Over the years in the NBA, players have fought hard to gain control of the decision they make with their careers. They have fought and earned that right after years of having to adhere to guidelines and rules that did not favor the decisions they wanted to make. As the saying goes, “With great power comes great responsibility.” Players are now making more money than ever, and they have earned it, but there is another interesting trend that has been the norm over the last 20 years in the NBA. Now, more than ever, players are willing to make decisions with their careers that can be seen as villainous, all in the name of an NBA championship.
There are players who have remained loyal to their respective teams over the years, of course. There has also been a fair share of players taking to free agency and trade requests in shocking moves that can alter the state of a franchise and its fanbase. These shocking moves are viewed as traitorous, with a lot of moves being made between rivals competing for a chance at an NBA championship. Other moves were seen as a player turning his back on a franchise and fanbase that had their backs no matter what, leading to each of the 10 players below being labeled as snakes, villains, and traitors.
These are the 10 biggest traitors in NBA history.
Honorable MentionBack To Where It All Started
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After being a member of the legendary 1996 NBA Draft class, Steve Nash got his start in Phoenix with the Suns. Nash would make 11 starts in his first two seasons and average just 6.4 PPG and 2.8 APG. Phoenix would make the decision to move on from Nash and ship him to Dallas. Nash would blossom in Dallas alongside good friend Dirk Nowitzki. Nash would earn two All-Star selections and averaged 14.6 PPG and 7.2 APG with the team over six seasons.
In 2004, Nash hit the open market as a free agent, and most believed that it would make a ton to get him out of Dallas and away from a unit that was so close to an NBA championship. Unfortunately, Nash would be enticed by an offer from Phoenix, and with Dallas unwilling to match; Nash was headed back to the desert. Nash would go on to win two MVP awards, six All-Star selections, and five assists titles with the Suns as the leader of the most potent offense in basketball. Dallas would have the last laugh, though, as Nowitzki and the Mavericks won an NBA championship in 2011 while Nash retired without ever winning one.
10. No Alignment For Starbury In Minnesota
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The name Stephon Marbury in Minnesota is like spitting venom right in the face of every Timberwolves fan in the region. As a young man, Marbury starred for Minnesota, averaging 16.9 PPG and 8.3 APG alongside a young and talented Kevin Garnett. It looked like Minnesota was heading for serious contention over the next few seasons until Marbury decided he wanted out. The NBA is a business at the end of the day, and Marbury sought better commercial opportunities outside of what he viewed as limited in Minnesota.
In 1998-99, a trade was finalized with the New Jersey Nets, where Marbury would spend the next three seasons and become an All-Star. Marbury became a 20.0 PPG scorer while dishing out over 8.0 APG over the next few years with the Suns as well and had a decent run with the Knicks in the late 2000s as well. Marbury would go on to become a basketball icon in the country of China after his NBA career was over, even having a museum built in honor of his basketball accomplishments over the years.
9. Shaq Goes Hollywood
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Losing Shaquille O’Neal can have cataclysmic effects on an NBA franchise, as we saw with the Lakers in the 2000s. In the case of the Orlando Magic in the 90s, it can be catastrophic. In his first four seasons with the Magic from 1993 thru 1996, O’Neal was a scoring champion, Rookie of the Year, and had already led his team to an NBA Finals appearance in just his third season. O’Neal quickly became one of the best big men in the world and averaged 27.2 PPG, 12.5 RPG, and 2.8 BPG in his time with the Magic.
Unfortunately, things got sour behind the scenes between the team and Shaq. The Magic were unwilling to match O’Neal’s high salary demands, thus opening the door for him to make the move to the Lakers. With this not being a real rivalry at the time, it does not crack the top five of our list, but it did lead to three NBA championships for the Lakers while Shaq became the most dominant player in the world. For the Magic, it took 14 years to get back to the NBA Finals until another big man left and changed the direction of the franchise once again.
