Players are taking the game to new heights, and many of the guys are very friendly, and the media loves them. The media loves Stephen Curry because he demonstrates well-respected character traits in interviews. But this article isn't about how the NBA's business has been doing well, or the nice guys who everyone loves. Some of the people on this list may surprise you because they are either very famous or well respected by fans.

Relating to retired players that are known as unfriendly there is a vast amount. Bill Russell, the 11-time champion, doesn't have the best reputation within fanbases. Even the great Michael Jordan has been supposed to be a dry, arrogant man. MJ said this during the 1995 NBA Playoffs to Hornets guard Muggsy Bogues."Shoot it you f**** midget."

What a jerk.

Regardless, Bogues is still recognized as an NBA legend, and one of the greats of the game who battled adversity regarding his short height. Bogues is 5-foot-3.

That is pretty damn short for an NBA player.

15 P.J. Hairston

After being drafted, P.J. Hairston got arrested for assault. He was charged with assault for punching a high school kid in the face while playing basketball with him. He was previously arrested for drug possession in North Carolina a year or so before this.

Hairston sits atop this list since he is a young prospect, and in years to come, he could eventually climb this list. He could also work himself off of it. The Hornets have already moved on from him, so we'll see how his stint in Memphis goes.

14 DeMarcus Cousins

Cousins once cursed out his coach George Karl in the Kings locker room. This came after a Kings loss a couple of years ago. DeMarcus didn't just privately yell at his head coach, he screamed at him in front of players, assistant coaches, and media. Here is what Cousins said about former NBA Legend Charles Barkley.

"I have no respect for you and I never will. We have nothing to talk about. So yes, every time we see each other, there will be no words."

DeMarcus Cousins said this after Barkley criticized him regarding his inability to grow up. By the star Kings center saying this, he proves Barkley's point further, that he is an immature player, who cannot take any suggestions or comments.

13 Blake Griffin

He was in an altercation in 2014 and charged with a misdemeanor in Las Vegas, Nevada.

This guy is starting to surface as one of the biggest jerks in the league, and people are shocked. He appeared a nice guy when he won the Slam Dunk Contest and was loved by fans across the board.

Like NBA players, they lose their friendly touch as they progress in their careers, sometimes.

12 Matthew Dellavedova

He was voted by NBA Players and Coaches as the dirtiest player in the NBA. A total of 24 people spoke anonymously, and he was the favorite with 13 votes. Steven Adams had the second most votes, then Bogut, Matt Barnes, and Serge Ibaka with 2 votes.

Dellavedova was said by an anonymous player to be "dirty as they come." The player also said it is NOT okay, the way he composes himself on the court.

Not just on the court, but Matthew has had problems with guys off the court. He is argumentative and curses at guys.

In 2013, Matthew was the loved player of the NBA Finals, getting worldwide attention for his aggressive nature.

11 Russell Westbrook

He is constantly hostile to the media during interviews, and condescending. Several years ago Kevin Durant and Westbrook had teammate problems and called each other out for not playing well. When a columnist, The Oklahoman's Berry Tramel, interviewed him, Westbrook said this.

"I just don't like you." "I love Nick. I don't like you."

It's possible he doesn't like the media or has a personal beef with this guy. Either way, it's pretty easy to answer a couple of questions, and go back to the locker room. You're making millions of dollars relax, it's not the end of the world when a couple of reporters ask you how the game went.

He also randomly began arguing with the Nuggets mascot in Denver. Nothing horrible, but appears to be a rude guy.

10 DeAndre Jordan

Wow, we get another former Clipper on the list. A few summers ago Jordan made a verbal commitment to go to the Dallas Mavericks. A couple of days later he rescinded his comments and decided he would stay in L.A. This shows he has pure maturity issues.

Look he's not an awful person, as there are people on this list who are d-bags.

It just seems like he has more of a maturity issue, which leads to impulsive acts that could be construed as jerkish.

9 J.R. Smith

There are allegations he choked a high school student.

Here are his comments.

"We had conversations with coach David Blatt general manager David Griff and some of the players. I just don't want to be a distraction to anybody else and I've just got to move forward."

In this quote he doesn't really directly talk about the altercation, he just says he doesn't want to be a distraction. Smith's off-court issues also include reckless driving charges, stemming from a June 2007 incident, running through a stop sign and colliding with another car, not wearing a seat belt.

8 Jeffery Taylor

He was arrested in Charlotte, NC for domestic assault in a hotel. His bail was set to $5,000. He also was charged with destruction of property and was suspended 25 games by the NBA, pleading guilty to all charges.

Taylor was released by the Hornets and signed by Madrid in the euro league. His stunt appears to have had him expelled from the NBA. Taylor was a promising prospect coming in the league, but any maturity questions were answered. He apparently does not belong in the NBA but is now overseas.

