There have been a number of Warrior malcontents and troublemakers over the years, including Chris Mills odd bus-blocking incident at Oracle Arena, Charlie Bell’s alcohol troubles, and even Don Nelson’s own grumpy departures. But few have raised as many concerns as these three players:
3. Stephen Jackson
As much as it hurts to put “Captain Jack” in this category, it’s hard to overlook some of the issues he had during his time in Oakland. An unceremonious exit from the team and a seven-game suspension related to a club shooting during his time as an Indiana Pacer often overshadow his on-court success as a Warrior.
Whether it was the trade demands that ended his tenure in Oakland, unnecessary off-court news-making, or even his tendency to pick up technical fouls in bunches, Jackson lived up to his “trill” reputation with the Warriors, even if he was on some of his better behavior at the time.
There’s no doubt that Jackson helped lead the Warriors places that others in this article never did, but it’s hard not to wonder what could have been in the 2007-2008 season, when the Warriors narrowly missed the playoffs after starting 0-6 with Jackson serving his suspension, or whether Jackson was partially responsible for some of the negative team attitudes in his final seasons with the team.
2. Chris Webber
It will likely always be debated whether coach Don Nelson or Webber himself was more responsible for things not working out with the former #1 overall pick, but the fact that he was traded away just one year after being selected out of Michigan in the 1993 NBA Draft is enough reason for him to be considered. The Warriors gave up a mountain of assets to acquire the young star forward, including three future first-round picks in addition to sending the third overall pick, Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway to the Orlando Magic.
Webber’s feud with Nelson began over the use of the rookie big man at center. A natural power forward, Webber believed he could be better utilized away from the post. However, Nelson’s propensity for small ball made that a difficult sell. By the time his first season, in which he helped lead the Warriors back to the playoffs, ended, it seemed he and Nelson’s relationship was irreconcilable. He utilized a one-year escape clause in his contract, and the Warriors, with few other options, were forced to sign-and-trade him to the Washington Bullets before his sophomore season.
His departure signaled the start of an era in which the team did not make the playoffs for 12 consecutive seasons, and perhaps cost the Warriors a shot at one of their greatest teams of all-time, as they had won 50 games the previous season with Webber, aged 20, and Latrell Sprewell, who was just 23 at the time.
1. Latrell Sprewell
Who could forget Sprewell’s epic meltdown on the sideline in 1997, when an argument with head coach P.J. Carlesimo spiraled out of control. After reportedly asking his star wing man to “put a little mustard” on a pass, Carlesimo’s instructions were ignored and Sprewell told the coach to leave him alone and keep his distance. When Carlesimo confronted the issue, Sprewell lost control, grabbing the Warriors’ head coach by the throat and dragging him along the court before they could be separated by teammates and members of the coaching staff.
Sprewell would return to the bench about 20 minutes later, where he again went after Carlesimo, even landing a glancing blow to the coach’s right cheek before being pulled away for a second time. In all, Sprewell would land himself a 68-game suspension and an eventual trade to the New York Knicks after the NBA lockout in 1999. Prior to the incident, he had several other confrontations in his time as a Warrior, including fights with teammates, even reportedly threatening Jerome Kersey with a gun.
Sprewell’s career antics, including his “I have a family to feed” comment while with the Minnesota Timberwolves, caused severe damage to his overall legacy. Had he remained in Oakland, where he made three All-Star games in four seasons, who knows what he could have accomplished? The Warriors have had a number of sour personalities in franchise history, but clearly he takes the cake as the worst.
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