8. T-Mac Goes South
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We know Tracy McGrady today as one of the most offensively skilled players ever who got robbed of a real prime due to injuries. Over his first two seasons with the Raptors, McGrady saw less than 20.0 minutes of action in coach Butch Carter’s system and also played in the shadow of his cousin, Vince Carter. By 2000, McGrady’s minutes jumped to over 31.0 minutes, and he averaged 15.4 PPG. After getting swept in the NBA playoffs, McGrady had made up his mind surrounding his frustration in Toronto, and the rest is history.
McGrady signed a $67 million deal with the Orlando Magic, which kickstarted a Hall of Fame career. McGrady would win back-to-back scoring titles in 2003 and 2004 and averaged 28.1 PPG in four seasons with Orlando, and earned four All-Star appearances. In his later years with the Rockets, McGrady averaged 24.1 PPG over his first four seasons before injuries began to disrupt his game. McGrady always showed a bit of regret for leaving Toronto in 2000, citing the prospect of doing special things alongside Carter.
7. Preferred Vacation Spot: Utah Or Cleveland?
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In 2002, the Cleveland Cavaliers believed they found a steal with Carlos Boozer out of Duke in the second round of the NBA Draft. Over his first two seasons, Boozer exceeded expectations with the Cavaliers, making an All-Rookie Team in 2002-03 averaging 10.0 PPG and 7.5 RPG. He increased his numbers to 15.5 PPG and 11.4 RPG the following season, leaving Boozer and the Cavaliers with a big decision to make with the arrival of LeBron James. Reportedly, the two sides came to a verbal agreement that Boozer would stay in town.
It would not end up that way as the Utah Jazz came in and offered more money than the Cavaliers were willing to. Thus, Boozer went on to team with Deron Williams on the Jazz, where Boozer became an All-Star in 2007 and 2008, averaging over 20.0 PPG and 10.0 RPG each season. Boozer would have a 13-year career in which he earned one All-NBA Team selection on top of his two All-Star selections.
6. DeAndre Jordan Causes Chaos In L.A. And Dallas
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After the 2015 NBA season, the Los Angeles Clippers and DeAndre Jordan had enormous decisions to make regarding their future. Jordan thought he saw the writing on the wall with the Clippers and hit free agency with an open mind. He was approached by the Dallas Mavericks and owner Mark Cuban for a meeting. The meeting ended with the Mavericks and Jordan agreeing to terms on a four-year, $80 million deal. By the end of the week, the deal would be dead.
Apparently, the Clippers’ core of Doc Rivers, Chris Paul, and Blake Griffin was not willing to let a key piece to their team walk away. They talked for hours at Jordan’s location, eventually convincing the big man to come back to Los Angeles on a max four-year, $88 million deal. A traitor on two fronts and in two days? Unbelievable. Jordan would rescind his agreement with Dallas and play three more seasons with the Clippers, earning an All-Star selection in 2017. Jordan would never win an NBA championship, even after joining Dallas much later in his career. He played 39 games in 2022-23, averaging 5.1 PPG and 5.2 RPG for the Nuggets.
5. Air Canada No More
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During the 90s and 2000s, Vince Carter helped put basketball on the map in Canada with his high-flying feats of athleticism, defying what many thought basketball players were capable of at the time. Carter’s extraordinary play resulted in many firsts for the Raptors as an organization, including their first trip to the playoffs and first playoff single-game victory. Carter was an icon North of the Border as he averaged 23.4 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 3.9 APG, and 1.3 SPG in seven seasons with the team. After those seven seasons, Carter decided he wanted out and betrayed the fans who had embraced him from the beginning.
Carter was dealt to the Nets in December 2004 as the team was coming off back-to-back appearances in the Finals. Carter remained one of the best players in basketball while with New Jersey averaging 23.6 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 4.7 APG, and 1.2 SPG in four and a half seasons. Carter would have a legendary 22-year NBA career in which he earned eight All-Star selections, two All-NBA Team selections, and one of the greatest Slam Dunk Contest performances in NBA history.
