Michael Beasley says he was blackballed from the NBA

[GSWFan1994]

He played 11 years in the league, making roughly 50 million dollars in earnings.

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[prophet_of_rage]

I have always loved Michael Beasley and he is a brilliant scorer who is perfect for today's game. Yes, he was too much of a headache for the NBA because he was mentally too untamed. The NBA makes you corporate and Beasley was always too off the chain. So they just found a replacement.

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[BloodNinja]

If you're good enough you won't get blackballed eg Miles Bridges

[Optms]

Of course I agree.

If guys like Jaylen Brown and Kyrie were less talented than they are, they'd also be out of the league. Especially Kyrie. The NBA doesn't like outspoken Black men. Especially if you buck the trend. You have to be politically correct, family man, say all the right things and be in line with the right party. This goes back to the Allen Iverson days.

[firedavidkahn]

No, the drugs did that

[dans1230]

I dont think he was blackballed, he was just an empty stats guy who was always a problem off the court. He drove himself out of the NBA.

[UcanUwill]

If anything, he probably was in the league longer than he deserved.

[druggas]

11 years is blackballed?

[JayMKE]

Beasley wasn’t blackballed, he had tons of opportunities and played 11 years in the league. He was a skilled bucket getter and If he were higher IQ and better shooter from deep, had work ethic to improve, he would have played more despite the off the court stuff which is mostly self inflicted.

[TwitterFingers]

I mean if he was blackballed what was the reasoning behind that? Doesn’t make sense.

[Infinite Llamas]

Empty stats player.

I mean, Hassan Whiteside could probably still average 12/10 on some team but I think enough teams have learnt their lesson with him by now.

Even a scorer like Ron Mercer was averaging close to 20 for the Bulls 25 years ago and was out of the league a couple seasons after that.

[Frank Dux]

Blackballed? He was washed up by the time LeBron brought him onto the Lakers and he was terrible.

[NZB2323]

He played for 11 years, made 50 million dollars, and had issues on and off the court.

Iverson, Miles Bridges, Ron Artest, Dennis Rodman, Draymond Green, Ja Morant, Zion, Marbury, Gilbert Arenas, Ben Simmons, Spreewell, ect. Have all gotten contracts.

Beasley had COVID in 2020 and was an out of shape injury prone 32 year old player who had a negative BPM every year of his career except a year he only played in 20 games.

[MrGoat]

I know a few professional athletes and all of them have told me that politics rather than merit play much more of a role in roster decisions than fans would like to think and the politics can get weird. Beasley doesn't exactly seem to be the greatest example to illustrate that point, though

[cgf]

My favorite ever knucklehead, Supercool Beas was who JR wished he could grow up too be. Sooo much talent but such a ditsy stoner.

[cgf]

I know a few professional athletes and all of them have told me that politics rather than merit play much more of a role in roster decisions than fans would like to think and the politics can get weird. Beasley doesn't exactly seem to be the greatest example to illustrate that point, though

Morale and team dynamics are crucial; especially when it comes to those final roster spots in ever sport. Beas wasn’t a dick, but in international football the big nations often don’t pick the most talented backups if those more talented backups will throw a fit over not starting.

Similarly getting Beasley to stay focused and do his job was a headache…despite him seeming like a kind hearted idiot…a headache that eventually stopped being worth the trouble. That’s why “good pros” tend to stick around on the ends of roster longer than knuckleheads and jerks.

[Doctor MJ]

He played 11 years in the league, making roughly 50 million dollars in earnings.

Huh, no. He was someone who should have been out of the league earlier but because of his college stature kept getting chances to figure it out. While we can point to his immaturity, the reality is that you can be plenty immature and stick around indefinitely if you're as good as Beasley was supposed to be.

[UcanUwill]

Of course I agree.

If guys like Jaylen Brown and Kyrie were less talented than they are, they'd also be out of the league. Especially Kyrie. The NBA doesn't like outspoken Black men. Especially if you buck the trend. You have to be politically correct, family man, say all the right things and be in line with the right party. This goes back to the Allen Iverson days.

To call Kyrie outspoken black man is insult to outspoken black men. Kyrie is not outspoken man, Kyrie is just a lunatic dumbass who does not believe in proven science concepts and tries his hardest to be a contrarian. If Kyrie was of any other race, people would still have issues with him not believing in vaccines and promoting antisemitism... Honestly, they would probably have more problem with that.
Also, you trying to prove Beasley was blackballed by naming guys who are not blackballed? Well of course more than just basketball ability plays factor on roster building, and if you are a scrub with baggage, you are likely not to be signed, this is not some kind of shocking concept. But idiots like Beasley think they are victims of blackball, but it doesn't even cross their mind that maybe teams had a point and there is a good reason why they were blackballed, and they are the problem... Beasley was not blackballed by the way, but guy was on drugs most of the time and at one point it was apparent that he does not posses any potential anymore.

[Doctor MJ]

Of course I agree.

If guys like Jaylen Brown and Kyrie were less talented than they are, they'd also be out of the league. Especially Kyrie. The NBA doesn't like outspoken Black men. Especially if you buck the trend. You have to be politically correct, family man, say all the right things and be in line with the right party. This goes back to the Allen Iverson days.

Let's note first that Beasley wasn't known for speaking out about civil rights or anything like that. He wasn't a threatening Black man, he was a kid in a man's body known for getting high and watching cartoons. So while I'd agree from the time of Oscar Robertson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar that NBA owners are not comfortable with defiant intellectual Black men, that's not relevant to Beasley.

Let's then note that in general, if you're more trouble than you're worth to multiple employers, and especially to multiple employers in the same industry, you tend to end up struggling as your career goes on. Just speaking as a White guy, I can think of a couple guys in my extended family who could always rock an interview but then frustrate the company that hired them, and eventually they stopped getting hired.

No matter what walk of life you're in, being "high maintenance" tends to hurt all but the most in-demand performers. It's unfortunate that includes employees with a righteous cause, and it absolutely lands worse on minority groups, but the core motivation is generally amoral rather than immoral.

(Mind you as I say this, Brown's lost some significant respect in my eyes with time and I just see Kyrie as a wacko who is in no way a serious thinker. Makes sense in some ways to put them in a category with Oscar & Kareem, but I respect the legends considerably more.)

[Doctor MJ]

My favorite ever knucklehead, Supercool Beas was who JR wished he could grow up too be. Sooo much talent but such a ditsy stoner.

JR Smith? Odd choice given that Smith began in the NBA before Beasley, lasted after Beasley, and made more money, despite having drastically less hype coming into the draft.

Pretty sure Smith is glad he's not Supercool Beas.