50 Most Demonized Players in NBA History

In the NBA, it isn't hard for a player to become demonized.  All it takes is one action, arrest or decision, and a once-beloved player will instantly have the mark of Cain on him, possibly indefinitely.

Without even knowing it, fans have been connected to a player's downfall.  In the '90s, Golden State Warriors fans suffered multiple letdowns thanks to volatile forward Latrell Sprewell.  He was eventually traded to the Knicks and no matter how effective he was the rest of his career, everyone remembered him for his actions in Golden State, but more on those later.

Not even one year ago, a certain someone lost thousands if not millions of fans with a particular "decison."  Today, he is still looking to repair his image and no longer be the NBA's biggest villain.

On top of that, some NBA players have become demonized simply by not living up to their hype or being injured frequently.  This poses the debate: which type of demonized player is the worst?  Is it the head cases, the busts, or the underachievers?

Let's look at all types as we discuss, in no particular order, the 50 most demonized players in NBA history.

Rod Strickland

In his 17 season career, Rod Strickland was a player who definitely had skills.  His only problem was that he was obsessed with gaining material recognition for them.  When playing for the Washington Wizards, he got upset after not being selected to the All-Star Team and famously stated that if he were selected the following year, he wouldn't even play.  Strickland was never an All-Star in his entire career.

Earlier in his career, while playing for the San Antonio Spurs, Strickland famously sat out the first 24 games of the 1991-1992 season because of a contract dispute with the front office.

The man could have been great, but is forever known as a player who let his ego get in the way of his supposed passion for the game.

Eddy Curry

When Eddy Curry was drafted fourth overall in 2001, some experts called him "Baby Shaq."  At 7'0" and 295 pounds, the Chicago-native certainly had the potential to be as talented as the legendary center.

While Curry was effective for a short time, he was never as dominant as projected.  In 2005, he was hospitalized with an irregular heartbeat and refused to take a DNA test at the Bulls' request.  As a result, he was traded to the New York Knicks.

It was in New York that Curry became the bane of some Knicks fans' existences.  Despite a career season in 2006-2007, the man many thought would be a star soon became hampered by various injuries and ballooned to well over 300 pounds.

Off the court, Curry was the subject of a sexual harassment suit brought against him in 2009 by his personal driver.  Later that year, his Chicago home was in foreclosure.

This poses the question: what if he had just taken the DNA test?

Rafer Alston

A point guard of respectable skills, Rafer Alston is better known for his trouble off the court than on it.  In 2007, he was arrested in Houston and charged of misdemeanor assault and public intoxication.  Just a few weeks later, he was arrested in New York for slashing a man's throat during a nightclub fight.  The following year, Alston was arrested for a DWI.

Yet, the worst of Alston's offenses (at least in the eyes of a fan) came on March 6, 2010.  Then playing with the Miami Heat, Alston was suspended for the remainder of the season for missing both a practice and the subsequent game.  I'm sorry, but basketball is a team game and the worst sin a player can commit is quitting on his team.

Alston did just that.

Bill Laimbeer

In the 1980s, Bill Laimbeer drew the ire of many fans and also fellow players due to his physical style of play that was often labeled as dirty.  He fouled hard, often "flopped" so as to have opposing players called for fouls, and everyone who played against him hated him.

Laimbeer marketed his physical style of play in the video game Bill Laimbeer's Combat Basketball, which promoted physical play on the court.

Yet, it was former teammate Dennis Rodman who said it best about Laimbeer.  In his book Bad As I Wanna Be, Rodman said that "Laimbeer was more than a thug, but that is what he'll be remembered for."

Nobody likes a dirty player, and thus Laimbeer is demonized.  And speaking of dirty players...

Kenyon Martin

When he was playing with the New Jersey Nets, Kenyon Martin had a reputation for fouling hard.  He was suspended multiple times for fouls that were deemed to be flagrant and his physicality rubbed some the wrong way.

Yet, what defined Martin's demonization in New Jersey were mocking comments he made about then-teammate Alonzo Mourning's kidney disease.  The former Cincinnati Bearcat apologized for his remarks, but it doesn't matter.  Never mock another's misfortune, especially an NBA legend like Alonzo Mourning.

Damon Stoudamire

One of the "Jail Blazers," Damon Stoudamire poisoned his reputation by being arrested for marijuana possessions multiple times.  In 2003, after being arrested for the third time, Portland team management suspended him for three months and even considered voiding his contract.

