1) Ralph Beard (1951)
2) Alex Groza (1951)

From winning two NCAA championships with the Kentucky “Fabulous Five” to an Olympic gold in London to ascendant NBA careers, Beard and Groza seemed en route to basketball immortality together. In the ’50-’51 season, the teammates were both All-Stars, both named 1st-Team All-NBA, and their Indianapolis Olympians almost pulled off a postseason upset of George Mikan’s Lakers. But a brewing scandal broke that summer, with Beard and Groza amongst 32 players pleading guilty to accepting brides for shaving NCAA games and getting subsequently banned for life from the NBA by commissioner Maurice Podoloff. Beard stepped away from basketball entirely, settling into a career in pharmaceutical sales back in his native Kentucky. Groza, who stands as one of just 10 NBA players to retire with 22+ points and 10+ rebounds per game career averages, eventually returned to the sport as a head coach in the NCAA and ABA. With their two best players having essentially vanished into thin air, the Olympians failed to stay competitive and were ultimately forced to fold in 1953. 

3) John Drew (1986)

The first major impacted party of the NBA’s controversial 1983 substance abuse policy, Drew was a full year removed from his last NBA action when commissioner David Stern banned him indefinitely in 1986. The Jazz had waived Drew in December of 1984 due to erratic behavior, a precipitous fall from grace for an extremely talented player. Drew was a two-time All-Star for the Hawks and averaged 21.2 points and 7.5 rebounds per game in his first seven seasons. His problems spiked upon being traded to the Jazz in 1982, spending half the ’82-’83 season in rehab due to cocaine abuse and contributing only nominally for Utah upon his return. After getting his release from the Jazz, Drew was arrested for passing bad checks and given a court ordered rehab, which Stern and the league office considered his third strike. Drew could have applied for reinstatement in 1987 but his legal troubles were only exacerbating, with subsequent arrests for possession and selling drugs to an undercover agent.

4) Micheal Ray Richardson (1986)

Soon after John Drew was the first casualty of the substance abuse policy, Richardson became the most high profile. A tall, versatile point guard with play making skills and extremely quick hands, Richardson was an heir apparent to Walt Frazier in New York. He was a three-time All-Star, named 1st-Team All-Defensive twice, and in ’79-’80 became one of just five players in NBA history to lead the league in both assists and steals per game. But Richardson also became hopelessly addicted to cocaine while playing in New York, a yen that would eventually lead to his suspension for three substance abuse policy violations. Richardson was technically reinstated by David Stern for the ’88-’89 season but opted to play out the remainder of his career in Europe instead, citing the hypocrisy of his punishment being so severe while Chris Mullin was allowed to continue playing despite his not-so-secret alcoholism. If he had returned, Richardson may have been able to recapture his career steals per game record, which was overtaken in his absence by Alvin Robertson.

5) Chris Washburn (1989)

One unfortunate record that Washburn may have unofficially set was the NBA Draft prospect with the most red flags. It’s a testament to his immense talent that Washburn was drafted third overall by the Warriors despite his one and only season at NC State including an arrest for theft, an SAT score scandal, a grade tampering scandal, and persistent rumors of drug addiction. Caveat emptor for Golden State, as Washburn proved as advertised. Already difficult to coach, agnostic towards training, and a huge fan of cocaine, Washburn added a painkiller addiction to the mix after suffering from a kidney infection during his rookie season. Two seasons, 72 games, and three failed drug tests later, Washburn was out of the league forever. In the lottery era, only two players have been drafted in the top five and played in less career games: Len Bias, who died of an overdose on draft night, and Jay Williams, who played just one season before breaking his leg in a motorcycle accident.

6) Tyreke Evans (2019)

Only three rookies in NBA history had averaged 20+ points, five-plus rebounds, and five-plus assists per game before Evans did so in ’09-’10: Oscar Robertson, Michael Jordan, and LeBron James. It’s incredible company, and the sky seemed to be the limit for Evans, who rightfully earned Rookie of the Year honors over Stephen Curry. As you would deduce from his inclusion on this list, things didn’t go as planned. The remainder of Evans’ career was marked by injuries, misuse, and apparent disregard for self improvement. He was hampered by multiple knee surgeries, stymied by a revolving door of head coaches who never maximized his talent, and eventually turned to drug use. Just as he was seemingly reviving his career with the Grizzlies in ’17-’18, Evans failed a drug test for an unidentified recreational substance and was suspended indefinitely. It took nearly three years for the NBA to reinstate him and Evans’ attempt at a comeback through the G-League failed, forcing him to retire in 2023.

