Last Updated on September 25, 2025 by Matt Staff
Sports mythology likes clean arcs, with hard work and highlight reels. But sometimes, real life (and very public arrests) complicates the storyline, freezing NBA legends and fan favorites in moments that don’t fit on a poster.
This roundup revisits 15 historic arrests involving NBA players that fans still talk about. Not to glorify bad choices, but to look straight at the chapters the stat sheet leaves out, the ones that reshaped careers, reputations, and sometimes entire seasons.
1. Allen Iverson
In 2002, the 76ers star was arrested in Philadelphia after a domestic dispute. The charges were later dropped, but the incident still shadows the league’s most electric pound-for-pound scorer.
2. Dennis Rodman
During the late 90s and early 2000s, Rodman racked up arrests tied to DUI and public disturbances while bouncing between teams. The headlines became part of the legend as much as the rebounds.
3. Kobe Bryant
In 2003, Bryant was arrested in Eagle, Colorado. The criminal case was later dismissed when the accuser declined to testify, and a civil suit was settled. This case remains one of the decade’s most scrutinized NBA storylines.
4. J.R. Rider (Isaiah Rider)
Through the 1990s, Rider faced multiple arrests for traffic and possession issues while playing for the Wolves, Blazers, and others. The talent was never in question, but the off-court file was.
5. Delonte West
Stopped in Maryland in 2009 while with the Cavaliers, West was arrested on weapons charges after a traffic stop. The case marked the start of a difficult chapter that followed him beyond basketball.
6. J. R. Smith
In 2009, the Nuggets guard was arrested in New Jersey after a traffic stop revealed a suspended license. The blotter followed him from Denver to later stops, even as his streaky shooting swung games.
7. Scottie Pippen
In 1999, Pippen was arrested on a DUI charge in Illinois. The Hall-of-Fame’s on-court calm didn’t always extend to the driver’s seat.
8. Jason Kidd
In 2001, the Sun’s floor general was arrested on a domestic-violence charge and later entered counseling as part of a plea. Years later, he also faced a 2012 DWI arrest while still an active player.
9. Carmelo Anthony
The Nuggets star was arrested for DUI in Denver in 2008 and served a team suspension. A season of big buckets met a headline that wouldn’t go away.
10. Gilbert Arenas
In 2010, the Wizards guard was arrested and later sentenced after bringing firearms into the team locker room. The fallout included a lengthy suspension and the abrupt end of Agent Zero-era swagger.
11. Zach Randolph
Randolph was arrested for DUI in Los Angeles in 2009 while with the Clippers, and again in 2017 as an L.A. King. He kept reinventing his game, even as the blotter kept pace.
12. Sebastian Telfair
In 2007, the Celtics guard was arrested in New York on a gun-possession charge following a traffic stop. A decade later, another firearms case revived the conversation about promise and pitfalls.
13. Ty Lawson
Lawson was arrested for DUI in Denver in early 2015 and again that summer in Los Angeles while still an active player. The repeat headlines helped derail a gifted playmaker’s prime.
14. DeShawn Stevenson
The morning after the Mavericks’ 2011 championship parade, Stevenson was arrested for public intoxication in Texas. A night of celebration turned into one more entry in a colorful career.
15. Mike Beasley
While with the Timberwolves in 2011, Beasley was arrested on a misdemeanor charge in Minnesota. The box-score talent never quite outran the off-court footnotes.
Explore more historical content:
If these flashbulb moments put the game in a different light, keep the nostalgia going with these 25 Yearbook and Vintage Photos of Famous NBA Players From the 1960s, or these 10 Historical NBA Rules and Traditions That No Longer Exist.
