Those NBA bans you don't know: Morant's 25-game ban is only ninth in history!

Originally compiled from: The Athletic

Written by Mark Puleo

原标题：What are the longest suspensions in NBA history? Where Ja Morant’s fits in

The NBA announced Friday that Ja Morant has been suspended for 25 games. This is the record for the ninth longest suspension of a player in league history.

Here are the harshest penalties the NBA has ever given:

O.J. Mayo: 164 games

Mayo was a scout in the 2008 NBA Draft and was suspended for two full seasons after testing positive for a second time in 2016. He qualified to return to the league in 2018 but opted to play overseas.

At the time of his suspension, he played for the Milwaukee Bucks, averaging 7.8 points, 2.9 assists and 2.6 rebounds per game until an ankle injury at the end of the season. At his peak, he averaged 18.5 points per game with the Grizzlies in 2008-09, which was his rookie season. His first failed drug test was in 2011, when he tested positive for stimulants.

Artest: 86 games

After arguably the most famous match in sporting history, Artest was suspended for the remainder of the 2003-04 season for entering the stands to fight fans.

Artest missed out on 73 regular-season and 13 playoff games for the Pacers that season. Including him, this is the highest number of bans and games in the NBA combined, including 9 players and more than 140 bans.

In 2003, Artest was banned twice, once for destroying a television camera in New York, and later for four runs for a clash with then-Heat coach Pat Riley, once for a malicious foul and once for giving two middle fingers to a Miami audience. In 2006, after being traded to Sacramento, he was suspended for elbowing Manu Ginobili's jaw in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals, and in 2012, he was suspended again for elbowing his head, this time leading to a concussion in James Harden that resulted in a seven-game ban.

Latrell Spreville: 68 games

On December 1, 1997, during a Warriors practice, All-Star guard Sprewell grabbed coach P.J. Calesimo by the throat with both hands until his teammates pulled him away. About 20 minutes later, after Sprewell was kicked out of the training ground, Sprewell returned and punched the interim coach in the face.

He was originally banned for the incident in 1997, the first in league history, but the arbiter reduced the ban to 68. When the Warriors terminated his contract, Sprewell was forfeited $24 million, and as a result, he also lost his contract with Converse. Sprewell later decided the ban was too harsh, telling 60 Minutes, "I didn't hurt PJ, I mean, PJ, he can still breathe." ”

After his comeback, Sprewell was traded to the Knicks, who fined him $250,000 in 2003 for reporting to training camp with an injured hand without notifying the team.

Arenas: 50 matches

In 2010, Wizards All-Star Arenas was banned for 50 games for brandishing a gun in the locker room after an altercation with teammate Javarius Clitanton over gambling debts. Not only did Arenas violate the NBA's policy on bringing guns into league and team facilities, but he was also charged with carrying a handgun without a license in the District of Columbia, for which he pleaded guilty.

In the three seasons before the suspension, Arenas averaged 27.7 points per game and was named to the All-Star team three times. He never made the All-Star roster again after returning from suspension, starting just 72 games for the remainder of his career.

Gavalis Clettanton: 38 games

Another Wizards player involved in a locker room shooting, Critanton, was also suspended for the remainder of the 2009-10 season. The defender has not been featured for the entire season, with Arenas suspended indefinitely three weeks before the incident, compared to his shorter ban.

Clayton never appeared in NBA games again. In 2011, he was charged with murdering a 22-year-old mother of four and was later indicted. In 2013, he pleaded guilty to intentional homicide and was sentenced to 23 years in prison, later reduced to 10 years. He was released from prison on April 23, 2023.

Stephen Jackson: 30 games

It was the second biggest ban after the "Auburn Hill Palace Brawl," and Jackson followed Artest into the stands and argued with the fans. Years later, Jackson told Grandland about a conversation in the locker room after he and Artest argued.

"Jack, do you think we'll be in trouble?" Artest asked Jackson, to which Jackson replied, "Are you serious, bro?" Is it just trouble? Ron, if we can still get a damn job, that would be lucky!"

Jackson continued his job, playing nine more seasons, averaging a career-high 20.7 points per game with the Warriors in 2008-09. In 2007, he missed seven games in an incident at a nightclub when he did not defend the assault charges after firing several shots.