Stoudamire went to rehab and has been clean for years, but his drug use robbed him of the abilities that made him a college star at Arizona and with the Toronto Raptors.  He may have been the tamer of the "Jail Blazers," but that label is hard to lose.

Rasheed Wallace

If you looked up "technical foul" in the basketball dictionary, you'd see a picture of Rasheed Wallace.  This was a man who was popular with his teammates, but just couldn't keep his mouth shut on the court.  Throughout his career, he had a reputation as a loudmouth who just wouldn't leave the refs alone.

In one season, Wallace set a record with with 38 technical fouls.  The following year, he broke his own record in receiving 40.

It's a shame because Wallace was fun to watch, but his attitude always overshadowed his skills.  My friends and I would actually place bets when watching games as to how far into the contest Wallace would be hit with a T.  More often than not, someone walked away rich that night.

Kevin Garnett

Kevin Garnett is one of the NBA's biggest trash talkers.  That being said, unless they play with him, most fellow players hate him.  Garnett was called a "punk and a coward" by "Player X" of ESPN magazine and fans also get on Garnett for his big mouth.

Simply put, the man is talented but needs to just shut up and play.  His championship ring is all well and good, but his trash-talk is slowly starting to overshadow his talent.  I understand it's part of the game, but Garnett has taken it to a whole new level and is just becoming a heel.

It's time for him to stop jawing and just play.

Paul Pierce

There's nothing more annoying in basketball than a flopper.  Paul Pierce has turned this into an art and not to sound like a homer, but it cost the Knicks a playoff victory.  Fast forward to about four minutes into the video and you'll watch Pierce at his finest.

Players hate them, fans hate them and it's all but definite.  Floppers are the worst demons of all.  I mean, come on.  If you're going to win the game, win it cleanly and not by an Oscar-worthy performance of "I Got Fouled."

Baron Davis

Baron Davis is being mentioned not because he is a bad person, but because he basically pissed off an entire legion of fans by underachieving.  After four effective seasons as the shooting point guard for the Golden State Warriors, he signed a lucrative contract with the Los Angeles Clippers and didn't even last three seasons.  Last year, his ineffectiveness led to him being traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers, where the reviews were mixed.

Davis' story is proof that all it takes is a couple of bad seasons for a player's reputation to go from high to extremely low.  He used to be one of the most popular players in the league, and now his fan base seems to be wearing thin.  Unless he can bring the Cavs to a miraculous turnaround next season, he shall remain demonized as an underachiever, fluke, etc.

Andrew Bynum

Going into last season, Andrew Bynum already had a reputation as someone who was injury prone and immature.  His knees are made of chalk and rather than have knee surgery immediately after the 2009-2010 season so as to be ready for training camp, he opted to go on vacation first and thus prolonged his recovery.

Yet, Bynum's label as a demonized player became official this past postseason.  In a game well out of the Lakers' reach, he clotheslined Dallas Mavericks guard J.J. Barea in what is quite possibly one of the dirtiest plays in basketball history.

Unless he plays a full season soon and adjusts his attitude, that label will prove hard to shake.

Steve Francis

The sad part about Steve Francis being a demonized player is that he earned that label before he even played in one professional game.  After being drafted second overall by the Vancouver Grizzlies, Francis publicly stated that he did not want to play for the team and after a long summer he was finally traded to the Houston Rockets.

After stints in Houston, Orlando and New York, Francis gained a reputation for being moody and injury prone.  Here was someone who was an electrifying college guard who could rebound effectively despite being just 6'3", and he was throwing a hissy fit over things like which city he was playing in and/or the coach's style instead of just going out and playing the game.

To add insult to injury, Francis had trouble staying in shape and couldn't even get significant playing time when on a Chinese team.  The fact that he is so talented but has ruined his reputation in the NBA is just plain sad.

Stephen Jackson

The easy way of explaining Stephen Jackson as a demonized player is in the fact that after next season, his 12th, he'll have played for seven teams.  Yet, he earned that label in one of the worst happenings in NBA history.  He was involved in the infamous brawl at the Palace at Auburn Hills when his Indiana Pacers faced off against the Detroit Pistons and players got into a fight with some fans.

Jackson's actions resulted in him being suspended for 30 games and just a few years later was suspended for seven games following being charged with criminal recklessness.

Since that incident, Jackson has been traded three times and has gained a reputation more as a shooter and less as the team player he once was.

Stephon Marbury

I've said for many years that Stephon Marbury's reputation would not be in the toilet if he had just spent more than one season at college.  Seriously, it seems that the man once called "Starbury" has had issues with every team he has played on.

