“Hoops and Hustle: NBA Legends with Crips or Bloods Connections”

Kyrie Irving is a Blood, bro. That’s what celebrity bodyguard Big Homie CC claimed in a viral interview, sparking a firestorm of rumors. If I’m lying, I’m flying, he swore, insisting he’d seen Kyrie throw up gang signs after a nightclub scuffle. While the evidence was thin and the story sensational, it wasn’t the first time NBA stars had been linked to the infamous Bloods and Crips.

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The shadow of gang culture has long loomed over the league, especially for players who grew up in neighborhoods where survival meant knowing which colors to wear—and which to avoid. Take Paul Pierce, for example. Raised in Englewood, Los Angeles, a Bloods stronghold, Pierce’s name became forever tied to gang speculation after he was stabbed 11 times in a club and fined $25,000 for flashing a hand gesture experts said resembled the Peru Blood sign. Pierce denied the gang connection, insisting it stood for “blood, sweat, and tears,” the Celtics’ season motto.

James Harden’s story is similar. Growing up near Compton, Harden was accused of throwing Bloods signs during games, though he laughed it off as part of his “beard gang.” Even Instagram posts with YSL logos—Young Thug’s alleged Bloods-affiliated crew—fueled more rumors, but Harden maintained his innocence.

John Wall’s case is perhaps the most visually documented. Raised in Raleigh, North Carolina, Wall was caught on camera multiple times making hand gestures interpreted as Bloods signs. The most notorious incident came in 2020, when a video surfaced of Wall at a New York party, throwing up gang signs and waving a red bandana. Wall later apologized, saying he regretted his actions and wanted to set a better example.

Marquis Daniels, too, faced speculation after photos showed him with a red bandana and tweets allegedly replacing “C” with “K”—a Bloods tradition. Daniels denied everything, saying he just liked how red looked on him and that his tough upbringing only motivated him to work harder.

But not all stories are rooted in rumor. Javaris Crittenton’s tale is tragic and true. Drafted by the Lakers in 2007, Crittenton was later accused of joining the Mansfield Gangster Crips. Prosecutors cited tattoos, credit card records, and informant testimony. In 2015, he tearfully admitted in court to being a gang member, saying he joined for protection. He was sentenced to 23 years in prison for voluntary manslaughter.

For others, the connection is about proximity, not membership. DeMar DeRozan grew up in Compton, protected by local Crips who saw basketball as his way out. Russell Westbrook’s friendship with Nipsey Hussle, a confirmed Crip, and his own upbringing in Hawthorne fueled speculation. Baron Davis navigated both sides, growing up in South Central LA and producing the documentary “Crips and Bloods: Made in America,” but focused his life on anti-violence work.

Draymond Green’s ties are more symbolic, with hand signs and donations to anti-gang charities run by alleged Crip leaders. Cory Blount and Chris Mills were both named in forums and blogs as having Crip connections, but neither ever confirmed membership, and most evidence is circumstantial.

In the end, the NBA’s relationship with gang culture is complex—a mix of myth, media, and the harsh realities of life in America’s toughest neighborhoods. For many players, basketball was a lifeline, a way to escape the streets. For others, the past never quite lets go. Whether the rumors hold water or not, these stories remind us that every slam dunk comes with its own backstory—and sometimes, those stories are as dramatic as the games themselves.