NBA

Ja Morant and The Stupidest Athletes On Social Media

Darren Ryding - August 6, 2024

NBA

Ja Morant and The Stupidest Athletes On Social Media

Darren Ryding - August 6, 2024

In the current era of rampant technology, Social media provides athletes and celebrities with incredible opportunities to promote their brands and connect with fans. However, there’s a darker side to it as it’s also a minefield that can cause many problems. There’s little doubt that most coaches probably wish that it never existed because certain players often create trouble online.

So today, we’ll take a look at some of the dumbest things athletes posted on social media. We have everything from NBA star Ja Morant’s recent gun scandal to Hulk Hogan retweeting weird comments about his daughter. The Internet is a strange and ruthless place as we’ll soon discover. Check out these crazy stories right now.

Paul Pierce

Technically, this mistake happened after Pierce retired from his decorated NBA playing career. He had a cushy gig with ESPN as an analyst and was making millions per year. But then he made a massive mistake on social media that caused the network to fire him. One Instagram Live video changed everything for the former Celtics star (via New York Post).

Pierce brought the network into disrepute when he smoked marijuana on camera and posed with scantily-clad women. Allegedly, the problem was that he foolishly filmed the scenes. If a random bystander caught him having a good time it wouldn’t have been as big of an issue. But the network has standards and they refused to compromise them for him.

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Tyson Fury

Fury made one of the stupidest social media mistakes ever when he thanked a known drug lord. Irish crime boss Daniel Kinahan leads one of Europe’s most notorious cartels. However, Fury maintains a friendship with him and credited the Dubai-based mobster with booking his fight against Anthony Joshua. But the worst part of this was that the fight never even happened.

“Hello there, I’m just after getting off the phone with Daniel Kinahan. He’s just informed me that the biggest fight in British boxing history has just been agreed. Big shout-out Dan, he got this done, literally over the line, two-fight deal, Tyson Fury versus Anthony Joshua next year (via The Mirror).”

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D’Angelo Russell

Many teammates don’t like each other behind closed doors, but the drama usually stays in the locker room. The crucial thing is not to betray their trust in public but Russell didn’t get this memo. He secretly recorded a Snapchat video of Nick Young admitting that he cheated on Iggy Azalea. Young did a bad thing but it was still foolish of Russell to share it online.

Unsurprisingly, most of Russell’s Lakers’ teammates didn’t want to associate with him after this. They couldn’t trust him anymore because he violated the code of honor. Meanwhile, Azalea left Young after he broke her heart. There were no winners in this situation because everyone suffered (via Nets Daily).

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Josh Allen

These days Allen is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. But everybody makes mistakes on social media as he showed when some sordid tweets emerged. His high school days came back to haunt him as a series of racist posts easily may have affected his draft status. In the end, it didn’t matter because the Bills still traded up to secure him.

But he fell lower down the board than some people expected. It happened at the worst possible time for the Wyoming star. Many people didn’t hold it against him because teenagers say dumb things. Allen insisted that he was being a moron and those views don’t reflect his worldview today (via SBNation).

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Hulk Hogan

Hogan is one of the most iconic professional wrestlers ever but that doesn’t mean he’s the most tech-savvy person alive. He has made several mistakes on Twitter over the years including the one we can see below. One WWE fan tagged the legend in a rude comment about Hogan’s daughter, Brooke. He also asked for a retweet.

Shockingly, Hogan did retweet the crude message because he didn’t read it properly. He only read the final part before he made the fatal decision to share it with his followers. But the Internet is a cruel place and it never forgets. Later, he corrected his mistake but it was already too late (via Bleacher Report).

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Jermaine Whitehead

Every elite athlete expects to receive criticism after a poor performance. But Whitehead didn’t react well when Dustin Fox slated his display on the radio. The tight end took to Twitter and delivered a series of venomous tweets. He issued death threats and made racist statements as he shocked the NFL.

