6 Famous NBA players who have been to jail

• NBA has had its fair share of bad boys since its inception
• From Eddie Johnson Jr. to, the NBA poster bad boy Dennis Rodman, there are several NBA players who have been to jail
• These players have been arrested and charged with various crimes ranging from assault to substance abuse

From Eddie Johnson Jr. to, the NBA poster bad boy Dennis Rodman, there are several NBA players who have been to jail.

Apart from entertaining fans on the court, NBA players have to act accordingly because they are role models to many young people worldwide. Well, most have managed to do so and they deserve their flowers for that. However, there are others who have fallen short and even ended up in jail for committing serious crimes.

In this article, we are going to take a look at six famous NBA players who have been to jail and the reasons why they found themselves locked up.

1. Eddie Johnson Jr.

Eddie Johnson Jr. Photo/ NBC Sports.

Starting our list of NBA players who went to jail is Eddie Johnson Jr. Eddie played in the NBA for ten years and was named an All-Star twice and named to two All-Defensive teams, as well. Being such a good player, his career could have lasted more than ten years if only his life was in order.

Eddie has a history of mental illness and struggled with drug addiction after starting abusing drugs in high school. According to reports, he was arrested more than 100 times, but his life went from bad to worse in 2006 after he broke into an apartment where an 8-year-old girl lived and raped her.

At that time, Eddie was out in bail after initially being arrested for several crimes, including raping a 25-year-old lady. He was sentenced to life sentence and was in jail until he passed away in 2020.

2. Oliver Miller 

Another popular name in NBA, Oliver Miller is one of the NBA players who have been to jail. Miller was involved in a “pistol whipping” altercation at a barbecue back in 2011 and was charged with counts of first and second degree assault, reckless endangerment, possessing a handgun in a vehicle and disorderly conduct. As a result, he was sentenced to five years in prison.

Miller committed the crimes after completing his NBA career, which included spells at Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks and Sacramento Kings, among others.

3. J.R. Smith

J.R. Smith. Photo/ WKYC.

One of the most loved NBA players, J.R. Smith won two NBA titles during his days. In 2007, the NBA icon was involved in an accident along with his friend and passenger. After pleading guilty to reckless driving, he was given a 90-day jail sentence. However, this was reduced to 30 days in jail and 500 hours of community service. Smith also has other records of arrests that have tarnished his name.

4. William Bedford

William Bedford was the Phoenix Suns’ 6th overall pick of the 1986 NBA Draft and ended up playing for only six seasons. While he did win the NBA Championship, he is considered one of the most wasted talents due to his struggle with substance abuse. In fact, he missed the 1988-89 season because of his rehab program.

Nearly a decade after ending his career, he got into trouble after being caught with illegal drugs and was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2004.  He was released in 2011 for good behaviour and currently works as a coach.

5. Dennis Rodman

There was no way that Dennis Rodman was going to miss on the list of NBA players who have been to jail. Dubbed “Bad Boy”, Rodman is famous among NBA fans for his wild behaviour, bright hair colour and the fact that he was one of the best rebounders.

From kicking a cameraman to marrying himself at a book signing, the Bad Boy of NBA did a lot of crazy stuffs during his playing days. Rodman previously claimed that he has been locked up more than 100 times.

NBA legend Dennis Rodman. Photo/ CinemaBlend.

6. Metta World Peace 

Metta World Peace was an NBA championship with the LA Lakers in 2010. While he was one of the best players during his days, Metta struggled with alcohol addiction and was fined by the Chicago bulls for openly drinking many times.

Metta was also the player who sparked off the infamous “Malice in the Palace” riot in 2004. Fast forward three years later, he was arrested and charged with domestic violence. He was sentenced to 10 days of prison and 100 hours of community service for his actions.