15 Biggest NBA Blunders of the Last Decade

Between The Decision itself and the other 14 entries on this slideshow, it is quite obvious that the NBA has seen its fair share of major blunders over the past decade. 

No one is perfect. We all know that. 

But some players and the people that surround them are even more imperfect than others. 

Read on for the 15 biggest mistakes of the past decade in professional basketball. 

15. Marvin Williams over a Point Guard

As an Atlanta Hawks fan, I just had to include this major blunder on this slideshow. 

During the 2005 NBA draft, the Hawks held the No. 2 overall pick. After Andrew Bogut was drafted first by the Milwaukee Bucks, the Hawks were on the board with Marvin Williams, Deron Williams and Chris Paul all available. 

With forwards already on their roster and no good point guards to speak of, the Hawks decided to draft Williams instead of either point guard. I remember throwing things at my television for the next five minutes. 

I refuse to talk any more about this. 

14. Giant Contracts

Here's a list of overpaid players in the NBA, according to Bill Simmons, along with their 2011-2012 salaries:

Rashard Lewis ($21.4 million)

Gilbert Arenas ($19.1 million)

Antawn Jamison ($15.1 million)

Brandon Roy ($15.0 million)

Baron Davis ($14.9 million)

Chauncey Billups ($14.2 million)

Carlos Boozer ($13.5 million)

Rip Hamilton ($12.5 million)

Ben Gordon ($11.6 million)

Hedo Turkoglu ($11.0 million)

Mehmet Okur ($10.9 million)

Corey Maggette ($10.2 million)

Jose Calderon ($9.7 million)

Richard Jefferson ($9.2 million)

Andris Biedrins ($9.0 million)

Boris Diaw ($9 million)

Marvin Williams ($8.1 million)

And many others.

And we wonder why there's a lockout... 

13. The Ball Switch

In 2006, NBA commissioner David Stern ignored a bevy of complaints from players during the offseason and decided to force the league to switch from the traditional leather basketball to a new synthetic ball. 

While it's true that the ball was statistically better, this is just an example of how statistics can't explain everything in basketball. The most telling stat of all was the increase in the number of cuts that players' fingers had to endure. 

The high-friction cover of the ball cause a breakout of paper cut-like wounds on players hands, including those of Steve Nash, Jason Kidd and Dirk Nowitzki. 

As a result, Stern had no choice but to admit that he made a mistake and switch back to a leather ball just three months after the implementation of the synthetic one. 

12. Tony Parker Cheats

Married in July of 2007, the power couple of Tony Parker and Eva Longoria lived happily together (or so we think) until December of that same year. It was then that a tabloid accused Parker of having an extramarital affair with Alexandra Paressant, a relatively obscure model.

Both members of the couple denied the rumor and Parker himself filed a $20-million lawsuit against the website that launched the unverified story. That was the end of Parker's supposed infidelity. Or so we thought.   

In December of 2010, Longoria filed for divorce because of irreconcilable differences with her spouse. It turns out that the Spurs point guard was embroiled in yet another scandal. Eventually, Extra identified the other woman as none other than Parker's teammate's wife: Erin Barry. The divorce became official January 28, 2011. 

While Parker's reputation has remained surprisingly intact, he did manage to screw up a marriage with Eva Longoria. That's a big blunder in my book. 

11. Portland Goes Oden

While it seemed like the right decision at the time, hindsight is 20/20. 

Looking back, we now know that the Portland Trail Blazers made a major blunder when they selected Greg Oden, a dominant center from Ohio State, over Kevin Durant, a lanky player from Texas who couldn't even bench press the minimum 180 pounds one time. 

Oden missed the entire 2007-2008 season after undergoing microfracture surgery on his right knee. During the 2008-2009 season, he played 61 foul-plagued games but missed time at the beginning of the season thanks to a hurt foot and in the middle of the year thanks to a chipped left knee cap.

Then he played 21 games in the next campaign before a fractured left patella knocked him out for the rest of the year. Microfracture surgery on his left knee would keep him out of the entire next season as well. 