With the Minnesota Timberwolves, the team that traded for him on draft night, he fell out with team management and demanded a trade after there was uncertainty about his role in the offense.  He was traded to the New Jersey Nets.

Once in the Garden State, despite breaking out offensively, Marbury couldn't lead the Nets to the playoffs and appeared to be something of a ball-hog.  He was traded to the Phoenix Suns for Jason Kidd in 2001 and in the Nets' first season with Kidd on the team, they made the NBA Finals.  I don't know about you, but I think that's very telling.

Yet, what sticks out the most in Marbury's basketball career is how he basically helped run the New York Knicks into the ground.  He feuded with coaches and the front office, left the team when he learned he would be taken out of the starting lineup and once Mike D'Antoni came to town, he was basically banned from being a part of the team.

The worst part is that Marbury dragged out the buying out of his contract as long as he possibly could, finally agreeing to one in February of 2009.  He subsequently joined the arch-rival Boston Celtics and was a non-factor there.

He currently plays in China, having ruined his reputation in the NBA.

Shaquille O'Neal

Shaq is not on this list because he was a head case, nor because of his lack of skill.  Hell, we all know he is one of the greatest centers to ever play the game.

The man has become demonized simply because of his giant frame and his not being afraid to use it.  As a result, some considered him to be a dirty player.  He put multiple men on their backs by bumping and grinding his way to the basket and even got into some fights in his career.

He is easily one of the most charismatic men to ever play in the NBA, but could also be called one of the dirtiest.

Reggie Miller

While he was easily one of the game's best shooters, Reggie Miller was also one of the most-hated players in basketball history.  The man was trash talking when he wasn't nailing three-pointer after three-pointer and his mouth sometimes got him into trouble.

I recall attending a game between the Indiana Pacers and the New York Knicks when Miller got into a tussle with Knicks guard Chris Childs and the crowd started chanting "REGGIE SUCKS!  REGGIE SUCKS!"  Instead of ignoring the jeers, Miller looked at the crowd and shouted an obscene phrase.

Was he one of the game's best shooters?  Yes.  Was his image squeaky clean?  Not by a long shot.

Greg Oden

You'd think that at 7'0" and 285 pounds, Greg Oden would be a dominant NBA center.  Instead, since being drafted first overall ahead of Kevin Durant in 2007, he has been injury prone and barely productive.

He has the demonized mark of someone who was hyped to be the next great center and instead, he has become a man made of chalk who can only watch as the man drafted right after him is easily the best player in the NBA right now.  As he enters free agency, Oden is fighting not only for his reputation, but for his basketball career.

Terrence Williams

After the New Jersey Nets drafted him in 2009, Terrence Williams was expected to be the forward that would lead the team back to the playoffs.  He was effective off the bench as a rookie, but that all changed in his second year.

Williams apparently exhibited a showboating attitude during practice and was sent to the D-League in November 2010.  Just a couple of weeks later, he was traded to the Houston Rockets and was a non-factor there.

He is approaching his third season and still has time to erase the mark on his reputation, but the fact that he threw his talent away last year for the sake of showboating in practice, of all places, is going to be something very hard to reverse.

Ricky Davis

Ricky Davis could have been one of the most heralded shooters in NBA history.  Instead, his legacy is defined by one selfish decision he made when playing with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

A rebound away from a triple-double, Davis intentionally took a bad shot at his own basket so he could rebound it off the rim.  He was fouled hard afterward and, sure enough, was not given credit for the rebound.

On top of that, Davis played for seven teams in 12 seasons.  Need I say more?

Jason Williams

Jason Williams was an oddball from the get-go.  He nicknamed himself "White Chocolate" and his streetball-style was unconventional at best.  Still, he was effective enough to turn teams into contenders.

However, Williams was also cocky and often got himself into trouble.  In 2001, when with the Sacramento Kings, he was fined for shouting racial slurs to an Asian fan.  Just a year earlier, he had been fined for yelling at fans in the crowd.

Call me a purist, but basketball players should not acknowledge trash talk.  They are taught to tune everything out and the fact that Williams took it to a new level in uttering racist language at one point speaks volumes.

Delonte West

He may be one of the league's better three-point shooters today, but Delonte West has had the demon label attached to him for a while.  In 2009, he was pulled over while riding his motorcycle and was found to have three guns on him.  He pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to probation and community service.