7 Nick Young

Nick Young has been involved in so many fights since he came into the NBA.

TMZ said Young had "a complete meltdown" in Dave N Busters in 2015. He and his friends began arguing with other people, and a fight broke out. An LAPD Chopper had to show up to the scene.

He calls the people "b***es," and gets in their faces. He throws a water bottle at a man and hits him multiple times.

In 2014, Young was involved in a fight with Drew Gooden on the court. Also in the same year, he was ejected from another game for an elbow to the throat on Steven Adams, and yelling at him. In 2015, he was also ejected for shoving Anthony Tolliver on the Pistons.

6 Rajon Rondo

Rajon Rondo has always had people questioning his character. He tends to wear out his welcome with teams, but things came to light more so when the guard yelled a gay slur at a referee (Bill Kennedy). Here are Rondo's apology tweets.

"My actions during the game were out of frustration and emotion, period."

"They absolutely do not reflect my feelings toward the LGBT community. I did not mean to offend or disrespect anyone."

What did he say?

Rondo called the referee a "mother**** f***ot".

Here is what Vlade Divac had to say on the matter. “Rajon’s comment was disrespectful and offensive, and we wholeheartedly disapprove of any language that discriminates or disparages others based on sexual orientation or anything else."

5 Chris Paul

Gregg Popovich had this to say about Paul.

"He's a mean, nasty man, and he's a pain in the ass. I don't know if there's anyone more competitive in the league than that little dude. "They must've stole all his toys and everything when he was a kid. He's getting back at the world, because he's mad at everybody once he steps on the court."

Rudy Gay also noted that he doesn't like CP3. He said he ended his friendship with Paul.

Paul also has some on-court incidents, like punching Julius Hodge in the groin, which isn't something a sensible man would do on a basketball court.

4 Draymond Green

There are mixed feelings for Green, and how he conducts himself. Some complain about his rudeness and anger on the court, some enjoy his off the court attitude.

Draymond is passionate about basketball, as the majority of the guys in the NBA. In-Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals of 2015, Green drew an offensive foul from Dwight Howard. He yelled profanity to the crowd and acted pompously. He kicked his feet up and celebrated... mid-game. Steve Kerr has noted that he and Green have gotten into arguments often.

“Draymond and I have probably gotten into it three or four times, and every time he apologizes within a minute because he has such a heart of gold.”

3 Matt Barnes

Barnes drove over 90 miles to go beat up Derek Fisher. He heard from his son, that Fisher was with his ex-wife... EX-WIFE.

He went over to the house and beat up Fisher, and allegedly spit in his wife's face. "I don't regret it. Like, man to man knows who's wrong and who's right. The NBA decided to step in and did what they did. But it is what it is," Barnes stated.

It is the behavior of a dangerous misogynist lunatic. It is an act of violent aggression. It is a man forcefully asserting personal property rights over a woman’s home, body, and life." said Deadspin writer Albert Burneko.

No question about it, Matt Barnes is a douche.

2 Kobe Bryant

I like Kobe because of what he has done for the game of basketball, but that doesn't give him a free pass for this list.

At the beginning of his career, he said this about his teammates. "I almost won an MVP with Smush Parker and Kwame Brown on my team...I was shooting 45 times a game. What was I supposed to do? Pass it to Chris Mihm or Kwame Brown."

Kobe also got away with cheating on his wife with many different women. His wife had filed for divorce and said Kobe slept with as many as 105 different people. Kobe was also accused of sexually assaulting a woman at a hotel in Colorado (2003). Kobe admitted to having sex with the 19-year-old but not assaulting her. The case was dropped in court. Smush Parker said Kobe was a bad teammate who was not friendly to him remotely.

“The guy wants to win so you always have issues with him if you’re playing poorly or subpar," said Andrew Bynum. “He feels like he needs to show this league and the people in this country that he is better without Shaq. He can win championships without Shaq. So offensively, he’s going to jump out and say, ‘I can average 30 points. I can still carry the load on this team." said Ray Allen.

1 Michael Jordan

Perhaps it was Michael Jordan's competitive nature that brought out the worst in him, but there are countless stories of Jordan being a jerk to many people. Some stories are actually legendary, including buying Charles Barkley a $20,000 diamond earring, so he'd stay out of his face for the NBA Finals, saying to Bulls assistant Johnny Bach: “he won’t get in my way the rest of the series, what’s $20,000 to me? Charles thinks we’re great friends. I hate that fat f—.”

There's also the story of him berating teammate Kwame Brown in Washington, reducing him to tears: "As a leader, Jordan proved more tormentor than a mentor. Many Washington players got the business end of a Jordan harangue, but he designated second-year forward Kwame Brown as the whipping boy."

Perhaps this insane competitive nature helped make Jordan great, but it doesn't make him any less of a jerk.

Sources - ESPN, Dead Spin & Twitter