NBA’s Dirty Secrets EXPOSED: When Players Cheated So Badly They Got Caught – “Nice Try, But We Saw You”

Cheating in professional sports is nothing new, but the NBA has had its fair share of jaw-dropping moments where players crossed the line—and got caught in the act.

From the ridiculous to the outright sneaky, here are some of the most outrageous ways NBA players tried to cheat, only to be exposed in dramatic fashion.

Let’s start with the Philadelphia 76ers, a team so desperate they once had six players on the court simultaneously during a game.

Yes, you read that right—six players instead of the allowed five.

The Bulls had five players, but Philly somehow managed to sneak an extra guy in, leading to a baffling 6-on-5 advantage.

This chaos unfolded live, and while the refs missed it, fans were left wondering how such a blunder could happen.

Maybe that’s why they’re called the Sixers—because they played with six players?

Whatever the case, it was a blatant cheat that somehow escaped a fine.

Then there’s J.R. Smith, whose cheating was far less subtle but equally bizarre.

Smith developed a habit of untying his opponents’ shoelaces during games.

It sounds minor, but in the heat of a fast-paced NBA match, an untied shoe can throw off a player’s balance and focus.

The referees, however, seemed oblivious at first.

Smith kept doing it game after game until the NBA finally slapped him with a $50,000 fine.

When confronted, Smith acted like the whole thing was a joke, sarcastically dismissing the severity of his actions and claiming it didn’t give him any real advantage.

Spoiler: it did.

One of the stickiest cheating incidents involved Dwight Howard, who was caught using a banned substance called “stickum” on his hands.

This sticky goo gave him extra grip on the basketball, making it easier to control and shoot.

During a game against the Hawks, officials noticed something odd about the ball and immediately swapped it out after discovering the substance.

Howard admitted to using stickum for years, brushing it off as no big deal and denying he was a cheater.

The NBA, however, wasn’t amused, and the incident stained his reputation.

Jason Kidd’s cheating moment was more about bending the rules than breaking them outright.

In a crucial game with only seconds left and no timeouts, Kidd took a quick drink to stall the clock and set up a final play.

His acting skills were, let’s say, less than Oscar-worthy, as he awkwardly tried to make the moment look natural.

Despite the stunt, Kidd’s team lost, and the attempt to cheat time was met with mockery from fans and players alike.

Baron Davis tried to pull off a dunk trick called “The Blind Man’s Bluff,” where he was supposed to dunk blindfolded.

The catch? His blindfold had a hole, giving him a clear view.

The cheat was exposed instantly, and Davis ended up airballing the dunk in front of a laughing Michael Jordan.

Instead of owning up, Davis tried to lie about the hole, only making himself look worse.

That stunt became one of the most embarrassing moments in NBA dunk contest history.

DeMar DeRozan’s cheating scandal was more personal—and involved his daughter.

During a high-stakes Toronto Raptors game, DeRozan’s daughter screamed loudly every time the Raptors shot a free throw, trying to distract the opposition.

The tactic worked to some extent, but fans and officials saw it as cheating.

She was eventually escorted out by security and banned from attending future games.

Using a fourth grader as a distraction? That’s a new low.

Some players cheat with their ears, sneaking into opponents’ huddles to listen to strategies.

Lance Stephenson famously invaded the Miami Heat’s huddle, irritating the team and nearly causing a physical altercation.

While not as blatant as other cheats, it’s a sneaky tactic that toes the line of fair play, showing how far players will go to gain an edge.

Donovan Mitchell’s story is a mix of brilliance and controversy.

After scoring an astonishing 71 points in a game—one of the highest in nearly two decades—he was drug tested because the NBA found his performance “too good to be true.”

The league’s suspicion cast a shadow over his achievement, and Mitchell had to prove his legitimacy.

Later, controversy arose when he purposefully missed a free throw to set up a game-tying shot, but the NBA ruled he jumped over the line too early, invalidating some points and sparking debate about cheating and rule enforcement.

Giannis Antetokounmpo’s “cheating” was more of a clever stat manipulation.

Chasing a triple-double, Giannis intentionally threw the ball off the rim to grab a rebound and secure the milestone.

While it’s a smart play, the NBA ruled it against the rules because the shot wasn’t intended to score, stripping him of the rebound and the triple-double.

Giannis admitted to “stealing” the rebound with a wink, showing that even the best players bend the rules when it suits them.

Finally, two lesser-known players, Eric Bledsoe and Michael Beasley, took cheating to a whole new level overseas in China.

Playing for the Shanghai Sharks, they were involved in match-fixing, deliberately losing games to manipulate suspensions and playoff eligibility.

Their antics led to a full investigation, lifetime suspensions for coaches and managers, and hefty fines.

Cheating to lose? That’s a scandal that shocked even the most jaded basketball fans.

While some cheating stories are funny or dumb, others carry a darker weight—players’ reputations tarnished, careers ended prematurely, and families affected by the fallout.

The NBA may be the pinnacle of basketball excellence, but it’s also a stage for human flaws, temptations, and the desperate urge to win at any cost.

So next time you watch an NBA game, remember: beneath the highlight reels and buzzer-beaters lies a world where cheating isn’t just a rumor—it’s a reality that’s been caught on camera, confessed to, and punished.

And as these stories show, if you try to cheat the NBA, chances are you’ll get caught, laughed at, or worse—fined, suspended, or banned.

Nice try, but we saw you.