takes to score on a 90-yard reception: Watkins got behind his defender, reeled in an accurate pass and then outran the deep safety. 

He did not, however, finish the play. 

Instead, with a misguided sense of self, security and speed, the former Tiger slowed down to celebrate roughly 20 yards too soon, giving New York Jet Saalim Hakim the chance to make a touchdown-saving tackle. 

When a showboating Watkins was finally caught and tackled 10 yards shy of the end zone, he could do nothing but hang his head in utter disgust and shame.

In an alternate universe, though, where Watkins is free from arrogance and a heavy head of dreads, he proves far too fast to catch and finishes the memorable play in the end zone rather than the dirt.   

Best: The King of Cocky

In the history of sports, no one has worn cocky as well as Muhammad Ali.

Outside of the ring, the legendary boxer would taunt his opponents with the cunning of a belligerent poet. 

In it, he'd terrorize his opponents with one-of-a-kind skill and grace, floating like a butterfly and stinging like a bee. 

Toward the end of his career, when he had lost a step and faced some particularly difficult opponents, Ali often played things a bit closer the vest.

During his prime, however, he absolutely owned the average challenger and put on a captivating show in the process.

In what is considered among Ali's all-time best performances—his 1966 demolition of Cleveland Williams—The People's Champ shows the kind of comfort and beauty in the ring that is born only out of historic talent and the perfect kind of cocky. 

Worst: Not so Swaggy P

From giving himself his own nickname—Swaggy P—to attempting things on the hardwood that are far outside his comfort zone, Nick Young seems to desperately want to be someone he's not. 

Of course, Young's inflated ego most famously let him down in March 2014, when he attempted to "Be Like Steph" before failing miserably.

Young's Lakers may have gotten the win over visiting New York that night, but everyone else got the last laugh. 

Never before has an athlete so egregiously called his own shot and so arrogantly celebrated a basket that, in the end, was really just another brick. 

Best: Where Cocky Was Born

Without Babe Ruth, there's a chance—for better or worse—that many of our other featured moments would have never even taken place.

Of course, there's a reason for that.

In Game 3 of the 1932 World Series, The Bambino became the first prominent athlete who was arrogant enough to think calling his shot seemed like a good idea.  

And boy was it!

Whether the result of dumb luck or immense talent, Ruth's subsequent home run created a never-to-be-forgotten legend—which many future athletes would attempt to relive—and simultaneously made cocky cool.