Former NBA Player Rashad McCants Thinks Khloe Kardashian Hurt Pro Career

Rashad McCants entered the NBA with grand visions after a standout tenure with the North Carolina Tar Heels. The shooting guard lasted four years and hasn't played in the Association since 2008-09.

Chief among the reasons his NBA career fizzled: He wasn't that good. The 2005 No. 14 pick, selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves, averaged 10.0 points per game with a 12.9 player efficiency rating and minus-0.6 value over replacement player, per Basketball Reference. His team scored 98 points per 100 possessions while allowing 111 with him on the court.

McCants—the first pick of the inaugural BIG3 basketball league—did not hold himself accountable for any shortcomings. He told C Jackson Cowart of the Charlotte Observer that the NBA "blackballed" him, and he believes a past relationship with reality TV personality Khloe Kardashian damaged his reputation around the league.

"Without that situation in play, I'm a $60-70 million player," McCants said. "Easily."

A centerpiece of an Outside the Lines investigation regarding North Carolina academic violations, McCants chastised head coach Roy Williams for denying any involvement in maintaining the college star's eligibility through fake classes.

"The things he's done and said and denied, I just can't respect," McCants said, per Cowart. "As a coach, he's a great coach, and he's deserving of the Hall of Fame and everything that's coming to him. But as a man, I don't have anything to say."

Fans and media members have foolishly blamed an athlete's romantic partner for slumps before, but players rarely publicly eschew social responsibility.  

[Charlotte Observer, h/t Complex]