However, West's demonizing may have come during his time with the Cleveland Cavaliers.  While with the team, a rumor spread that he had an affair with LeBron James' mother.  This has yet to be proven true, but it surely didn't win him any friends while with the team.

Throw in the fact that he has never played a full season, and you can see why West is mentioned on this list.

Karl Malone

Easily one of the game's greatest forwards, Malone was one of the most hated as well.  In 2003, he broke the hearts of Utah Jazz fans and signed a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers in hopes of winning that championship that had eluded him his whole career.  Unfortunately, the one known as "The Mailman" only appeared in 42 games that year and the Lakers lost in the NBA Finals.

Yet, Malone became demonized long before that.  A staunch Republican, he was very open about his political views and appeared in ads for the NRA and has been a guest panelist on Fox News.  His conservative political views led fellow NBA player Derrick Coleman to call him an "Uncle Tom" and "fake."

While I personally enjoyed watching the man play, I still have to agree with the fact that he is demonized.  I was taught never to mix business with politics and by appearing in the aforementioned ads and being open about his political views, Malone did just that.  Politics and the game just should never mix.

Robert Horry

At one point in his career, Robert Horry was known as "Big Shot Rob" due to his making clutch shots late in important games.  In 2007, that changed to "Cheap Shot Rob" after he hip-checked Phoenix Suns point guard Steve Nash into the scorer's table during the Western Conference Semifinals.

In an instant, his legendary shots were forgotten and Horry was forever demonized as a dirty player.

Bruce Bowen

Bruce Bowen is considered by some to be the dirtiest player to ever play the game.  He played hard defense and was reputed to trip players before they took a shot.  In 2007, Amare Stoudemire accused Bowen of kicking him during a game.

Whether or not Bowen and those San Antonio Spurs teams were in fact dirty is debatable, but the fact that so many players and coaches made that accusation forever demonizes him.

Dennis Rodman

When your nickname throughout your career is "The Worm," chances are that isn't a good thing.  Dennis Rodman was one of the game's defensive players, but was a worm in the sense that his behavior was just, for lack of better word, slimy and disgusting.  Allow me to name just a few of his exploits.

After Chuck Daly resigned as coach of his Detroit Pistons, Rodman skipped training camp and demanded a trade.  Once he was traded to the San Antonio Spurs, he clashed with the front office there and was suspended twice.

With the Chicago Bulls, Rodman made headlines by headbutting referee Ted Bernhardt.  That brought a six game suspension.  In another instance, Rodman infamously kicked a cameraman in the groin after tripping over him during a game.

Rodman finished his career with the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks, alienating himself from his teammates in both instances thanks to his erratic behavior.  To date, he continues to make headlines as he has appeared on the series Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew and has played basketball on various teams.

The man was one of the best, but his reputation still overshadows his skills.

Rashard Lewis

Rashard Lewis is demonized because, like many players before him, he is a big contract player who didn't live up to the money.  In 2007, he signed a big contract with the Orlando Magic, one worth $118 million over six years.  Team management hoped that Lewis would be the perfect electrifying shooter who could complement Dwight Howard, and maybe even help on defense too.

While Lewis wasn't god-awful in Orlando, he still didn't live up to expectations.  Last season, he was traded to the Washington Wizards for Gilbert Arenas.

Once in Washington, it was hoped that he would be the veteran leader needed for the young Wizards team.  Instead, Lewis was barely a factor and missed the last month of the season with a knee injury.  In doing so, he did not win any new fans.

Also, let's not forget how many fans' hearts he broke when he left the Seattle SuperSonics for the long-term contract in the first place.  As last offseason taught us, that is enough for anyone to become a demon in the eyes of fans.

Tracy McGrady

Tracy McGrady used to be one of the game's most electrifying offensive forwards.  He could shoot and was a decent rebounder to boot.  His skills have earned him seven All-Star selections and he was the league scoring champion twice.

Yet, McGrady is more known for being one of the least durable players in the history of the game.  In 14 seasons, McGrady has only played in more than 70 games in half of them.  Injuries to his knee, shoulder and back have hampered him for the past five seasons and last year he was relegated to a bench/spot start role for the Detroit Pistons.

No matter how good McGrady may be for the rest of his career (he is still just 32), he will always be remembered as someone who was constantly injured and not so much a man who was once one of the NBA's best.

Isaiah Rider

Isaiah Rider played for five teams in nine NBA seasons.  It seems that wherever he played, he found himself getting into trouble.

