While Jeff Teague eventually carved out a solid 12-year NBA career highlighted by his All-Star turn appearance in 2015, he actually got off to a slow start, playing just 11.9 minutes per game in his first two seasons in the league. With veterans Mike Bibby, Joe Johnson , and Jamal Crawford manning the Atlanta Hawks ' backcourt, Teague had to make do with scraps.
However, idleness, youth, and wealth proved to be a dangerous combination for the former Wake Forest star, as he and fellow bench player Jordan Crawford kept themselves busy in the worst way possible: by partying every single night.
Unfortunately for the two, word of their endeavors reached Hawks general manager Rick Sund, who sat them down and bluntly told them that one of them would be moved to another team, or else neither of them would mature. What followed was a hilarious argument in which Teague and Crawford tried to convince Sund that they were better than each other.
With both Teague and Crawford buried deep in the rotation, they discussed how they would keep themselves busy throughout the season. But instead of staying in the gym to sharpen their skills and stay ready when their number was called, Jeff shared that they had a brilliant idea.
"So me and Jordan had a pact. We was like, 'If we ain't gonna be the man on the court, we gonna be the man in the streets.' So we went out. So we went out every single night. And you know, in Atlanta, it's something to do every night," Teague disclosed .
"So every time we went out…We already went out on the road by ourselves anyway, but every single night in Atlanta, you know, Josh and them, they ain't go out really at home. Like, they go out on a special night or whatever," he continued. "Me and Jordan? Don't care if it's a Monday, Tuesday, we going every night."
With a lot of free time, deep pockets, and unspent energy, they painted the ATL and every city they were in red, drinking alcohol, hanging out with honeys, and staying out late. However, their extracurriculars didn't sit well with the Hawks' front office, and they were soon called to a meeting.
Like two schoolchildren who got called to the principal's office, they sat down as Sund got right to the point.
"He like, 'Somebody gonna have to leave. Like, one of y'all gonna have to go,'" Teague divulged. "'Y'all gonna get each other out the league. We gotta move one of y'all. Y'all out every night. Y'all come in here, y'all don't care.' We come in late. Jordan missed a practice one time. I come in late, I smell like alcohol. Like, they like, 'Somebody gotta go.'"
"So me and Jordan in the meeting hating on each other, like, 'I'm better. Like, I'm better than him.' He like, 'I'm better than you!' He like, 'I'm 6'5″, can do everything you can do.' I'm like, 'Man, you don't know how to read a defense!'"
As the meeting ended, the two continued their argument.
"We leave the meeting, now we kind of like…We kind of mad at each other. And then we end up going out anyway," Teague added, laughing.
In the end, it was Crawford whom the Hawks moved, trading him to the Washington Wizards for a package headlined by crafty guard Kirk Hinrich .
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Aug 16, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