When you add it all up, Oden has played 82 games in four years. Ouch (pun intended). 

In that same time period, Durant has won two scoring titles and established himself as a premier player int he NBA. Talk about adding insult to injury. 

10. Kwame Brown's Career

It's impossible to narrow down the blunders which Kwame Brown has been a part of to just one singular entry, so I'm instead going to use his entire career as one.  

Blunder No. 1: Drafted by the Washington Wizards

 Everything started when Brown told the Washington Wizards, "I promise you If you draft me, you'll never regret it." With the endorsement of Michael Jordan and the supposed certainty of adding a star to their squad, the Wizards decided to take Brown up on his promise, making him the first high school player to ever be selected with the first overall pick.

They regretted it.

Brown's best season with the Wizards came in 2003-2004 when he averaged a mind-blowing 10.9 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. Both numbers remain career highs.

Blunder No. 2: Trade with the Los Angeles Lakers

No doubt impressed by Brown's lackluster performance in his still-young career, the Los Angeles Lakers bit hook, line and sinker. Drawn in by his perceived upside, they traded Chucky Atkins and Caron Butler, who would go on to be a star for the Wizards, for Brown and Laron Profit. 

To put it quite simply, Brown was not very good for the Lakers. He never averaged more than 8.4 points or 6.6 rebounds per game in his two-and-a-half seasons wearing purple and gold.

By the end of his time in L.A. he was being booed in two cities: Washington D.C. and Los Angeles.  

Blunder No. 3: The rest of his ongoing basketball career

How does the saying go? "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me?"

Well, shame on the Memphis Grizzlies, Detroit Pistons and Charlotte Bobcats then. Each of those three teams has still believed enough in Brown to include him on their roster.

The Grizz traded for Brown, along with Marc Gasol and Javaris Crittenton, giving up Pau Gasol to the Los Angeles Lakers to complete the deal. The Pistons and Bobcats each signed the 6'11" center in free agency.  

Lately people have been saying that Brown has been experiencing a bit of a career resurgence. Well, since he averaged just 7.9 points and 6.8 rebounds per game last year with the Bobcats, that should say a lot about this former No. 1 pick. 

Blunder No. 4: Off-court incidents

In 2006, a woman filed a complaint against Brown, claiming that he sexually assaulted her after Game 3 of the Lakers' playoff series against the Phoenix Suns. Even though he was cleared of all charges, the fact that they took place sullied his reputation a little bit. 

One year later, no joke, Brown was the central figure in a "grand theft of a person" case after he took a cake from a stranger and threw it back at him. Supposedly, Brown believed that the cake was for Ronny Turiaf, whose birthday was being celebrated that night. While Brown was not prosecuted, he did have to compensate the man by buying him a meal at a later date. 

Later that year, Brown was pulled over for driving the wrong way on a one-way street. He was eventually found guilty of disorderly conduct and interfering with a police investigation. 

All in all, Brown has a pretty stellar set of off-court incidents. 

9. Seattle to Oklahoma City

When the New Orleans Hornets were forced to temporarily relocate to Oklahoma City by Hurricane Katrina, the city proved that it could support its own professional basketball team.

David Stern, in one of the more controversial quotes of his career, actually told a reporter that he "can say without reservation that Oklahoma City is now at the top of the list [of cities that can support an NBA team]."

Stern's quote would actually turn out to be prophetic and it is for that reason that many Seattle residents still harbor quite a bit of bitterness towards the commish. 

In 2006, Clay Bennett and a group of investors from Oklahoma City bought the Seattle SuperSonics for $350 million and were given 12 months to attempt to try to find a new arena lease or venue in Seattle. They failed to do so although no one will ever know just how hard they tried. 

Then it was too Oklahoma City. The colors, team name and logo stayed behind in Seattle, but the franchise's history and players, including Kevin Durant, went with the team to its new location. 

Needless to say, not everyone (and by that I mean barely anyone) was happy with these events. 

8. Darko

"With the first pick in the 2003 NBA draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers select LeBron James."

"With the second pick in the 2003 NBA draft, the Detroit Pistons select Darko Milicic."