7) Chris Andersen (2006)

Reaching the NBA was a blessing and a curse for Andersen. His life’s journey took him from an impoverished childhood in rural Texas to one year of junior college ball to the Chinese pro league to eventually becoming the first ever G-League call up in 2001. When the Hornets soon after lavished him with a $14 million contract, Andersen’s new found wealth caused him to spiral out of control and become addicted to… something. We still don’t know what substance caused Andersen’s 2006 failed drug test and indefinite suspension from the NBA. We do know it was on the league’s “drug of abuse” list which includes heroin and fentanyl, but notably not marijuana or alcohol. To his credit Andersen took it as a self-reflective opportunity, spending his suspension in rehab and then coaching youth basketball. He was reinstated by the NBA in 2008 and made the most of it, eventually finding his true calling as an explosive backup center for the Heat, earning a championship ring in 2013.

8) Richard Dumas (1993)

A 6’7″ forward with athleticism, length, and play making skills, Dumas should have been the Suns’ answer to Scottie Pippen. But his trouble had already started at Oklahoma State, where he was kicked off the team after two drug violations. Dumas almost immediately failed a drug test after the Suns drafted him in the second round and was suspended for the entire ’91-’92 season. He showed flashes of his immense potential in ’92-’93, especially in the postseason. Dumas took over as starting small forward for the Suns that spring and became just the third rookie ever to post a double-double in an NBA Finals game. Then another suspension hit in the summer of 1993, this one indefinite as Dumas was deemed “uncooperative” with the league after failing another drug test. He was reinstated one year later but at that point Dumas was damaged goods. He logged stints in Poland, Puerto Rico, England, France, and Bosnia before retiring in 2003.

9) Jack Molinas (1954)

Basketball betting was a profitable business venture for the mafia in the ’50s and they had a man on the inside in Molinas. Born and raised in Brooklyn, Molinas showed an early aptitude for basketball and an itch for gambling. The two loves of his life first collided at Columbia, where he was a team captain and leading scorer while simultaneously shaving points and throwing games at the behest of a mob bookmaker. It’s a matter of debate whether Molinas continued those practices with the Pistons but we do know he was caught betting on his own games and suspended for life by commissioner Maurice Podoloff. His career thus lasted just 34 games in one season and even included an All-Star nod (though his suspension was handed out before the All-Star Game and he was disallowed from participating). We also know that Molinas was later a focal point of the 1961 NCAA point shaving scandal, for which he was arrested and served five years. What we don’t know is whether he influenced some of his former Pistons teammates to alter the outcome of the 1955 NBA Finals, a charge that many at the time alleged. Molinas himself never told us and never will, as he was murdered in 1975, likely in a mob hit.

10) Connie Hawkins (1961)
11) Roger Brown (1961)

Though he was banned in 1954 and spent the rest of his career in the short-lived Eastern League, Jack Molinas was hardly finished sullying the NBA. Like black mold, he slowly and unexpectedly reemerged at the center of the 1961 NCAA point shaving scandal, having allegedly coordinated activities with dozens of college players. The nature of Molinas’ relationship with Iowa’s Hawkins and Dayton’s Brown was a matter of debate, but association with the infamous fixer was enough to get both players suspended for life by NBA commissioner J. Walter Kennedy. Molinas himself stated in an affidavit that Hawkins and Brown were uninvolved in actual point shaving but both had admitted to wrongdoing under coercion in legally questionable interrogation. Almost a decade later, Hawkins finally reached the NBA when his lawsuit against the league was settled and his suspension subsequently lifted. Brown also secured a legal victory over the NBA but never joined the league. After spending several years working on a General Motors assembly line, Brown had joined the ABA for its inaugural season and become one of the league’s biggest stars before retiring right before the 1976 merger.

