5 Memorable Instances of NBA Insubordination

Carmelo Anthony can't always bite his tongue when authority figures piss him off.

The Denver Nuggets have suspended star small forward Carmelo Anthony one game for an "in-game transgression" that occurred during his team's 100-94 loss to the Indiana Pacers Sunday. The Nugs won't say exactly how Melo transgressed, but Rex Chapman, vice president of player personnel, had this to say Monday: "There is a code of conduct that we take very seriously, especially from a leader and co-captain. Carmelo knows this and regrets what happened. He is a very competitive person and made a poor decision in the heat of the moment."

We think what Chapman meant to say, if initial reports are to be believed, is that coach George Karl tried to pull Melo out the game and the Olympian with the gold medal essentially told him to fuck off by refusing to leave the court. If this is the case'and when has the rumor mill ever been wrong?'it's just the latest instance of an NBA player openly defying his coach in the middle of a game. For more of these classic power struggles, check out Complex's five most memorable acts of in-game NBA insubordination...

SCOTTIE PIPPEN
May 13, 1994: With his Chicago Bulls down 2-0 to the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals and tied 100-100 with 1.8 seconds left in game three, Pippen refused to hit the hardwood. Pip, who had led the Jordan-less Bulls all season, was upset because coach Phil Jackson called a play that had him inbounding the ball so Toni Kukoc could throw up a shot at the buzzer. After years of deferring to MJ, Pippen wasn't about to let some Croatian steal his shine, so he sat while Kukoc calmly nailed a 23-foot fadeaway jumper at the buzzer to win the game. Pip's stinky move lingers, which is fitting for someone who will always be remembered as a #2.

Click next to see Robert Horry's bad behavior