10 individuals banned permanently from the NBA
Every entity, like the NBA, has their own guidelines and rules, so infringements of the same could lead to bans of varying durations.
There are many such instances in the NBA. The league has accorded more than a few life bans on individuals for different reasons ranging from point-shaving scandals, racist behavior or substance abuse, to name a few.
In the NBA's early years, there were players who got involved in point-shaving and betting scandals. Not tolerant of such behavior, the NBA dropped the hammer on such individuals, even if they were in college.
The NBA's blacklist: 10 individuals banned permanently from the league
As many as 17 different individuals have been slapped with varying durations of bans by the NBA, depending on the infringements they committed.
There have been instances of the NBA banning players for life due to point-shaving scandals in college or for betting against their own basketball team. Without further ado, let us take a look at ten such individuals who have been banned permanently from the NBA.
#10 Richard Dumas
Richard Dumas was selected by the Phoenix Suns in the second round of the 1991 NBA Draft. But he made his league debut a year later, on December 18th, 1992, because he was suspended for the entire 1991-92 season for substance abuse.
After averaging 15.8 points in the regular season with the Phoenix Suns and featuring in the 1993 NBA Finals against Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, Dumas was again suspended indefinitely for substance abuse.
He later returned to play in the 1994-95 and 1995-96 NBA seasons, but the league subsequently banned him permanently for substance abuse.
#9 Roger Brown
Roger Brown is in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame because it does not include only NBA players.
Brown was suspended permanently by the NBA and could not play a single minute in the competition due to his ties with Jack Molinas during his college days in Dayton.
Bronw played eight years in the ABA from 1967 to 1975 and was a great performer. He led the Indiana Pacers to three ABA championships, and his number (35) has since been retired by the Pacers.
#8 Gene Melchiorre
Gene Melchiorre was picked first overall in the 1951 NBA Draft by the Baltimore Bullets after spending four years of college basketball at Bradley.
Melchiorre admitted that he was involved in point-shaving issues in his college days. That led to the then NBA President, Maurice Podoloff, banning him and every athlete involved with the incident.
Melchiorre and Clifton McNeely (the first pick in the first draft in 1947) are the only players who were the first overall picks and did not play in the NBA (or the BAA, as the league was called in McNeely's time).
#7 Chris Washburn
The Golden State Warriors selected Chris Washburn with the third pick in the 1986 NBA Draft. He played 43 games for the team and 29 for the Atlanta Hawks between 1986 and 1988.
However, Washburn was banned permanently from the NBA in 1989 after he failed three separate drug tests in as many years. The 6' 11'' center averaged only nine minutes per game during his NBA career.
#6 John Drew
John Drew played 11 NBA seasons between 1974 to 1985 and was a two-time All-Star when he received a permanent ban from the league for substance abuse.
Drew played as a forward for the Atlanta Hawks and Utah Jazz and averaged 20 points and seven rebounds in his NBA career spanning 739 games. His ban came after he failed three drug tests.
#5 Roy Tarpley
Roy Tarpley played for the Dallas Mavericks between 1986 and 1991 before missing three full seasons because of substance abuse. Tarpley returned to Dallas and played 55 games in the 1994-95 NBA campaign.
However, Tarpley's alcohol-related issues continued, and he was banned from the NBA for alcohol abuse in December 1995. He later played in Greece but never returned to the NBA.
Tarpley was the Sixth Man of the Year in the 1987-88 NBA season. He died in 2015 at the age of 50.
#4 OJ Mayo
In a more recent case, OJ Mayo got banned from the NBA for failing multiple drug tests and violating the NBA's anti-drug policy.
Mayo entered the NBA in 2008 and earned a place among the All-Rookie teams in the 2008-09 season while playing for the Memphis Grizzlies. He played in Memphis till 2012. He then spent a year with the Dallas Mavericks and three with the Milwaukee Bucks before being banned.
Now 33, he has not played since 2016 but could return to the NBA if he is reinstated by the league.
#3 Tyreke Evans
Tyreke Evans won the NBA Rookie of the Year award in the 2009-10 season ahead of Golden State Warriors' legend Stephen Curry.
Evans went on to play for the Sacramento Kings, New Orleans Pelicans, Memphis Grizzlies and Indiana Pacers before falling foul of the NBA for violating its anti-drug policy.
He last played in the league in 2019 and is eligible for reinstatement in 2021.
#2 Donald Sterling
The only man on this list who was not an NBA player, Donald Sterling, is infamous for being banned from the league in 2014 by commissioner Adam Silver after recordings of him making racists remarks came to light.
Sterling, who owned the LA Clippers at the time, was banned for life and forced to sell the franchise, which was bought by Steve Ballmer for $2 billion.
#1 Jontay Porter
The NBA dropped the hammer on Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter. The 24-year-old forward was banned from the league after an investigation revealed he broke betting rules.
The NBA investigation revealed a web of deceit by Jontay Porter. He not only leaked confidential information to gamblers, but also intentionally sat out games to influence bets, and even wagered on NBA games himself, a clear violation of league rules.
“There is nothing more important than protecting the integrity of NBA competition for our fans, our teams and everyone associated with our sport, which is why Jontay Porter’s blatant violations of our gaming rules are being met with the most severe punishment,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement.
This intel was then used to place a large bet (around $80,000) on Porter underperforming, with a potential payout of over $1 million. The suspicious nature of this bet, along with Porter's actions, led the NBA to freeze it. The investigation further uncovered evidence that Porter both limited his own playing time and placed personal bets on NBA games (including at least 13 between January and March) totaling over $54,000.
The bets totaled $54,094, ranging from $15 to $22,000, with the total payout being $76,059, resulting in net winnings of $21,965.
Ralph Beard, Alex Groza, Norm Mager, Alvin Roth, Bill Spivey, Ed Warner and Sherman White are the other individuals banned by the NBA. All were banned for point-shaving scandals in college.
Also Read: NBA Sixth Man of the Year: Latest Power Rankings.