With the Minnesota Timberwolves, he was charged with and convicted of assaulting the female manager of a sports bar.  He was also insubordinate towards team management and right before he was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers, he was arrested for marijuana possession.

In Portland, he was cited for possession of marijuana again and in his three years there, he was suspended for a total of 12 games.

He was then traded to the Atlanta Hawks and the house fell to the ground there.  He fought with team management, missed practices and was caught smoking marijuana in a hotel room.  After showing up late to a game, he asked to be released and got his wish.

He then had uneventful stints with the Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets before fading away into the land of players with attitudes so bad, no team will sign them.

It seems as though he demonized himself from the start.

Ron Artest/Metta World Peace

Ron Artest (yes, I'm still calling him that) used to be a premiere upstart forward.  When the Chicago Bulls drafted him out of St. John's in 1999, he instantly became a great defensive forward who could even shoot some.  Once he was traded to the Indiana Pacers in 2002, everything seemed to change.

Artest turned into a physical defender, almost dirty, and displayed something of a hothead attitude.  Said attitude reached its boiling point in November 2004, when Artest started the now infamous brawl at the Palace at Auburn Hills.  After being hit by a fan's drink, he jumped into the stands and started the fight that ended with him being suspended for the remainder of the season, plus the playoffs.  He missed a total of 86 games.

The following season, he demanded a trade out of nowhere and thus created a rift between himself and his teammates.  He was dealt to the Sacramento Kings and was effective there before being dealt to the Houston Rockets.

After one season in Houston, Artest signed a long-term deal with the Los Angeles Lakers and made headlines by appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and stripping down to his boxers as well as thanking his psychiatrist once the Lakers won the championship.

Most recently, he chose to legally change his name for Metta World Peace.  It's a shame that his personality has demonized him as someone just flat out strange and not a player who was once one of the best.

Ruben Patterson

Out of all the "Jail Blazers," Ruben Patterson was perhaps the most infamous of them all in terms of how he got that label.  In 2001, he pleaded guilty to charges that he attempted to rape his child's nanny.  That same year, he was convicted of misdemeanor assault after attacking a man who scratched his car.

A year later, he was brought up on felony domestic abuse charges after a fight with his wife.

Throw in the fact that Patterson was never super-talented to begin with, and he will forever be known as a demonized player.

Michael Beasley

Michael Beasley's career as a demonized player began before he even stepped on an NBA court.  During the rookie training camp in 2008, shortly after he was drafted by the Miami Heat, he was supposedly caught smoking marijuana, though no charges were filed and he was dismissed from the camp.

A year later, Beasley checked into a rehab center in Houston on the orders of Heat president Pat Riley.  This stay was apparently for "stress-related issues."

Today, Beasley's marijuana demons have not left him as he was pulled over in June while driving through suburban Minneapolis.  Initially a speeding stop, the officer apparently smelled marijuana and found some in the car.  Beasley claimed it wasn't his and was fined.

On the court, however, Beasley is also demonized.  He has long had a reputation for being a good shooter, but one who takes way too many bad shots.  Given how the Timberwolves have drafted Derrick Williams and also have the multi-talented Kevin Love, he will find his demonized self traded soon, in all likelihood.

Micheal Ray Richardson

Michael Ray Richardson easily could have been one of the best players in NBA history.  He could shoot, pass the ball well, and played incredible defense.  Unfortunately, his cocaine addiction prevented him from reaching his full potential and he was banned for life in 1986.

Here was a man who was billed as the "next Walt Frazier" and instead of playing in multiple All-Star Games and winning multiple championship rings, he was out of the league by age 30.

Throw in some anti-semitic comments he made in 2007, and Richardson could be one of the worst demonized players.

Vernon Maxwell

Honestly, could we have a slideshow on demonized NBA players without any mention of Vernon Maxwell?  Mad Max found himself in trouble multiple times, most notably as a member of the Houston Rockets.

In 1995, Maxwell ran into the stands and punched a heckler who apparently made a joke about Maxwell's wife miscarrying their child.  This resulted in a 10 game suspension and a fine.

That same year, out of frustration over lack of playing time, he faked an injury and was given a leave of absence.  Once the truth came to light, he was released.

The worst, however, occurred in 1997.  Maxwell was ordered to pay a woman $592,000 for knowingly giving her herpes.  Call me crazy, but everything else seems like small potatoes compared to this.  To give someone an infectious disease on purpose is just plain disgusting and if Maxwell is a demonized player, he deserves it.