The Browns aren’t the most moral organization on the planet but this was too much. They cut the player and he never stepped foot on an NFL field again. Maybe he was having a bad day and took things too far. But it was a defining moment that changed the course of his football career (via Awful Announcing).

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Ray Rice

Everybody knows that Rice is a vile human being but he’s also stupid. He raised eyebrows in 2010 when he posted online that police gave him preferential treatment at a traffic stop. The former Ravens star committed a violation but allegedly they reacted by asking him for a small favor (via Business Insider).

Rice tweeted: “Just got pulled over for my tints SMH but gave the officer an autograph for his son and he let me go.” However, a public forum wasn’t the best place to tell everybody that he conned the system. Baltimore police investigated the tweet and questioned Rice. In the end, there were no more consequences but he created inconvenience for himself.

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Courtney Fortson

Sometimes athletes should think before they tweet. But this never entered Fortson’s head when he made one of the most ridiculous tweets ever. He wrote: “I’m getting it at workouts like a dude who doesn’t understand the word no from a drunk girl lol.” This was so inappropriate for a multitude of reasons (via KNWA).

First, it was just a distasteful comment to make because nobody likes that type of joke. Meanwhile, several other members of the Razorbacks had already received rape accusations in a high-profile scandal. It was the worst possible time to make a comment of this nature on social media and it didn’t go off well.

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Damon Arnette

Some franchises know that they’re taking a risk when they draft or sign a player because of their behavioral issues. The Raiders pursued Arnette despite his dubious college track record. But the player repaid them by showing his crazy nature on social media. He infamously brandished a gun and threatened to kill someone.

No franchise wants a potential murderer on their roster so they immediately cut him. It didn’t help matters that he already had a hit-and-run case hanging over him. Arnette was a bomb waiting to explode and they knew it. That’s why he’s also one of the biggest draft busts in NFL history (via TMZ).

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Mac Jones

One crucial point that athletes and celebrities must remember is that the Internet never forgets. Many dark and dumb moments return to haunt people after they become famous. Jones attracted criticism in 2021 after one photo resurfaced from his Alabama days. This came to light after the Patriots made him a first-round draft pick (via Black Sports Online).

The picture showed Jones wearing a President Obama costume with blackface and dreads. Needless to say, this isn’t appropriate in modern society and it turned some people off the quarterback. In the end, the scandal died quickly because there are so many other things going on in the world. But it embarrassed the Patriots signal caller and taught him a lesson.

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Joe Hart

These days, many athletes have dedicated social media teams and advisors. They know that the Internet can be a minefield and that’s why they hire professionals to connect with their fans. But sometimes this doesn’t work out the way they expected. Hart discovered this the hard way after his Spurs suffered a chastening defeat against Dinamo Zagreb.

However, somebody on the goalkeeper’s team thought that Spurs won the game. They tweeted: “Job done” and infuriated every member of the club’s fanbase in the process. Later, Hart explained what happened and apologized. It’s possible that they timed the tweet and didn’t expect the team to lose. But it was very embarrassing for Hart and his staff (via Sky Sports).

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Ray-Ray Armstrong

Everybody knows that shady antics are going on behind the scenes in college sports. The NCAA has strict regulations about boosters and athletes receiving benefits. This doesn’t mean that they don’t happen but discretion is crucial. Armstrong was as subtle as an elephant in an antique store because he shared one of the dumbest tweets ever.

The Hurricane went to dinner with the head of a PR firm and shared it with the world. Meanwhile, this came after he already accepted a suspension for receiving benefits. Perhaps it’s too strong to say he’s a moron but Armstrong has a history of failing to learn from his mistakes. That’s also why he lost his job with the Rams (via SBNation).

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Tyrann Mathieu

The ‘Honey Badger’ is a very good player but that’s not why he’s on this list. The former LSU star made a massive social media mistake during his college days. He praised his girlfriend online but underestimated the feelings of the other lady in his life. That’s right; Mathieu was cheating on Sydni Paige Russell (via Larry Brown Sports).