4. Malone Takes The Easy Way Out
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For 18 years, Karl Malone was the man for the Utah Jazz, making them annual contenders to compete for an NBA championship. With the Jazz from 1986 thru 2003, Karl Malone led the franchise to new heights and ones they haven’t seen since. He was as consistent of a star as there was in the NBA at the time and earned himself two MVP awards along the way as well as two Finals appearances. Malone also came up in an era when it was extremely rare for stars to switch franchises.
That is why his next move baffled everyone when he hit free agency in 2003. Malone would sign a free agent deal with the Lakers as they added him and Gary Payton to the already accomplished duo of Kobe Bryant and Shaq. However, things did not go as planned, as the Lakers failed to capture an NBA championship and fell to the Pistons in the NBA Finals. Malone would play just 42 games due to injuries and averaged 13.2 PPG and 8.7 RPG. Malone would retire after the season but not before laying down a startling betrayal to the Utah Jazz.
3. A Backstabbing In Beantown
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When the Boston Celtics acquired both Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen in the summer of 2007, the possibilities were endless as to what they could accomplish with Paul Pierce at their side as well. Allen and the Celtics would climb the mountaintop in their first season together, winning the NBA championship in 2008. Over the next few seasons, Allen and the Celtics would battle with LeBron James’ Cavaliers and Heat teams in the regular season and playoffs. In 2012, Allen made an unforgivable decision.
As he hit free agency at 37 years old, Allen turned down a two-year offer from Boston to join the Heat for the 2012-13 season. The decision left Allen’s Boston teammates bitter and disgusted by the move, while Allen benefited greatly. He hit one of the biggest shots in NBA Finals history as he forced overtime in Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals. A Finals that the Heat would end up winning. Allen got to play in two Finals with the Heat before retiring at 38 years old in 2014. Allen and Garnett, as well as Pierce, have since reconciled their difference over the decision.
2. I’m Taking My Talents To South Beach
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By the time 2010 rolled around, it was clear that the superstar who was going to lead the NBA through the next decade was LeBron James. He had spent his first seven seasons in Cleveland with the Cavaliers while winning MVP awards and leading mediocre teams to appearances in the NBA Finals. After another disappointing end to his season in 2010, LeBron hit free agency for the first time, and the results sent shockwaves throughout the entire NBA community.
On national television, LeBron James let the world know he was leaving the only franchise he had ever known to join Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh with the Miami Heat. The decision left Cavaliers fans heartbroken and angry, while Heat fans were elated at the prospect of what was about to occur in their city. James would end up leading the Heat to two NBA championships in 2012 and 2013 while appearing in four total. Of course, James would leave Miami in 2014 in order to return to the Cavaliers. In 2016, all was forgiven as he led the team to their first NBA championship in dramatic fashion over the Golden State Warriors.
1. If You Can’t Beat Em, Join Em
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There was another top superstar in the NBA ready to hit free agency during the mid-2010s whose decision would alter the state of the NBA as a whole. For the first nine seasons of his career, Kevin Durant helped the transition for the Thunder from Seattle to Oklahoma City. The fanbase embraced and loved him as he won an MVP award and led the Thunder to an NBA Finals appearance. In 2015, he led them to a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference Finals. After blowing the 3-1 series lead, Durant was set to hit free agency, but nobody expected what was about to happen.
After taking several meetings with several different franchises, the overall feeling was that Durant was going to return to Oklahoma City. However, Durant would choose to join the very team that stopped him from getting back to the NBA Finals the year before, the Warriors. When Durant joined the Warriors, he became public enemy number one, a title he still holds today in many ways. The move would pay off for Durant, though. Two championships and two Finals MVPs later, and Durant looks poised to lead another franchise to the NBA Finals in the Phoenix Suns.
Source: fadeawayworld
