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When you think of NBA players beefing, you usually associate that with guys from opposite teams going at it.
However, sometimes teammates can't stand each other and it leads to tension in the locker room and behind the scenes.
With that said, let's take a look at the five biggest NBA locker room beefs in league history.
5. Nick Young vs. D'Angelo Russell
D'Angelo Russell tried to prank Nick Young by recording him talking about cheating on Iggy Azalea. The video somehow got leaked to the public and all hell broke loose on the Los Angeles Lakers.
After the video got out, Lakers players shut Russell out by making him sit alone at breakfast. Los Angeles fans even booed Russell during pregame intros at Staples Center. D'Lo and Young's relationship was never the same.
The Lakers traded Russell to the Brooklyn Nets in the summer of 2017 after drafting him with the second overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft.
4. Jimmy Butler vs. Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins
Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns were the two players Jimmy Butler had issues with during his time in Minnesota. Butler requested a trade from the Timberwolves before the start of the 2018-19 NBA season because he reportedly felt he couldn’t win with Wiggins and Towns as his sidekicks.
In his infamous practice with the Timberwolves, Butler went after Towns and Wiggins with countless verbal jabs. He called both players “soft” and made sure everyone knew he was the best player on the team despite only shooting the ball a few times.
The Timberwolves wound up trading Butler to the Philadelphia 76ers in 2018-19. Butler and Wiggins are said to be on good terms again, while Jimmy and Towns haven't spoken since Butler was traded to Philly.
3. Kevin Durant vs. Draymond Green
Kevin Durant has admitted a few times that the Draymond Green incident from the 2018-19 season was just one reason why he decided to leave the Golden State Warriors for the Brooklyn Nets.
Green started calling Durant “a bi**h” during an overtime game between the Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center. Green began questioning KD about his upcoming free agency, said the Dubs already won a ring without him and dared the two-time NBA Finals MVP to leave in the offseason — all while a game was still going on.
The words Green said to Durant were indeed too harsh, especially considering the Warriors were playing in a game against the Clippers. KD and Green's relationship went downhill from there and everyone in Golden State had a feeling Durant was going to leave in 2019.
2. Gilbert Arenas vs. Javaris Crittenton
In 2009 on the Washington Wizards, Gilbert Arenas threatened to burn Javaris Crittenton's car with him in it before Crittenton threatened to shoot him.
It all started when JaVale McGee won a card game during a trip on the Wizards' charter plane and Crittenton tried to get his money back from McGee. Arenas stepped in and things escalated pretty quickly.
Arenas brought four unloaded guns into the Wizards locker room one day and told Crittenton to pick one to shoot him with. However, Crittenton instead drew his own gun, which was loaded, and pointed it at Arenas.
In 2015, Crittenton plead guilty to voluntary manslaughter in a 2011 killing. He is currently serving a 23-year prison sentence.
1. Kobe Bryant vs. Shaquille O'Neal
Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal won three NBA titles together on the Lakers. However, their relationship wasn't always the best behind the scenes.
Bryant’s criticism of O’Neal’s work ethic was one of the main sticking points of their relationship in Los Angeles. It all started back during the lockout-shortened 1998-99 campaign when O’Neal and Bryant actually got into a fistfight during a scrimmage at practice. That incident laid the foundation for what would end up being an infamous feud that rocked the NBA landscape.
After the Lakers lost to the Detroit Pistons in the 2004 Finals, Shaq was traded to the Miami Heat. Kobe went on to win two more titles with Pau Gasol, while O'Neal won one more with Dwyane Wade.
Kobe and Shaq were on good terms again before Bryant tragically passed away in a helicopter crash. The two even had a powerful interview on NBA TV a few years ago where they patched things up for everyone to see.
O’Neal was very emotional at Bryant’s public memorial earlier this year. The former Lakers center spoke about the “special relationship” he had with Bryant.
One of the highlights from O'Neal's speech was when he told the story of when Bryant gained his respect. Shaq said in response to teammates complaining that Kobe wouldn’t pass the ball, he approached Bryant and told him there was no “I” in team.
Kobe’s response: “Yeah but there is a ‘me' in that motherfu—er.”
