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Ex-NBA player cut in China after shoving teammate in on-court tantrum
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- Ex-NBA player cut in China after shoving teammate in on-court tantrum
Still only 25 years old, it was not long ago Darius Bazley was a first-round pick by the Oklahoma City Thunder . But his most recent update is rough.
Bazley, who was selected No. 23 overall in the 2019 NBA Draft, played six years in the NBA before his first contract overseas. The forward spent his first few professional seasons on the Thunder before playing for the Phoenix Suns , Philadelphia 76ers , Utah Jazz and multiple G League organizations.
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His first contract in the Chinese Basketball Association began in September 2024 with the Guangdong Southern Tigers before he returned to the United States in the G League. He played NBA Summer League for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2025 but was shut down due to injury and left the court in a wheelchair .
Bazley signed with with the Ningbo Rockets on March 7, 2026 but his contract barely lasted longer than one month before it was terminated due to an on-court incident.
During the first quarter against the Shanghai Sharks, the forward attempted to inbound a pass to his teammate, former Michigan guard Zavier Simpson . The pass was swiftly stolen by former Tulane big Kevin Zhang, who then connected on a 3-pointer.
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Frustrated with the lapse, he argued with Simpson on the inbound pass before intentionally throwing it out of bounds.
While on the sideline, Bazley was seen shoving a teammate who was attempting to calm him down. His contract was immediately terminated by the Rockets.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Ex-NBA player cut in China after shoving teammate in on-court tantrum