Antoine Walker

In recent years, Antoine Walker has made headlines.  The problem is that his talents aren't the reason he has made the news.  Rather, Walker is back in the spotlight following his bankruptcy filing last year.  In that report, it was uncovered that he was about $12 million in debt.

In 2009, he was charged with writing $800,000 worth of bad checks to cover gambling losses in Las Vegas. 

The sad part is that to pay off all of his debts, Walker is currently playing in the NBA Development League.  Here is a man who was once one of the best shooters in the NBA, and now he is playing on a team full of guys just looking to get a shot on that level.  All so he can erase his debt.

I've heard of a fall from grace, but this is just ridiculous.

Charles Barkley

Charles Barkley has never been a stranger to controversy, both on and off the court.  Ever since he entered the league in 1984, he got into fights during games and away from them.

His infamous behavior reached a new level in 1991 when he accidentally spat on a girl during a game.  In all fairness, Barkley was aiming for someone yelling racial slurs at him, but regardless he was suspended without pay and fined $10,000.

On top of that, throughout his career, Barkley staunchly believed that professional athletes should not be role models.  This drew the ire of some fans, yet the man even made a sneaker commercial stating his view.

Once he retired, he became a broadcaster and made headlines when he admitted in an interview with ESPN that he had lost nearly $10 million in gambling losses.

Throw in his legendary DUI arrest from 2008, and Barkley is definitely demonized.

Isiah Thomas

I could go with the obvious routes here.  Thomas is demonized for being part of the "Bad Boys" of Detroit, or maybe for basically running the New York Knicks into the ground over a five-year period.  While those are all good reasons, I'm instead going to focus on Thomas's sexual harassment suit.

In 2007, former Knicks employee Anucha Browne Sanders sued Thomas and Madison Square Garden for sexual harassment and at the end of all the drama, she was awarded $11.6 million.  Still, Thomas was allowed to keep his job as Knicks coach and GM.

A year later, a few months after he was fired from his positions, police were called to his house in Westchester County, New York and he was found unconscious.  It was later determined that he had overdosed on sleeping pills.

Considering how Thomas was one of the game's best point guards, the aforementioned actions are truly a shame.

Gilbert Arenas

Gilbert Arenas used to be one of the best shooters and passers in the NBA.  He was very injury prone, but his value to the team when he was healthy made that easy to overlook.  Then, in 2009, he ended up with a black mark on his career that I'm not sure he can ever erase.

In December 2009, it was reported that Arenas and then-teammate Javaris Crittenton had gotten into a fight over some gambling debts.  To settle the fight, they drew unloaded guns on each other in the team locker room at the Verizon Center.  This was in violation of NBA policy and Washington, D.C. law.

As a result, both players were suspended for the remainder of that season and Arenas was charged with possession of an unlicensed pistol.  He pleaded guilty, was convicted and sentenced to two years' probation along with a month in a halfway house.  Last season, in what can only be called an effort to unload salary and distance themselves from the situation, the Wizards traded Arenas to the Orlando Magic.

Crittenton, on the other hand...

Javaris Crittenton

Just when I thought that Javaris Crittenton might be able to repair his image following the drama with Arenas, he killed all hopes of that this past summer.  In August, he was charged with the murder of a 22-year-old mother of four in Atlanta.  He fled the city and was arrested in Orange County, California before being extradited back to Georgia.

He is awaiting trial and has denied any involvement in the crime.  Even if he beats the charges, he will never live this down and his reputation both on and off the court will forever be tarnished.

Adam Morrison

Adam Morrison was a collegiate star at Gonzaga, so much that the Charlotte Bobcats drafted him with the third overall pick in 2006.  Unfortunately, he did not live up to the hype as it was quickly discovered that he was nothing more than a shooter.  Seriously, the man's defense was borderline nonexistent.

He didn't even last three seasons in Charlotte and was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2009, where he continued to underachieve.  Currently, Morrison is playing in Belgrade.

What makes him a demonized player is the fact that in spite of his bad rookie campaign and then missing all of the next season with a knee injury, Morrison never really appeared to make much of an effort to improve his defense.  It seemed that he took the approach of "I'm a shooter.  Always have been and always will be."

If only he knew that approach doesn't fly in the NBA.  Otherwise, he may have been a star.

Kwame Brown

Once he was drafted first overall by the Washington Wizards in 2001, 6'11" Kwame Brown was expected to be the next great NBA center.  Instead, he became a horrific bust and a demonized player.