Miles Bridges: 30 games

Bridges was banned for 30 games by the NBA in April 2023 due to domestic violence incidents that occurred in 2022. Bridges is a restricted free agent who was not signed by the Hornets or any team for the 2022-23 season and did not play. Twenty of the 2022-23 bans are considered over, meaning he has 10 games left in his ban if he signs and can play.

Comit Washington: 26 games

In 1977, during a brawl between the Washington Lakers and Houston Rockets, Washington punched Rockets forward Rudy Tomjanovich, causing him to fracture his skull, broken jaw, broken nose, and leak spinal fluid, all of which were life-threatening. Washington was fined $10,000 and suspended for 60 days, equivalent to 26 games, the most suspended for an on-court incident in NBA history at the time.

In the early '70s, clean-up portal-style quarrels were commonplace, but Washington's thump changed the way such incidents were punished. David Stern, the NBA's chief counsel at the time, said the incident made officials realize, "You can't have someone that tall and so strong fight everywhere." ”

During his suspension, Washington was traded to the Celtics, who would play five more seasons, making the All-Star team after being traded to Portland in 1980 for Bill Walton. Tom Janovich, who survived the injury and eventually became an All-Star and championship coach, later said he and Washington reconciled after that fight.

In 2018, Washington was sentenced to 6 years in prison for charity fraud after he was accused of embezzling about $5 million that was supposed to be used for African children. He was released in 2022.

Other notable players and events:

Jermaine O'Neill: In "Auburn Hill Palace Brawl," O'Neill delivered a memorable punch that hit a fan running on the floor. He was initially banned by Stern for 25 games, which was later reduced to 15.

Cameron Anthony: In 2006, there was a brawl between the Nuggets and Knicks, and Anthony punched Maddy Collins, resulting in the Nuggets star being suspended for 15 games. A total of seven players were suspended during the brawl.

Dennis Rodman (1997): In 1997, while playing for the Bulls, Rodman was banned for 11 games and fined $25,000 for kicking a photographer's groin.

Dennis Rodman (1996): The season before, Rodman was banned for six games for headbanging referee Ted Bernhardt after being ejected from a game in New Jersey in March. During his career, Rodman was suspended more than a dozen times by the league or his team.

Nick Van Exel: In 1996, Van Exel was banned for seven games after referee Ron Garresson was sent off for arguing over a penalty.

Rashid Wallace: The man with the most technical fouls in NBA history, Wallace was suspended once in his career when he confronted referee Tim Donaghy in the parking lot and threatened him after Donaghy gave him a technical foul in a game in 2003.

Ben Wallace: Wallace's push and shove of Artest triggered the "Auburn Hill Palace Brawl." Wallace was suspended for six games as a result

D.J. Mbenga: Mbenga was banned for six games in the 2006 Western Conference Finals for rushing to the stands to protect coach Avery Johnson's wife, who was harassed by fans. Earlier this season, Knicks forward Antonio Davis was suspended for five games for protecting his wife in the stands.

Some players have been suspended and reinstated by the league for substance abuse and other reasons. These players include Tyrek Evans, Chris Anderson, Stanley Roberts, Lewis Lloyd, Michael Ray Richardson and Connie Hawkins.

Players permanently suspended include John Drew, Eddie Johnson, Chris Washburne, Roy Tapley and Richard Dumas.

Non-player bans:

Bob Saville: The former Suns owner was suspended for the entire 2022-23 season, for a total of 93 games, following an investigation into the league's hostile work environment.

Mark Stevens: Stevens, a minority shareholder in the Warriors, was fined $500,000 and suspended for the entire 2019-20 season, which was cut short by COVID-19 for a total of 65 games.

Donald Sterling: In 2014, Sterling was permanently suspended from the NBA for leaked recordings showing him making racist comments about his girlfriend. In addition to the suspension, President Adam Shaw fined Sterling $2.5 million and began the process of forcing Sterling to withdraw from the league.

It's worth noting that bans such as Uduka in 2022-23 and Kyrie Irving in 2022 are not included because they are suspensions issued by the team and not the league.