Fans around the NBA have been waiting for a crack to appear in the armour of the Golden State Warriors, their wish appears to have been granted. An on court clash between Kevin Durant and Draymond Green during an overtime loss against the LA Clippers showed that not all is well in the locker room of the two-time defending champions.
Tensions spilled over in the locker room with a heated argument between the two parties, stemming from Green losing possession in the final stages of the fourth quarter. Rumours abound (and take them for what they’re worth) suggest the clash will drive Durant elsewhere in the NBA.
When you put a bunch of highly competitive personalities in a room, tension is somewhat inevitable and the clash between the Warriors stars is nothing out of the ordinary. The Ladbrokes Blog looks back at some of the most famous times when teammates have collided.
1 – Michael Jordan v Steve Kerr
Warriors Coach Steve Kerr is familiar with teammate dust ups, being on the receiving end of a Michael Jordan punch during a heated practice. Kerr was matched up with notoriously intense Jordan and decided to pull out every trick in the book to try and rattle him, he succeeded, causing Jordan to snap. Thankfully tensions simmered down to the point where they were still able to win a whole lot of championships.
2 – Kobe v Shaq
No punches between Kobe and Shaq (and looking at the size gap, good for Kobe), but the two were engaged in a long running feud during the Lakers dominant period of the early 2000’s. The pair guided the Lakers to four NBA Finals appearances in five years and three titles in 2000, 2001 and 2004 but both Kobe and Shaq felt like they were more responsible for the team’s success than the other.
Safe to say they both came out on top with Shaq winning another NBA title in Miami in 2006, while Kobe went back to the Finals three straight times, winning in 2009 and 2010. For a long time the two were incredibly hostile towards one another, but in the end they moved past it and Kobe spoke glowingly about his ex-teammate when the big man had his statue unveiled outside the Staples Center in LA.
3 – Gilbert Arenas v Javaris Crittenton
One for the Ron Burgundy “That escalated quickly” meme, two Washington Wizards players not only fell out, but nearly shot it out as well. Crittenton reportedly lost $1100 playing cards against teammate JaVale McGee and the two argued over the game, before Gilbert Arenas stepped in.
Crittenton threatened to shoot Arenas (which even as a joke, probably not the smartest move), before Arenas responded a few days later bringing unloaded guns into the locker room, with a note saying “PICK ONE”. Again not really the smartest move. In the end the players were suspended for the remainder of the season, perhaps at the request of teammates who didn’t want to be around either of them in case the argument continued.
4 – Geno Smith v IK Enemkpali
Over to the NFL for the next entry in our list, New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith missed the start of the 2015 season after having his jaw broken by teammate IK Enemkpali. The dispute arose from Smith pulling out of an event run by his teammate and failing to pay him back for transport which he had arranged for his quarterback. Enemkpali was immediately cut from the team as Smith was relegated to the bench, however former coach Rex Ryan claimed the linebacker for the Buffalo bills and sent him out as a team captain for their first game against the Jets.
5 – T.O. v His Quarterbacks
Big mouthed NFL wide receiver Terrell “T.O.” Owens made more headlines for his off field antics as he did for his spectacular play. One of the most physically imposing receivers with a rare combination of size and speed, Owens also occasionally lacked a filter between his brain and his mouth. Not only did he find ways to irritate opponents (see celebrating on the midfield star in Dallas… twice), he also took a long time to realise it was not a good idea to take shots at the guy who throws you the ball.
He fired his way out of San Francisco after falling out with quarterback Jeff Garcia, having repeatedly speculated in the media that Garcia might be gay, which even then, earned him plenty of criticism. After being traded to Philadelphia, Owens loved Donovan McNabb… for the first 12 months anyway. Having earned a suspension from the Eagles, Owens left the City of Brotherly Love to continue his career. Eventually, on his third NFL stop in Dallas, Owens finally found a quarterback to stand by, passionately defending Tony Romo after a particularly frustrating playoff exit.
6 – Bill Romanowski v Marcus Williams
Linebacker and multiple time Super Bowl champion Bill Romanowski is widely regarded as one of the dirtiest players in NFL history. A reputation earned after several documented incidents of behind the play incidents as well as him losing his cool at the drop of a hat.
During one Oakland Raiders practice, Romanowski was not happy about the way he was being blocked by teammate Marcus Williams. So as anyone would do, he ripped off Williams’ helmet and knocked him out with one punch. Given the number of NFL fights where a guy decides to punch someone in the helmet, Romanowski’s awareness to take it off first does warrant a mention here.
7 – Setanta O’hAilpin v Cameron Cloke
Not the finest moment for the Irishman, losing his cool during Carlton’s intra-club match in the 2009 preseason. After wrestling with Cameron Cloke, O’hAilpin got up and levelled Cloke with a right jab and a left hook, rendering the victim prone on the ground. The hit was enough to send him to the tribunal and earning a suspension before playing a competitive fixture in the 2009 season.
8 – Wayne Carey v Anthony Stevens
In some cases, blame for a fallout can be hard to assign. Not so much with Wayne Carey and Anthony Stevens in 2002. Carey’s affair with vice-captain Stevens’ wife was revealed in the build up to the season. Carey left the Kangaroos and missed the entire 2002 season before turning out for Adelaide for the final two years of his career. Safe to say there was just a bit of feeling when the Crows and Kangaroos played in 2003.
9 – Lee Bowyer v Keiron Dyer
We couldn’t have this list and not include the knockabout in Newcastle. Lee Bowyer and Kieron Dyer took their frustrations out on each other during a Premier League loss to West Ham. Worst of all both players were shown a red card reducing the Newcastle side to nine men.
10 – James Tedesco v Shannon Wakeman
There were a lot of highlights from last year’s Rugby League World Cup, the Italian team falling out mid-tournament was not one of those. Reports suggest Shannon Wakeman hit James Tedesco at a bar in Cairns and both parties were fined by the Italian federation.
Honourable Mention – Dermot Brereton v Ex-Teammates
While not teammates at the time of the incident, the Dermot Brereton vs his ex-Hawthorn teammates warrants a (dis?)-honourable mention. Brereton had just moved to Sydney and took on the Hawks in a preseason match. Their verbal barbs got to the hard-nosed midfielder and he stomped on the head of Rayden Tallis, earning a seven week ban. Those Hawthorn reunions were probably a bit uncomfortable for a while.
At the end of the day though, isn’t it easier if we all just got along?