His first season was littered with immaturity and low production.  As talented as he was, he had a major attitude problem and opted to test the free agent market after just three-years in the league.  Sure enough, the Wizards were the only team interested.

Brown was later traded to the Los Angeles Lakers and continued to under-perform there.  He has since played for the Detroit Pistons, Memphis Grizzlies and Charlotte Bobcats.

Off of the court, Brown has been accused of rape (though he was cleared of the charges) and was arrested for disorderly conduct in 2007.  Clearly, this demonizing is a case of a player who was talented and unfortunately knew it.  Had he shown some humility, perhaps he could have been great.

Derrick Coleman

The New Jersey Nets drafted Coleman with the first overall pick in 1990 and while he was talented, he just never applied himself fully.  He put up decent numbers, but had a reputation for stopping giving his full effort once he felt he had met his stats for the night.  When Butch Beard took over as head coach of the Nets in 1994, he instituted a dress code that would result in fines for those who did not follow it.  Coleman presented the man with a blank check.

Here was a man who should have stepped up as a leader, especially following the tragic death of popular shooting guard Drazen Petrovic, and instead he was an insubordinate jerk.  He was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers and the remainder of his career was highlighted by laziness, weight gain and conduct issues.

Vin Baker

Vin Baker was not a bad player nor a bad person, but his image has forever been tarnished due to his alcoholism.  During the lockout-shortened 1998-1999 season, his weight was up around 300 pounds and the downfall began there.  After getting back into playing shape, Baker came forward about his alcoholism.

Some years later, when with the Boston Celtics, head coach Jim O'Brien smelled alcohol on Baker's breath and confronted him.  The team then suspended him before cutting him completely.

Baker than bounced around the league from 2004-2006, but his demons still haunt him.  Just a few years ago, he was arrested for drunk driving in Norwich, Connecticut.

Here is a man who was once a top power forward, yet all we seem to remember him for is his drinking problem.  Truly sad considering how talented Baker was.

Eddie Johnson

Once one of the NBA's top guards, "Fast" Eddie Johnson is another case of a player whose career was once promising but then spiraled out of control.  Due to an untreated drug addiction, Johnson was kicked out of the league in 1987 at just 31 years old.

Overall, his rap sheet has about 100 arrests and multiple stints in prison throughout Florida.  His worst crime of all was committed in 2006.  Already awaiting trial for the rape of another woman, Johnson was charged with both burglary and molesting an 8-year-old girl.

Sure enough, he was convicted and sentenced to life without parole.  Not many people may know about him, but he is easily one of the most demonized players in the history of the game.

Latrell Sprewell

Latrell Sprewell is demonized in the fact that he had a horrible attitude and wasted so much talent as a result of said attitude.  He was drafted by the Golden State Warriors in 1992 and while he made an immediate impact, he developed a reputation as a hothead almost immediately.

In 1993, he fought with his much larger teammate, Byron Houston.  Two years later, he fought with teammate Jerome Kersey and left practice only to return with a piece of wood and threaten to come back again with a gun.

However, the worst incident occurred in 1997.  When criticized by Warriors head coach P.J. Carlesimo during practice, Sprewell snapped and started choking the man.  Teammates broke up the fight and Sprewell was suspended for the season's remaining 68 games.  At the time, it was the longest suspension ever given out.

He returned to the league the following year and was traded to the New York Knicks.  He finished his career with the Minnesota Timberwolves and made headlines when he turned down a three-year deal worth $21 million, saying "I have a family to feed."  Sprewell has not played in the NBA since.

Throw in the choking incident, his selfish remarks, and his financial troubles since retirement, and this man is more than just demonized. 

Calvin Murphy

Once a popular NBA guard, Calvin Murphy's post-NBA life has been tumultuous.  He has fathered 14 children by nine different women and in 2004, he was accused of sexually abusing five of his daughters.  He was acquitted of the charges, but that is still an ugly accusation to just shake off.

On top of that, it should be noted that Murphy had a tendency to be something of a hot-head as a player.  Despite being just 5'9", he was not afraid to get involved in fights if it meant protecting his teammates.  Which brings us to our next slide...

Kermit Washington

Going into the 1977-1978 season, Kermit Washington was slowly developing a reputation as one of the most physical and best-defending forwards in the game.  A member of the Los Angeles Lakers, he served as teammate Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's "enforcer," also known as the man who protected the star at all times.

Yet, on December 9, 1977, Washington's career changed forever.  In a game played at home against the Houston Rockets, Washington infamously hit Rockets guard Rudy Tomjanovich with one of the scariest punches in NBA history.  Jabbar compared the sound of the impact to a melon falling on concrete.

