Michael Beasley’s NBA Downward Spiral: A Complete Timeline
Michael Beasley may or may not be a nasty guy, but he’s shown over the last five years that he can string bad judgments together like a champ.
On August 6, cops in Scottsdale, Arizona, detained Beasley for marijuana possession, adding to an ever-growing litany of dopey gaffes. Lauren Peikoff, a producer with Phoenix’s 12 News, posted his mugshot, which NBA fans have grown accustomed to seeing:
If we were dealing with any other NBA star, this arrest would most likely garner only a day or two of news coverage. In isolation, it would not appear to be the end of the world. But, given Beasley’s egregious track record, his most recent arrest is not just sad, but also concerning.
That’s because Beasley seems intent on continuing a downward spiral that could very well result in him washing out of the NBA.
Here’s a rundown of how Beasley has sabotaged a once-promising career.
June 26, 2008: Red Flags from the Start
Beasley was named the Big 12 Player of the Year in his lone season at Kansas State. He averaged 26.2 points and 12.4 rebounds while showcasing a ridiculous amount of offensive skill for a forward. Derrick Rose was the surefire No. 1 pick in the 2008 NBA draft, but Beasley was hardly a consolation prize when the Miami Heat snagged him at No. 2.
Even at that early juncture, there were concerns about Beasley’s character.
According to Draft Express’ player profile, the 6’10” forward’s weaknesses included “attitude, focus and off-court red flags.”
Maybe that had something to do with the fact that he attended six high schools in five different states. Or perhaps it was his unseemly entanglement with an AAU pseudo-agent (more on that later).
Either way, there were signs that Beasley might struggle to walk the grown-up line of life in the NBA from the moment he joined the professional ranks.
But nobody suspected he’d screw up as quickly as he did.
September 3, 2008: The Symposium Incident
Apparently not one to waste time, Beasley ran afoul of NBA policy at the first official opportunity to do so. According to Zach Harper of CBS Sports, Beasley was fined $50,000 for his involvement in an incident at the 2008 Rookie Transition Program in which he, Mario Chalmers and Darrell Arthur violated program policy by having women in the room.
Hotel workers also detected the odor of marijuana and were only there in the first place because the smoke alarm went off at approximately 2 a.m.
It should be mentioned that Beasley actually sneaked out of the room, leaving Chalmers and Arthur to take the rap. He was later forced by Heat president Pat Riley to admit his role in the affair.
To summarize: Beasley broke the rules at the NBA’s official seminar on how not to break the rules. Clearly, things weren’t headed in the right direction.
August 24, 2009: Twitter, Rehab and a Boat
The NBA deliberately keeps the details of things like this under wraps, but at some point during the summer of 2009, Beasley was required to participate in the league’s drug program. On August 24, 2009, his status at a rehabilitation facility shifted from outpatient to inpatient, indicating he’d broken one of the program’s rules (per ESPN).
It’s not hard to figure out how he broke those rules. During the weeks leading up to the story about his rehab stint, Beasley had been active on the social media front in the worst way possible.
The actual tweets have since been deleted, but the Los Angeles Times reprinted the ones that stirred up concern for Beasley’s mental health. They included:
Those posts—combined with an unrelated photo from Beasley that featured a baggie of what looked an awful lot like marijuana in the background—didn’t help.
Neither did an image of him passed out on a boat surrounded by empty bottles. It’s possible he was just worn out after a tough workout. I mean, he does have what appear to be his game shorts on.
With just one actual season of NBA basketball under his belt, Beasley had already fashioned a pretty nasty reputation for himself.
July 12, 2010: Change of Scenery
You hear it all the time: A change of scenery could make a big difference for (insert player’s name here). Well, in this case, the Minnesota Timberwolves were banking on a new environment bringing the best out of Beasley.
They traded for him on July 12, 2010.
Then-president David Kahn was remarkably candid in his comments on Beasley. In a radio interview with 1500 ESPN Twin Cities, he said of his team’s new acquisition:
