The Biggest Betrayals in NBA History
Betrayals in the NBA are commonplace. When business gets mixed together with hoops, feelings get hurt on all sides of the spectrum.
The NBA has seen some of the craziest betrayals in sports history go down. No team has been spared of the drama.
Here we revisit eight of the biggest. From coaches to ownership and players, all of these situations are now infamous footnotes in the NBA's lush and lengthy history.
LeBron James Leaves Cleveland
1 of 8
The biggest betrayal in NBA history has to be LeBron James leaving Cleveland for Miami. Everything from the way it was handled—The Decision—to when he left was a horrifying reality of the NBA's brutal business side.
James took his talents to South Beach in 2010. He wanted an NBA title. And although he won two championships and reached the NBA Finals four years in a row, the taste he left in people's mouth remained sour.
That's why the King returned to his throne in 2014, giving fans of the Cavaliers something to finally cheer about. History will forgive James, but those who lived through his free-agent departure will never forget that betrayal.
Dwight Howard Burns Two Cities
2 of 8
Dwight Howard has doubled-down in the betrayal department. He first experience destroyed the hopes and dreams of Orlando Magic fans in 2012.
That betrayal was significant, and Howard's inability to be honest with the fans—he first claimed he would stay, then proceeded to bail—resulted in the Magic eventually dealing the center to the Los Angeles Lakers in a four-team trade.
As if that weren't enough, Howard spent one season in Hollywood before he repeated that process and ditched Tinsel Town for Houston. The irony of the whole thing is that prior to leaving the Lakers, Howard sat down with USA Today's Sam Amick and apologized for his actions in Orlando.
Two betrayals by one player plants Howard firmly on this list.
Seattle SuperSonics Head to Oklahoma City
3 of 8
Moving a franchise to a new city is always a good way to have fans revolt against ownership.
When the Seattle SuperSonics were stripped away from their fanbase and moved to Oklahoma City prior to the 2008-09 season, all sorts of betrayal crept in.
You can get a good feeling for how loyalists reacted in the image above. The Sonics were a squad that had greats like Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton running court throughout the '90s. Looking for a rebirth, the franchise even drafted would-be superstar Kevin Durant a season before fleeing to Oklahoma.
Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times wrote a sizable article, giving people a timeline of how this whole thing actually went down. It was an ordeal that played out in the media between owner Clay Bennett and the NBA.
In the end, the Sonics were no more.
Carlos Boozer Burns the Cleveland Cavaliers
4 of 8
The Carlos Boozer incident involving the Cleveland Cavaliers is one that, despite being a significant betrayal, somehow floats under the radar.
Two years after being drafted, the Cavaliers realized that Boozer was a heck of a talent. They allowed him to become an unrestricted free agent at the conclusion of the 2003-04 season in order to ink him to a fresh deal, according to ESPN.com.
That verbal agreement crumbled when Boozer dipped for Utah. He would sign a six-year, $68 million pledge, leaving his old team behind. I guess loyalty wasn't an option for Boozer when all of those dollar signs came dancing around.
The Chris Paul Trade That Never Was
5 of 8
This one is on the NBA and its former commissioner, David Stern.
A lockout in 2011 laid the groundwork for the Chris Paul trade that never happened. What's now become NBA folklore, Paul was dealt from the New Orleans Hornets to the Los Angeles Lakers in a three-team that involved a ton of star power. ESPN's Marc Stein reported on the specifics and fallout after Stern nixed the proposal.
The story is convoluted. Rumors of NBA owners getting involved makes this a notorious, espionage-like betrayal.
Paul eventually wound up in Los Angeles, but he would don a Clippers uniform instead. The Lakers and their rabid fanbase never would get their man because of league politics.
DeAndre Jordan Changes His Mind
6 of 8
The latest case of betrayal in the NBA has to be DeAndre Jordan's confusing free-agent march that involved the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Clippers.
Jordan had verbally agreed to ink a deal with the Mavericks. His intention was to wind up as the centerpiece of a talented Mavericks team. But as Sam Amick and Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today wrote, "After agreeing to sign the Mavericks' four-year, $80 million deal on Friday, Jordan began to have doubts about his decision."
The back-and-forth chaos put NBA writers to the test as Cuban and the Clippers dueled for his services.
When Jordan ultimately chose to return home to Los Angeles, NBA fans were clearly upset. How can you back out of a deal like that? Though both parties have moved on, Jordan's wild experience with free agency won't soon be forgotten.
Pat Riley Sends a Fax to the New York Knicks
7 of 8
Pat Riley has enjoyed a legendary career. From playing to coaching and leaping into the front office, he's seemingly done it all.
Many remember Riley for his days coaching the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat. But the long-term coach also had a four-year stint with the New York Knicks in the '90s.
As controller of Madison Square Garden, Riley left New York with a record of 223 wins to only 105 losses. When the Knicks attempted to extend his deal in '95, Riley resigned without warning.
The story goes like this: Riley sent the Knicks front office a fax, notifying them of his impending departure. It was Mark Heisler, who was writing for the Los Angeles Times at that point in his career, who shared the news.
Abruptly ripping the carpet from under the Knicks by fax wasn't the best way to handle business, no matter how tense negotiations may have been.
Rajon Rondo and the Dallas Mavericks
8 of 8
Rajon Rondo has endured a strenuous career arch since he left the Boston Celtics. Before he signed on with his current team, the Sacramento Kings, Boston dealt Rondo to the Dallas Mavericks midway through the 2014-15 season.
What you'd think would be a great place to hit the restart button on one's career, Rondo never got things rolling with Mark Cuban's team. His play was dismal, averaging 9.3 points and 6.5 assists per game. His horrible attitude accompanied that porous play.
The postseason is the place it all fell apart, as Matt Moore of CBSSports.com reported. Rondo's detrimental attitude and performance served as a betrayal for a Dallas team that was in desperate need of a captivating point guard.
All stats and information provided by Basketball-Reference.com, unless noted otherwise.
