NBA players enjoy a massive social media following, which may sometimes turn perilous. Many celebrities and public figures have fallen victim to a social media controversy following an accidental posting, and NBA stars are no exception. Many star players, from Draymond Green to Kevin Durant, have had “Oops” moments on social media.
Recently, NFL legend and sports analyst Shannon Sharpe faced a similar controversy when he accidentally went live on Instagram while having sexual intercourse. The 56-year-old admitted that his account was not hacked and apologized for his carelessness. Following Sharpe’s incident, look at the NBA players who made social media blunders.
Draymond Green
Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green has had several on-court controversies that have put him in deep waters. Continuing the tradition, the four-time NBA champion has had a fair share of off-court incidents that have landed him in trouble, including his infamous Snapchat incident.
In July 2015, Draymond Green accidentally posted a picture of his private parts on Snapchat. In his apology, the Warriors forward said, “I kinda hit the wrong button and it sucks. It was meant to be private. We’re all one click away from placing something in the wrong place, and I suffered from that this morning.”
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Jamal Murray
In his fourth NBA season, Denver Nuggets star guard Jamal Murray faced a similar incident to former NFL tight end Shannon Sharpe. In 2020, when the entire globe practiced social distancing, Nuggets star Jamal Murray was doing the reverse. The 2023 NBA champion accidentally shared a video of himself on social media engaging in oral sex.
Murray instantly took down the video from his Instagram story and later deleted his account. The Nuggets star then took to X (formerly Twitter) and claimed his account was hacked. In a now-deleted tweet, he wrote, “First and foremost, I would like to apologize to my fans. My account has been hacked. I am currently working on the issue. Thanks.”
Paul Pierce
2008 NBA champion Paul Pierce was involved in a social media incident that caused ESPN to fire him. Pierce, an analyst on the FS1 talk show “Undisputed,” decided to enter the broadcasting world following his NBA career. However, he was fired from his first job after four years.
In 2021, Pierce was spotted smoking weed alongside a couple of strippers in a viral video on social media. After two years, the Boston Celtics legend downplayed the incident, claiming it was just entertainment. He said, “I got fired for having some entertainment. I’m playing cards. It’s my boy’s birthday. It’s girls dancing. We’re blowing some tree. What did I do wrong?”
Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant, the Phoenix Suns star forward, made a little blunder that sparked a row on social media. The two-time NBA champion was criticized for leaving the Oklahoma City Thunder to form a super team at the Golden State Warriors. This led KD to make a burner account and respond to his critics.
While responding to a fan who asked him a reason for joining the Warriors other than the championship, KD accidentally responded from his official account. He wrote, “He didn’t like the organization or playing for Billy Donovan. His roster wasn’t good, it was just him and russ (Russell Westbrook).” Durant later revealed he uses burner accounts on X (formerly Twitter) to respond to fans.
Apart from these superstars, two-time NBA champion J.R. Smith and three-time Sixth Man of the Year Lou Williams were also involved in a similar controversy. They accidentally shared their direct message conversations. While Smith had inappropriate pictures in his X chat, Williams had a sexual innuendo in his Instagram DM.
