The NBA is one of the most popular sporting leagues in the world. The past two decades have seen a surge in popularity, with the sport becoming one of the most-followed worldwide.

At the same time, the league has seen a range of controversies, including fan-brawls, sexual assault and other litigation-related scandals, and even instances of bigotry and racism. The following article looks at some of the most shocking scandals that the NBA ever saw:

Despite the NBA’s popularity, there have been incidents where the league has been shown in a bad light. These scandals tend to put the entire credibility of an organization under threat, with some controversies leading to the end of multiple careers.

Some incidents have even led to the involvement of police authorities, while others were simply quickly swept under the rug. In this article, we look at five of the biggest scandals that ever hit the NBA:

#5 The firing of Donald Sterling

Former owner of the LA Clippers franchise, Donald Sterling had always had a controversial past and was involved in multiple scandals. This included a sexual harassment lawsuit in 1996 and a discrimination lawsuit in 2003.

Sterling continued in his position until around 2014, when he was given a lifetime ban by the NBA following a huge controversy involving his mistress V. Stiviano. A video featuring a voice recording in which Donald Sterling could be heard making racist remarks against Stiviano was leaked online, prompting the NBA to take action.

The league responded by invoking a $2.5 million fine and banning him from dealing with the organization for life.

#4 The Dallas Mavericks sexual harassment allegations

In 2018, NBA franchise Dallas Mavericks faced widespread allegations of sexual harassment and discrimination being prevalent throughout the organization. Sports Illustrated posted a report after talking to around 215 current and former Dallas Mavericks employees.

According to the report, the team’s ticket office and other internal wings had seen widespread incidents of harassment and discrimination against women. The report named the Head of Human Resources, Buddy Pittman, as majorly responsible for his inability to take action against incessant complaints.

At the same time, owner Mark Cuban was also accused of not taking action but was soon found not guilty.

Also Read: How many rings did Kobe Bryant Win?

#3 Kobe Bryant’s sexual assault case

In July 2003, the late LA Lakers’ legend was accused of rape by a 19-year old woman hotel employee. Bryant was recuperating from a rotator cuff surgery and had checked in at The Lodge and Spa at Cordillera, a hotel in Edwards, Colorado.

The June 30th incident led to a lawsuit which eventually concluded with an out-of-court settlement and a former apology from the Lakers’ player. The woman in question had accused Bryant of inviting her to his room on the pretense of a hotel tour and eventually kissed and groped her without consent.

The charges were taken back after the out-of-court settlement towards the end of the same year.

#2 Tim Donaghy betting scandal

Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy was sentenced to 15 months in jail and around three years of supervised release. Donaghy was found using his NBA knowledge to bet on professional basketball games in the 2005-06 and the 2006-07 NBA seasons.

During his trial, Tim Donaghy also alleged that multiple NBA Playoff games were deliberately officiated incorrectly, with some personal calls and fouls ignored on the NBA’s instructions. While the controversy was huge, the allegations were later quashed after Tim Donaghy was found guilty of betting.

#1 Malice in the Palace

During Indiana Pacers’ regular season encounter with the Detroit Pistons in 2004, Ron Artest was involved in a brawl with Ben Wallace after committing a personal foul. Wallace shoved him back which resulted in a brawl that comprised of both teams’ benches, and fans who rushed to the court.

The brawl led to the NBA restricting the amount of alcohol sold in games.

Malice in the Palace is considered to be the worst fan-based brawl that has ever occurred in the NBA. It led to a total of 9 players who were on the court to be suspended for a total of 146 NBA games. The punishment also included a year’s probation, fine and community service for 5 of the players most notably involved.