Long story short, Tomjanovich's face and skull were fractured so horribly that he could actually taste the spinal fluid leaking out of his skull capsule.  Washington was suspended for two months and fined $10,000 before being traded to the Boston Celtics.  His career was never the same and he was out of the league by 1982 before attempting a feeble comeback in 1987.

While the two have seemingly reconciled, Washington will always be remembered for unprovokingly punching Tomjanovich.  Thus, he is demonized, albeit perhaps a little unfairly.

Allen Iverson

Allen Iverson is easily one of the best guards in NBA history.  He led the league in scoring four times, was named league MVP in 2001 and played in 11 All-Star Games.  Yet, like so many of the other men mentioned on this list, Iverson's bad attitude ultimately garnered more attention than his talents.

We all know about the borderline hilarious "practice" press conference, which came about after his then-coach Larry Brown criticized him for skipping team practices and shootarounds.  This was when Iverson was the star of the Philadelphia 76ers, who eventually traded him to the Denver Nuggets in 2006 following multiple behavioral issues.  Two years later, he was traded to the Detroit Pistons for Chauncey Billups.

In Detroit, Iverson's attitude flared up again when he was benched in favor of Rodney Stuckey.  He famously stated, "I would rather retire than be a bench player."

When he signed with the Memphis Grizzlies the following year, he was on the bench and none too pleased about it.  He left the team for "personal reasons" and his contract was mutually terminated shortly afterward.  He then signed with the Sixers again and was uneffective.

He tried to resurrect his career in Turkey, but injury prevented that from happening.  It's just sad that such amazing talent is put on the back burner so that the man can be demonized thanks to his poor attitude.

Chris Bosh

Chris Bosh made headlines last offseason when he left the Toronto Raptors to sign a maximum-level contract with the Miami Heat to join his good friend, Dwyane Wade.  The tallest member of the "Big Three", Bosh was expected to be the top performer in the middle as well as provide quality defense.

While he did finish the season with averages of 18.7 points and 8.3 rebounds, Bosh found himself to be the subject of criticism when the team underperformed.  He was labeled as "soft" and not performing up to his contract.

Even worse, when the Heat were on a losing streak in the second half of the season, Bosh openly complained about not being involved enough on offense.  Call me old-fashioned, but a player should NEVER complain about their role on the team.  Bosh should have known that he would have more than likely been the man with the least touches on offense, especially considering how he was in the starting lineup with D-Wade and LeBron James, and thus he should have kept his mouth shut.

It's amazing how just one complaint can demonize someone, especially Bosh.

Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant is the NBA player that everyone loves to hate.  Some hate him because of his ego, some for him hogging the ball, and others still haven't forgiven him for his sexual assault case in 2003-2004.

For those unfamiliar, Bryant was accused of sexually assaulting a hotel staff member in Colorado in the summer of 2003, though he claimed it was consensual.  It was a long and drawn out process that ended up being settled out of court, but not before Bryant lost two major endorsements in McDonald's and Nutella.

This case was enough to demonize him forever, but that doesn't take away from his talent.  People just don't like the man for some reason or another and as a result, the label remains.

LeBron James

Though this slideshow doesn't list the players mentioned in any particular order, I knew from the start that I had to have LeBron James as the last man standing.  Here is a man who was once the most beloved player in the NBA, having taken the Cleveland Cavaliers out of last place and into perennial contendership, even a trip to the NBA Finals in 2007, and now he is the most-hated player in the game.

James was demonized last offseason when after much speculation, he turned his free agency "decision" into a nationally televised event and then broke multiple fan bases' collective hearts when he announced he would spurn offers from the Cavs, Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks to "take my talents to South Beach" and join the Miami Heat.  Instead of going to a team where he would be a leader and the top dog, he chose to go to a team that already had two superstars on it so that if the Heat underachieved, all of the pressure would not fall on his head.

Yet, what James wanted to avoid ultimately happened to him.  The Heat made the NBA Finals, but he was a non-factor in the last few games and rarely demanded the ball in clutch situations.  Instead, he opted to let Dwyane Wade do most of the work.  What he should have done is put the team on his back and thrown away all fear of failure.

Once Miami lost the NBA Finals, James had some choice words during the postgame press conference and the demonizing label only branded itself deeper into James' image.  Unless his performance in next season's playoffs is the exact opposite of what he pulled last season, he will have a hard time becoming un-demonized.