12) Roy Tarpley (1991 and 1995)

The most callous element of the NBA substance abuse policy may have been its punishment predicated on players seeking help for their addiction. Another was its strict adherence to a “three strikes and you’re banned” protocol. “Strike one” for Tarpley came in the summer of 1987, when the then 22-year-old had the wherewithal to voluntary attend rehab. “Strike two” was in January 1989, when a contrite Tarpley admitted he still had a drug addiction and asked the league for assistance. The NBA suspended Tarpley without pay, with his reinstatement dependent on attending a treatment program, with which he complied. Is it any surprise that by 1991, Tarpley was refusing to submit to mandatory drug testing? That infraction was “strike three,” seemingly ending Tarpley’s NBA career at the age of 26. A definite shame, as Tarpley flashed star potential when he was available and engaged. After three years starring in the Greek league, Tarpley briefly returned to the NBA once his suspension was lifted but was quickly banned for life again after violating terms of an aftercare program.

13) O.J. Mayo (2016)

Mayo found himself in trouble at every level of his basketball career. In his senior year of high school, he received a three game suspension for allegedly assaulting a referee. In just one year at USC, Mayo managed to violate numerous NCAA regulations, eventually causing the school to vacate all of its wins from the ’07-’08 season. His basketball talent was so undeniable that Mayo was still the third overall pick of the Grizzlies in the 2008 NBA Draft and he started strong, finishing second in Rookie of the Year voting. The inevitable discord started in his third season, when Mayo missed numerous team obligations, got into an altercation with teammate Tony Allen during a team flight, and was suspended for 10 games after testing positive for a banned substance. Mayo played five more NBA seasons that were marred by injuries and mostly nondescript, up until getting his lifetime suspension in 2016 for testing positive for a recreational substance. He’s been eligible for reinstatement since 2019 but has instead continued his career overseas.

14) Norm Mager (1951)

Few college basketball fans today are aware of City College of New York (CCNY), but the program had arguably the greatest postseason in NCAA history in 1950. Coached by the legendary Nat Holman, CCNY pulled off a series of upsets to become the first and only team to ever win the NIT and NCAA Tournament in the same year. This was the era where the NIT was still just as prestigious as the NCAA Tournament, so the NCAA responded by banning teams from participating in both. But that was far from the biggest scandal that involved this CCNY program, as six players from the ’49-’50 roster were later arrested for shaving points during that Cinderella season. Of that group, Mager is the only one who had moved on to the NBA, getting drafted by the Baltimore Bullets in 1950. He had made appearances in 24 games for the Bullets in the ’50-’51 season before his arrest, which was followed by a lifetime ban from the league. CCNY defunded their athletics program in the wake of the scandal and is now a Division III team. Mager still stands as the last CCNY player ever drafted by an NBA team.

15) Mitchell Wiggins (1987)
16) Lewis Lloyd (1987)

A surprise run to the 1986 NBA Finals portended a bright future for a young Rockets roster. Instead it turned out to be a peak of an achingly brief era, which was torn down by injuries and indifference. Lloyd and Wiggins were good friends and key elements of that ’85-’86 Houston squad, the starting and backup shooting guard, respectively. They were also quickly gaining a reputation around the league for their hard-partying lifestyle, astronomical bar tabs, and copious drug use. Midway through the ’86-’87 season, the teammates both failed a drug test, testing positive for cocaine, and were both banned indefinitely from the NBA. Losing two key players combined with a major injury to Ralph Sampson caused the potential Rockets dynasty to fizzle before it even really started. Lloyd and Wiggins were both reinstated in 1989 and while Wiggins had some brief impact again upon his return, Lloyd failed to get his career back on track.

17) Doug Moe (1961)

A Brooklyn prep star who matriculated at North Carolina, Moe became good friends with teammate Lou Brown, who introduced him to mob-connected fixer Aaron Wagman. Moe turned down a request to join Brown in shaving points during UNC games but was implicated all the same when the 1961 scandal broke, as he had accepted a free plane ticket to visit Wagman in New York. The UNC program was rocked by the fallout and engaged in damage control by hiring the squeaky clean Dean Smith to restore dignity as head coach. Moe had been drafted by the Chicago Packers and was about to sign a rookie contract when his involvement hit the newspapers and his suspension from the NBA was handed down. He spent some time in the U.S. Army and the Italian Serie A before signing with the nascent ABA in 1967 and becoming one of the league’s earliest stars. Moe never did reach the NBA as a player, retiring before the merger due to multiple knee injuries. He did eventually spend 15 years in the league as a head coach of the Nuggets, Spurs, and 76ers.

