Biggest fall from grace in NBA history?

[perks-a-beast]

Just in my generation alone (2000's) we've seen some great players fall from grace and become shells of them former selves whether it be because of injuries, personal problems, ect.

When i think before my time i think of guys like John Drew and Shawn Kemp.

But for me, there has been no greater fall than Gilbert Arenas. From 04-07 the guy was unstoppable. 28 and 6 with a couple 60 and 50 point games thrown in there. It's unfortunate that injuries and personal problems have taken their toll on Gilbert because he was so fun to watch. He's still only 30 so i hope he can turn it around. But i think at the very best he's a back up point guard at this juncture in his career.

Others that come to mind from this era are McGrady, Iverson, Vince Carter, Elton Brand, Steve Francis. I know i'm missing some.

[Mencius]

Yeah, that's a good list.  I'd add Marbury to it, too.  I had forgotten about Shawn Kemp.  That was a pretty serious fall.  He was amazing when he was young and not fat.

[CelticG1]

Vin Baker, Yao Ming,

[perks-a-beast]

Vin Baker, Yao Ming,

Oh man, i don't know i i forgot about Yao Ming. That was such a sad thing. I remember there was a time in this country when you couldn't leave your house without seeing Yao Ming advertising something.

[thirstyboots18]

Antoine Walker

[Fafnir]

I excluded injury related declines. There are always a ton of those, its just the nature of sports.

Michael Ray Richardson is the first name that springs into my mind and Stephon Marbury the second.

Edit:

Latrell Sprewell after his "feed my family" line as he rejected the last big money deal anyone would ever offer him.

[wdleehi]

Tim Hardaway. 

[Donoghus]

Fall from grace?  Easy.

The answer is the only player besides Michael Jordan who has won an NCAA Championship, and NBA championship, and earned over $90 million during the course of his career.

[KCattheStripe]

Fall from grace?  Easy.

The answer is the only player besides Michael Jordan who has won an NCAA Championship, and NBA championship, and earned over $90 million during the course of his career.

'Toine?

[fairweatherfan]

I had forgotten about Shawn Kemp.  That was a pretty serious fall.  He was amazing when he was young and not fat.

Oddly he was still pretty effective for awhile after he got fat.  Kemp blew up during the 98 lockout but averaged 20 and 9 and 18 and 9 the next 2 years.

I'd add Roy Tarpley to the list - averaged around 17 and 12 for a 3+ year stretch, then banned from the league during his prime.  Made a fairly successful comeback 4 years later, until he got banned again.  Cocaine is a hell of a drug.

[Fafnir]

I had forgotten about Shawn Kemp.  That was a pretty serious fall.  He was amazing when he was young and not fat.

Oddly he was still pretty effective for awhile after he got fat.  Kemp blew up during the 98 lockout but averaged 20 and 9 and 18 and 9 the next 2 years.

Yeah, his Cleveland seasons were one of the ones that I think in my head whenever someone says "not all numbers are created equally".

[Donoghus]

Fall from grace?  Easy.

The answer is the only player besides Michael Jordan who has won an NCAA Championship, and NBA championship, and earned over $90 million during the course of his career.

'Toine?

Yup.

[bdm860]

Tim Hardaway.

You really think so?

Dude was All-NBA 2nd team in '99 at age 32 (coming off a 3 year run of All NBA 1st or 2nd team).  And he had a solid 2000 and 2001 as the starting point guard for a 50+ win team that was a lot of people's favorite to come out of the East.  That's at ages 33 and 34.  He drops off after that and bounces around a few teams, but that's at age 35+.  Can't expect too much from a 6'0" PG then.

[StartOrien]

Gotta be Antoine Walker though Allen Iverson and Stephon Marbury probably deserve an honorable (?) mention

[fairweatherfan]

I had forgotten about Shawn Kemp.  That was a pretty serious fall.  He was amazing when he was young and not fat.

Oddly he was still pretty effective for awhile after he got fat.  Kemp blew up during the 98 lockout but averaged 20 and 9 and 18 and 9 the next 2 years.

Yeah, his Cleveland seasons were one of the ones that I think in my head whenever someone says "not all numbers are created equally".

Funny, those Cleveland teams are the ones I think of when people talk about the bad years of the NBA.  They were absolutely brutal to watch, routinely scoring in the 70s.