She didn’t realize that she had a rival for Mathieu’s affections. The other woman leaked nude photos of the future NFL star and said that they slept together many times. This didn’t end Mathieu’s relationship with Russell, who stayed with him through the furor. He infamously lost his spot in the LSU program after he violated its drug policy.

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Blaise Matuidi

Matuidi made one of the dumbest but funniest social media mistakes ever. The former French international midfielder decided to wish his wife a happy birthday on Twitter. There’s nothing wrong with that because he wanted to share his love with the world. But fans noticed one strange detail about the post.

The top of the image contained an Internet search bar with the information: “Matuidi Femme.” He didn’t upload a personal picture of her but screen-shotted the entire page. But he never thought to cut the photo to hide his stupidity. Needless to say, many people thought that this was hilarious (via Daily Star).

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Stephanie Rice

Rice is one of Australia’s greatest-ever athletes with four Olympic gold medals. She’s a hero down under but she reminded the world that she’s human in 2010. That’s because she made an unfortunate tweet after her beloved Australia defeated the South African rugby team. She wrote: “Suck on that” as she also dropped a homophobic slur.

There was instant outrage and she deleted the tweet before apologizing. But it cost her a lucrative sponsorship deal with Jaguar so there were consequences. Social media is great when it helps athletes and stars connect with their fans but it can also be their worst enemy. Rice discovered this the hard way after she made a terrible mistake (via Daily Telegraph).

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Chad Johnson

The NFL has strict rules about players and coaches posting to social media during games. In short, they can’t do it or they’ll face penalties. That doesn’t mean that some athletes don’t test the waters. Johnson brazenly tweeted twice during one Bengals game against the Philadelphia Eagles (via ESPN).

He received a $25,000 fine for the misdemeanor because they don’t condone this behavior. One tweet related to a heavy hit that he took during the preseason game. He wrote: “Man Im sick of getting hit like that, its the damn preseason! 1day I’m gone jump up and start throwing hay makers, #Tylenolplease.”

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Paraskevi Papachristou

Papachristou is responsible for one of the most hateful tweets on this list because she hates immigrants. She reacted badly after an influx of African migrants to Greece. Papachristou wrote (via ABC): “With so many Africans in Greece, the mosquitoes from the West Nile will at least be eating some homemade food.”

The Greek Olympic Committee immediately pulled her from their roster. She was one of the country’s biggest hopes ahead of the London Games but they couldn’t allow her to represent them on the global stage. Papachristou remained defiant for a couple of days before she apologized on social media. But it was already too late for her Olympic dream.

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Victor Anichebe

May fans think that they’re interacting with their favorite sports stars on Twitter. But Anichebe accidentally revealed that this isn’t always the case. These days, many top-level professionals have social media advisors or gurus to help them with their brands. Unfortunately, humans make mistakes, as Anichebe discovered.

After one game, Anichebe infamously tweeted this ridiculous copy-and-paste effort. The social media genius didn’t read it properly and posted the full message. Now when people think about the Nigerian international forward, they immediately mention this Tweet. It’s a classic of the genre but it could have been much worse (via The Sun).

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Ray Allen

Social media scandals can change how we think about athletes. Everybody respected former Celtics star Allen because he was brilliant on the court. The Boston legend is a two-time NBA champion and a Hall of Famer. But he became involved in an embarrassing incident on social media after someone catfished him.

Allen’s account accidentally publically tweeted a direct message. The contents were extremely lewd and revealed how Allen wanted to please the recipient. In the end, it emerged that the person receiving the messages was a man. Allen claimed that someone hacked his account and changed the handle (via Basketball Network).

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Billy Joe Saunders

Many sports stars attempt to generate fan interest by sharing content on their social media channels. But Saunders got it badly wrong when he posted one video to YouTube. The British boxer thought showing the best methods to beat a wife would be hilarious. Unsurprisingly, this went down like a lead balloon and he paid a heavy price (via TalkSport).