18) Stanley Roberts (1999)

At LSU in the late ’80s, the 7’0″ Roberts was a rarity, a player of arguably equal stature and skill to his teammate, Shaquille O’Neal, regularly outplaying the superstar center in scrimmages. A decade later, while O’Neal was earning his first league MVP and Finals MVP in the spring of 2000, Roberts was watching at home, his career seemingly finished at age 30. Roberts played just one season at LSU before flunking out of school, spent one year with Real Madrid, then joined the Magic as a first round pick in ’91-’92. Over eight mediocre NBA seasons, Roberts repeatedly failed to live up to expectations, done in by his duel addictions of junk food and amphetamines. He was banned for life from the NBA in 1999 after failing a drug test, then subsequently banned by FIBA, a decision that was eventually overturned via lawsuit. He attempted a comeback with the Raptors in ’03-’04 after reinstatement but was waived before the start of the season.

19) Gene Melchiorre (1951)

If you’re going to pick a spot for point shaving, the essentially meaningless third place game of the 1949 NIT Tournament seems like a perfect choice. That’s one of several contests in which Melchiorre and four of his Bradley University teammates admitted to shaving points at the behest of an organized crime syndicate. Bradley had wound up in that game by virtue of a semifinals round loss, and Melchiorre subsequently led the Braves to the NIT Finals in 1950, losing a tight game to CCNY. Despite standing just 5’8″, Melchiorre was a prolific scorer and play maker and was drafted first overall by the Baltimore Bullets in 1951. But he was one of 32 players banned for life from the NBA that summer due to his role in the point shaving scandal. Melchiorre goes down with Clifton McNeely in 1947 as the only first overall picks to never play in the NBA.

20) Ernie Cobb (1981)

While they were orchestrating the infamous 1978 Lufthansa heist, as memorably portrayed in the film Goodfellas, mob associates Henry Hill and James Burke were simultaneously overseeing a college basketball betting scheme. Hill had been connected with the Perla brothers, whose high school friend Rick Kuhn was now a star player at Boston College. Together, Hill and the Perlas recruited Kuhn and teammate Jim Sweeney to shave points throughout the Eagles’ ’78-’79 season, and claimed to have also roped in Cobb, who was the team’s leading scorer. Though Cobb was acquitted of any wrongdoing and consistently denied involvement, he was implicated all the same alongside Kuhn and Sweeney. The scandal broke in 1981 after Hill was arrested, turned state’s witness, and admitted to the scheme. Cobb had been drafted by the Jazz in 1979 and was still fighting for a roster spot two years later when he was suspended for life from the NBA along with Kuhn and Sweeney (both of whom were un-drafted and not attempting NBA careers). For decades, this was the last major betting scandal that impacted NBA eligibility for a player.

21) Jontay Porter (2024)

After taking over the commissionership in 2014, Adam Silver wrote a New York Times op-ed asking the U.S. government to legalize sports gambling. Careful what you wish for. Silver’s troubles started late in the ’23-’24 season, when sports betting providers noticed a distressing pattern of large sums placed on proposition bets for Porter, a nominal backup center for the Raptors. An investigation found that not only was Porter feigning injuries to guarantee the under hitting on his player prop bets, he had even bet against his own team multiple times. Porter became the first player banned from the NBA for gambling infractions since Ernie Cobb in 1981, the first banned for life with no chance of reinstatement since Richard Dumas in 1996, and the first banned for gambling infractions during an active career since Jack Molinas in 1954. To add insult to injury, Porter had to turn in his passport as a condition of his criminal trial, rendering him unable to continue his pro career overseas. The NBA additionally responded by banning prop bets on players signed to 10-day or two-way contracts but this incident has proven to be the tip of the iceberg. A federal gambling investigation was announced in 2025 involving Chauncey Billups, Damon Jones, and Terry Rozier, and who knows what else is next with the U.S. sports gambling industry only growing larger and more unregulated.

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