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
ROBERT HORRY
January 5, 1997: After Phoenix Suns coach Danny Ainge pulled him from a game, Big Shot Bob got upset and threw a towel in his face. The incident led to Horry's suspension and trade to the Los Angeles, where he won three rings with Shaq and Kobe's Lakers. If throwing a towel in your coach's face does that much good for your career, just imagine the wonders that might have been worked by a bukkake.
Click next to see Allen Iverson's bad behavior
ALLEN IVERSON
April 18, 2006: On the Philadelphia 76ers' fan appreciation night, A.I. and teammate Chris Webber showed how much they cared for the hometown crowd by showing up just before tip-off instead of the mandatory 90 minutes before game time. Coach Maurice Cheeks, who couldn't be shown up like that, kept both of them out of the game and fined them. You see, the NBA does care...about appearing to care.
Click next to see Ben Wallace's bad behavior
BEN WALLACE
November 25, 2006: When Wallace, the former Detroit Piston who'd become known for his tough defense, blowout 'fro and headband, broke the Chicago Bulls team rule forbidding headbands, fascist coach Scott Skiles yanked him from a game against the New York Knicks only 2:02 after tip-off. Big Ben refused to remove his headband until there were only 2:41 left in the quarter. The irony is nobody ever broke a sweat humiliating Isiah Thomas's Knicks.
Click next to see Stephon Marbury's bad behavior
STEPHON MARBURY
November 21, 2008: When coach Mike D'Antoni joined the New York Knicks, he benched his out-of-favor point guard rather than disrespect him with spot minutes (and because benching a player is a common way to show how much you love and respect them). After the team traded starters Jamal Crawford and Zach Randolph, D'Antoni was left undermanned, so he asked Starbury to help out and play. Selfless player that he is, he suited up and recorded two assists'one for each ass cheek that warmed the bench while he sat in protest, watching intently as the Milwaukee Bucks beat down the Knicks 104-87.