"With the third pick in the 2003 NBA draft, the Denver Nuggets select Carmelo Anthony."

"With the fourth pick in the 2003 NBA draft, the Toronto Raptors select Chris Bosh."

"With the fifth pick in the 2003 NBA draft, the Miami Heat select Dwyane Wade."

Which one doesn't fit? 

I'll give you a giant hint: it's not the seven-time All-Star and two-time MVP, the four-time All-Star, the six-time All-Star or seven-time All-Star and one-time NBA Champion. 

It's the man who has averaged just 6.1 points and 4.3 rebounds per game during his disappointment of an NBA career. 

If you still haven't gotten it, that would be Milicic. 

7. Kobe Bryant's Sexual Assault Case

If only Kobe Bryant had never checked into The Lodge and Spa at Cordillera in Eagle County, Colorado on June 30, 2003. Just imagine how different his reputation would be today. 

Bryant was supposed to simply be there to prepare for a surgery, but instead an entire legal situation unravelled. 19-year-old hotel employee Katelyn Faber accused Bryant of raping her on July 1 and Bryant was arrested and formally charged with sexual assault, leaving the NBA superstar facing anything from probation to life in prison if he was convicted. 

In a public news conference, with his wife at his side, Bryant admitted that the two had consensual sex but denied that anything was wrong with the situation other than the fact that it was an adulterous relationship. 

Eventually, charges against Bryant were dropped because Faber refused to testify, but Bryant's reputation was permanently damaged as a result of the incident and ensuing legal events. 

6. Anything Involving Isiah Thomas

Dear any and all New York Knicks fans who may be reading this slideshow: I strongly recommend clicking "Next" and skipping the entirety of this slide. 

Isiah Thomas was hired by the New York Knicks in 2003 as the President of Basketball Operations. He served the team in that role until 2006 when team owner James Dolan replaced Larry Brown with Thomas as head coach. In 2008, he was let go from both roles. 

In just those five years, Thomas managed to completely tank the Knicks. How? Well let's take a look. 

1. He traded for Stephon Marbury in 2004, managing to kill the team's performance, potential to draft good players, chemistry and salary cap in one fell swoop. 

2. He signed Vin Baker as a free agent in 2004, but Baker played just 41 games with the team and they were some of the worst of his career. 

3. He signed Jerome James as a free agent in 2005. James would only average 3.1 points per game in his first year with the squad. 

4. He traded for Eddy Curry in 2005, despite already signing James. Thomas gave up unprotected draft picks (which almost never happens) despite knowing that Curry was susceptible to heart problems. As most people know, this did not work out well at all.

5. He traded for Steve Francis in 2005, despite already having Marbury on the roster. Francis lasted with the team for just 68 games.  

6. He signed Jared Jeffries as a free agent in 2006 before drafting an identical player in the form of Ronaldo Balkman. 

5. The Decision

It wasn't what LeBron James decided to do so much as how he decided to go about it. 

Instead of taking the humble route and revealing his decision on twitter like Kevin Durant did, LeBron instead took part in a one-hour ESPN special that will forever go down in history as "The Decision." The result was an awkward interview with Jim Gray that left the entire city of Cleveland feeling like they had a knife in their collective back. 

James immediately went from popular superstar to glorified villain, a transition that was only sped along by other ill-fated choices like the celebration in which the newly-formed trio of Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and James danced around before declaring that they were planning on winning more than seven championships. 

To be fair, The Decision wasn't really entirely James' fault. After all, the fact that is rather glossed over is that Gray was the one who decided the show was a good idea. Gray was the one who proceeded to toss up soft ball after soft ball during the interview. 

If anything, blame either Gray or whoever was advising James, just not James himself. That said, he could've chosen to say something better than "I'm taking my talents to South Beach."

Whether correct or not, the fault of The Decision will always lie with James. And there is a lot of fault to be had. 

4. Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton

One snowy (I don't actually know if it was snowing, but just go with it for poetic effect) Christmas Eve, Gilbert Arenas decided that it was time to settle his gambling debt with teammate Javaris Crittenton. Arenas ended up bringing guns into the locker room and he and Crittenton both brandished them against each other although no shots were fired. 

