The Best Sports Beefs of 2018

Serena is arguably the most dominant female athlete of all time. The Women’s Tennis Association has ranked her No. 1 in the world eight times, and she once held the No. 1 distinction for 186 straight weeks. She’s won 23 Grand Slam titles. Somehow, at 37, she’s still one of the best in the world (No. 16 at the moment).

But, like other dominant athletes—LeBron James, Tom Brady, etc.—Serena has amassed her fair share of critics. Those critics were quick to rail against her when she got caught up in controversy at this year’s U.S. Open.

During the second set of the final, with Serena competing against Naomi Osaka, an umpire gave Serena a violation because her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, appeared to be giving her hand signals. Serena demanded an apology from the umpire (Carlos Ramos) because, as she told it, Mouratoglou was just giving her a thumbs-up.

As the situation escalated, Serena got heated, receiving a second violation (for smashing her racket on the court) and third violation (for allegedly verbally abusing Ramos). Serena was fined. The younger Williams sister made it clear that she felt she would have been treated differently in that situation if she were a man, but the umpire received support from some of the tennis community.

Sadly, this incident distracted from the real story—that Osaka became the first Japanese woman to contest and win a Grand Slam title—and the 21-year-old said it “wasn’t necessarily the happiest memory.”

Draymond and Double T are both instigators on the court, so it’s no surprise they mixed it up several times during the four Warriors-Cavs Finals matchups. As Golden State celebrated its 2018 title on the court, Thompson tried to shake Draymond’s hand, but the Warriors forward rejected the peace offering.

As Green explained at the Dubs’ championship parade, as he rejected Thompson’s handshake, he told him, “Tristan, we ain’t cut the same.” That quote spurred this rivalry to escalate from “man, I don’t like that guy” to, “man, I’m going to fight that guy.”

In mid-July, Thompson and Green reportedly got into an altercation at an ESPYs after party. Initial reports indicated it was a full-on fist fight, but Green claimed those reports were inaccurate, and The Athletic later reported the two were separated “before a full altercation could ensue.”

This had all the makings of an upper-echelons-level beef and classic story, but LeBron and KD reportedly intervened to break it up before things got too heated.

Paul and Rondo have never liked each other. Animosity between the two alpha floor generals had been brewing their entire careers. That animosity finally hit a tipping point in a fiery game between the Lakers and Rockets early in the season.

After a physical play and testy exchange between Brandon Ingram and James Harden, Rondo and Paul got in each other’s faces. Rondo allegedly spit on Paul, and punches were thrown. Both players were suspended. After the fact, Rondo called Paul a “horrible teammate.”

“I’m surprised that this is their first fight actually because throughout Rondo’s time in the league, him and Chris Paul have never gotten along,” said Paul Pierce after the incident.

Doc Rivers, who has coached both players, also said he wasn’t surprised. This beef outranks Draymond-Thompson because we actually have footage of it—we can confirm this was a full-blown fight.

Though there are some great beefs on this list, we need more trash-talking in sports. Players are overly concerned about everything they say nowadays—and we saw why when Ramsey opened his mouth this offseason.

The standout Jaguars corner unloaded on multiple opponents. He called Matt Ryan “overrated,” said Ben Roethlisberger is “decent at best,” and added that “I don’t think Gronk’s good.” That’s only scratching the surface; Ramsey fearlessly chirped at many other noteworthy opponents.

Though Ramsey’s competitors shrugged off the criticism, his fighting words led to a flurry of backlash from the media.

Now, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Jags—limping through an underwhelming season—are considering trading Ramsey in the offseason. That’s probably at least partially because he opened his mouth. Thing is: Ramsey has ostracized a number of teams around the league. It will be interesting to see how his trash-talk affects his trajectory.

This could have been the biggest NFL feud of the season—Ramsey’s comments were sufficiently salacious, to be sure—but the Jaguars (4-9) have been so bad (what a letdown) that no one from that team warrants a mention in the top five.

Bell has been one of the most prolific offensive producers in the NFL since he entered the league out of Michigan State in 2013. A three-time Pro Bowler, Bell has been the savior of many a fantasy team. But for the first four years of his career, he earned less than $1 million per year in salary.

The Steelers gave him $12 million under the franchise tag in 2017, but he refused to accept the franchise tag again this season—he wanted a bigger, longer-term deal. The team obliged, offering $70 million over five years, but he balked at that offer.

That deal was worth $14 million per season, and Bell reportedly wanted $17 million per season (the same amount Antonio Brown makes). This stalemate led to a game of chicken that ultimately resulted in Bell electing to sit out the entire 2018-19 season.