The British Board of Boxing Control stripped Saunders of his license because he brought the sport into disrepute. Saunders insisted that it was just a joke but it was in very bad taste. Eventually, he returned to the sport but everybody saw the type of person he is. He also insulted the legendary Barry McGuigan’s deceased daughter on Twitter.

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Paul George

Larry Bird shredded George after the former Pacers star condoned domestic violence. This came in the wake of the Ray Rice scandal. First, George appeared to criticize domestic violence before he supported it on social media. He tweeted “I don’t condone hittin women or think it’s coo BUT if SHE ain’t trippin then I ain’t trippin.. Lets keep it movin lol let that man play!”

This was one of the dumbest and least sensitive tweets possible. Allegedly, the Pacers even considered his position on the roster because it was shocking timing. In the end, George released a groveling reply but it still didn’t sit well with many fans. It’s sad when some athletes show their true colors (via ABC News).

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Rashard Mendenhall

Most people agree that Osama Bin Laden was a terrible human who committed horrific crimes against innocent people. However, Mendenhall wasn’t one of them as he showed on social media. The former NFL star wrote the following tweet after the government announced they had successfully killed Bin Laden.

He tweeted: “What kind of person celebrates death? It’s amazing how people can HATE a man they have never even heard speak. We’ve only heard one side.” Later, he realized that this was a dumb moment but it was too late. His sponsor, Champion, dropped him because they don’t want to associate with conspiracy theorists (via Columbus Dispatch).

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Larry Johnson

Johnson became a notorious figure after a series of homophobic tweets. He wrote: “Me personally gay men in the locked room would make me uncomfortable.” The former NFL star said that it’s not acceptable for him to be in a women’s locker room. That’s why he thinks gay players shouldn’t be in male locker rooms (via OutSports).

The running back came out with a bunch of homophobic tweets as he showed his true colors. Meanwhile, he caused controversy when negatively comparing his Kansas City coaches to his father. Johnson’s dad was a Penn State coach and the player thought that he was better. But it’s probably not a smart thing to say in a professional environment overall.

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Conor McGregor

It’s difficult to pick one of McGregor’s social media mistakes because he is prolific on Twitter. The Irishman tweets and deletes as though he has a case of Internet Tourette’s. He infamously compared his rival Khabib Nurmagamedov’s wife to a towel. The Notorious regularly takes things too far before sharing them with the world.

Meanwhile, he also shares weird videos of himself in strange situations. For example, there’s one where he appears to be in an intoxicated state lying on his bed, eating an ice cream. There’s another where it seems like he is receiving a sexual act. Somebody should take his social media away from him because he’s not doing himself any favors (via Irish Mirror).

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Ja Morant

Morant has issues because he constantly creates problems for himself on social media. The man loves his guns and allowed this to compromise his basketball career. Unfortunately, the NBA doesn’t want their stars brandishing firearms in Instagram stories but Morant didn’t get this memo.

He breached their regulations several times as he showed that he was a moron. That’s why they suspended him for 25 games in 2023. It wasn’t because he had guns but because he brandished them in strip clubs and in an irresponsible way. The NBA also removed his shoes from their website (via Sports Illustrated).

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Ja Morant and The Stupidest Athletes On Social Media

Ja Morant and The Stupidest Athletes On Social Media

Paul Pierce

Tyson Fury

D’Angelo Russell

Josh Allen

Hulk Hogan

Jermaine Whitehead

Ray Rice

Courtney Fortson

Damon Arnette

Mac Jones

Joe Hart

Ray-Ray Armstrong

Tyrann Mathieu

Blaise Matuidi

Stephanie Rice

Chad Johnson

Paraskevi Papachristou

Victor Anichebe

Ray Allen

Billy Joe Saunders

Paul George

Rashard Mendenhall

Larry Johnson

Conor McGregor

Ja Morant

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