Arenas was charged with carrying an unlicensed pistol, which violated Washington D.C.'s gun ordinance laws. He also violated NBA rules by bringing a weapon into an arena and eventually pled guilty to the felony charge of carrying an unlicensed pistol outside his home or business. 

While the investigation was going on, Arenas was allowed to play until he mocked shooting his teammates with his fingers in the shape of a gun during pre game introductions and David Stern felt as though an indefinite suspension was necessary. 

Arenas spent 30 days in a halfway house before returning to the Wizards. This past season, playing for both the Wizards and the Orlando Magic, the former superstar was just a shell of his old self. 

Crittenton has not fared quite as well. He hasn't played a single minute in the NBA since the Stern suspension. But it gets worse. 

On August 26, 2011 the former Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets standout was charged with murder after the death of Jullian Jones in Atlanta, Georgia. He was arrested by the FBI three days later and it remains to be seen how the legal proceedings will unfold. 

3. Tim Donaghy Kills Referees' Integrity

Working from 1994 to 2007, Tim Donaghy served as the referee for 772 regular season games and 20 playoff games in his career. But out of the blue, Donaghy retired on July 9, 2007 for reasons that would soon become quite clear. 

Turns out the FBI was investigating Donaghy after allegations surfaced that the referee had bet on games during the previous two years, making ticky-tack calls and non-calls to keep games close enough that the betting spread would come into play. 

Donaghy ended up pleading guilty to two separate federal charges and spent 11 months in a federal prison before serving the duration of his 15-month sentence in a halfway house. 

During the federal investigation, Illinois congressman Bobby Rush even felt compelled to talk to David Stern, saying that Donaghy's actions "could be one of the most damaging scandals in the history of American sports."

2. Into the Stands We Go

It's one thing to have a fight on the basketball court. Plenty of stars, including even Michael Jordan and Larry Bird, have found themselves exchanging punches as fans looked on in a strange mixture of shock, awe, disgust and excitement. 

It's another thing entirely to take that brawl into the stands, involving spectators. No matter how much provocation there may be, fans are not supposed to be mixing it up with players. 

There are certain events where you will always remember where you were when they took place. For me, this is one. I remember watching this game on November 19, 2004 while sitting next to my uncle and hoping it would go to overtime so he would be forced to stay up later and keep me company. 

All of a sudden, Ron Artest fouled Ben Wallace from behind, Wallace responded with a shove in the chest and all hell soon broke loose, hell that would colloquially come to be called "Malice in the Palace." While lying on the scorer's table, Artest was hit by a cup of Diet Coke thrown by a fan named John Green. Into the stands went Artest. 

Other players followed him, and well, you can see the rest in the embedded video. After the game, which was cut short, giving the Pacers a 15-point win with 45.9 seconds left on the clock, NBA commissioner David Stern doled out some harsh penalties. The most significant was an 86-game suspension for Artest, which remains the longest punishment for an on-court incident in NBA history. 

Between the 146 games missed by players as a result of suspensions, the five players who were charged with assault and the five fans who faced criminal charges, nothing good came from this brawl between the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons. 

1. Jayson Williams Shoots

Any time an NBA player is currently in prison serving a six-year sentence, you know he probably screwed up pretty badly. Such is the case with Jayson Williams.

On February 14, 2002, Williams was giving a tour of his 30,000 square-foot house while playing around with a shotgun. Somehow, someway, the shotgun managed to accidentally fire, killing 55-year-old limousine driver Costas Christofi.

While Williams was acquitted of many of the serious charges and the jury was deadlocked on reckless manslaughter charges, he did have to pay a $2.75-million settlement fee to the Christofi family. He was also found guilty of four counts of trying to cover up the shooting. 

Eight years later, after a number of complicated legal events, Williams pled guilty to aggravated assault and was sentenced to five years in prison. A DWI incident added yet another year onto his sentence. 

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Adam Fromal is a syndicated writer and Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report. Follow him on    Twitter.

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