During his holdout, some of his teammates—who were frustrated, knowing their championship hopes had taken a big hit—ripped him. Maurkice Pouncey said Bell’s decision was “selfish.” Fellow offensive lineman Ramon Foster said Bell “is making seven times what I make...and we’re the guys who do it for him.” The criticism seemed to rattle Bell, but it wasn’t enough to convince him to play.

Given that this story shook up the AFC landscape—the Steelers are still 7-5-1, but they’d undoubtedly be in better position with Bell in the lineup—this beef ranks second-juiciest in the NFL in 2018.

LeBron James has evolved in many ways during his career. Though he seemed afraid to upset anyone early in his career, today he’s one of the most politically outspoken athletes in America.

His beef with his country’s president ramped up in the fall of 2017, when LeBron called him a “bum.” Then, in Feb. 2018, LBJ said Trump doesn’t “give a fuck about the people.”

He elaborated on his disdain for Trump in a July sit-down with Don Lemon. As the interview aired, Trump took to Twitter to insult LeBron’s intelligence and say, “I like Mike!” In response, LeBron said the tweet “doesn’t bother me at all,” but he wonders why the president has time for Twitter fingers.

Something tells us this feud is far from over. 

A year ago, Leonard was about to make his return from a quadriceps injury after missing the first 27 games of the season. He played in only nine games, though, before the team ruled him out for an indefinite period of time. Many expected Leonard to miss a month or two—to take some time to really get his quad right—and then return. But he never did.

In March, the Spurs held a players-only meeting urging Leonard to return. The meeting was reportedly “tense” and “emotional.” Though Spurs team doctors had given him the green light, Leonard was insistent on staying out until he felt he was fully recovered.

Until 2017-18, Kawhi was revered as the humblest superstar in the league, but his reputation quickly shifted to that of an “obnoxious diva.” He demanded a trade and specified that he wanted to go to a warm climate. So, naturally, Gregg Popovich and company sent him to Toronto. Savage.

How long can an NFL dynasty last? The Patriots have been the class of the league since Brady took over for an injured Drew Bledsoe and they won the 2001 Super Bowl. But, in January of this year, it became clear there was dissention in the upper levels of the organization.

An explosive report from ESPN’s Seth Wickersham detailed a power struggle between Brady (the star quarterback), Belichick (the revered coach), and Kraft (the owner). According to this report and multiple others that surfaced, Brady’s trainer, Alex Guerrero, and former understudy, Jimmy Garoppolo, were at the center of the conflict.

The Patriots attempted to distance themselves from Guerrero, banning him from the sidelines, and sent Garoppolo to San Francisco in a trade, appeasing Brady. But many argued these moves were essentially putting a Band-Aid on a bullet wound and that the demise of the Patriots’ dynasty is currently unfolding.

This a battle between three of the most powerful men in football—three men who have dominated the league since the early 2000s. Of course this outranks all other NFL feuds on our list.

By all accounts, Jimmy Butler was a mild-mannered guy at Marquette. He was the last pick in the first round of the 2011 draft, and he was considered an under-the-radar, hardworking player early in his career.

People change. These days, Butler is known as one of the league’s most egotistical stars.

After causing some minor locker-room turmoil in Chicago, Butler turned into a one-man wrecking crew in Minnesota. This summer, he demanded a trade. When Minnesota didn’t immediately follow through on his demand, he reportedly verbally challenged teammates and screamed “You fucking need me!” at the team’s general manager.

The drama continued for another month, with Butler choosing when he would play before Minnesota dealt him to the 76ers. Butler got what he wanted, and he’s doing well in Philly—but, in the process, he burned quite a few bridges. What a story. 

Durant’s impending free agency next season has been one of the biggest stories in the NBA. Everyone—including his Warriors teammates—wants to know where he’ll sign. Will he run it back with the Dubs or take his talents elsewhere (like to, say, the Knicks or Lakers)?

Durant has been coy about his intentions, and that has caused problems in Golden State’s locker room. During a mid-November game, after Draymond Green blew it in the final seconds against the Clippers, frustrations between Green and Durant boiled over. They shouted at each other on the bench and continued exchanging words in the locker room after the game.

Green reportedly called Durant a “bitch” and said, “We don’t need you. We won without you. Leave.”

Green played a big role in bringing Durant to the Bay. He called the then-Thunder superstar right after Cleveland beat Golden State in the 2016 Finals. He was a part of the famed Hamptons Five pitch meeting. But his in-your-face personality may also be what ultimately spurs Durant to leave.

Many think Golden State ruined the NBA because everything has just been too easy for them since they signed Durant. Finally, we’re seeing some genuine turmoil—a sign this team might fall apart. The NBA landscape suddenly looks competitive again. That’s why this beef, though relatively new, shot all the way up to No. 2.