Top 5 teammate fall-outs in the NBA over the last decade

In the NBA, sometimes players with the best on-floor chemistry do not necessarily share the best off-floor chemistry. And yet, being the professionals that they are, players keep their differences aside and make it work.

Michael Jordan didn't hang out with Dennis Rodman, but look at how many championships the two won together.

On the flip side, a lack of chemistry can rip teams apart, and some NBA franchises have been mired in mediocrity for years for this very reason.

On that note, let's take a look at the major teammate fall-outs that have happened in the NBA over the last decade.

#5 Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton

(AP Photos and USA TODAY Sports)

The damage of the Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton fall-out after an infamous card game of Bourré misplaced a great NBA talent in Gilbert Arenas and ended Crittenton's NBA career that led to an even worse spiral. The aftermath of the game has been documented many times over the years, and the biggest NBA gun scandal set back a Washington Wizards franchise that hasn't since been relevant.

#4 Kobe Bryant and Smush Parker

This picture does not tell a thousand words

Kobe Bryant, the competitor, was not the nicest guy. There was a goal in mind, and nothing would stop Kobe Bryant from achieving consistent excellence. During the 2005-06 NBA season, the Black Mamba averaged a career-high 35 points per, and he made it known every chance he got about his lack of talented teammates. Smush Parker, unfortunately for him, was the focus of one particular dressing down of the Los Angeles Lakers roster that year:

"I almost won an MVP with Smush Parker and Kwame Brown on my team. I was shooting 45 times a game. What was I supposed to do? Pass it to Chris Mihm or Kwame Brown? Smush Parker was the worst. He shouldn't have been in the NBA but we were too cheap to pay for a point guard. So we let him walk on."

Smush Parker has said publicly that he regrets a lot of what happened (the beef began in '09 when Parker called playing with Kobe “an overrated experience”) between him and Kobe, and this Instagram post spells out his feelings on the subject.

#3 Nick Young vs. D'Angelo Russell

D'Angelo Russell's prank backfired

In 2016, Los Angeles Lakers rookie, D'Angelo Russell, pranked Lakers teammate Nick Young by getting Young to admit to cheating on his fiancée, rapper Iggy Azalea on video without Young's consent. D'Angelo was just 20 at the time, yet putting a teammate out there for the world to see was not the best way to endear himself to the Los Angeles Lakers organization, his teammates, fans and the NBA in general. A short time later, both were no longer playing for the Lakers.

#2 Ben Simmons vs. Jimmy Butler and Joel Embiid

It has to be said that the Philadelphia 76ers might have hit their peak when Jimmy Butler was in tow

The Philadelphia 76ers were even more feared back in 2018 as they were before the Ben Simmons fallout. When Jimmy Butler was sent to the Miami Heat in a sign-and-trade deal, Philadelphia fans wondered what happened. How could Philadephia 76ers brass jettison a true NBA All-Star glue guy in Butler? Wouldn't Jimmy Butler be perfect to mentor young stars Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid? Well, reportedly, Jimmy Butler did not like Philadelphia's front office and thought Ben Simmons to be of lesser mental fortitude. Now it all makes sense. Fast forward to as messy an NBA offseason as a team can have, and one of the easiest teammates to get along with in Joel Embiid is also beginning to speak out publicly about Simmons' misgivings. This is the ugliest for the NBA.

#1 Kyrie Irving vs. LeBron James

Imagine what could have been accomplished if Kyrie Irving and LeBron James stayed together

For three years, the Cleveland Cavaliers had two of the best basketball players on the planet. After failing to win the NBA championship vs. a juggernaut Golden State Warriors team in part because of team injuries, the Cleveland Cavaliers finally won their first NBA title in team history in 2016. Kyrie Irving and LeBron James were just too much for the defending champs, and it appeared Cleveland would become the next title town in sports. Kyrie Irving was the unquestioned leader of the Cavs before LeBron returned to complete a promise he made to Cleveland fans. His return has reportedly been a problem for Kyrie Irving - who eventually sought to elude LeBron's shadow despite winning the aforementioned championship.

When Kyrie Irving landed in Boston, some words were not flattering re: LeBron James and James took offense. Kyrie Irving did not work in Boston, and now the gifted point guard is in Brooklyn with James Harden and Kevin Durant seeking to win another NBA title. Questions will always be asked about what could have been if Kyrie had stayed in Cleveland, yet we'll never know.