Top 10 fastest ejections in NBA history feat. Klay Thompson

Fans have been upset for years with how quickly NBA referees blow the whistle to call technical fouls and eject players. It's one of the reasons why the fastest ejections in league history range from just more than a minute to less than three minutes.

Rasheed Wallace is expected to make the list since he's the king of technical fouls. Wallace holds the record for most ejections in NBA history with 29 and is third on the all-time technical fouls list with 317 behind Karl Malone (332) and Charles Barkley (329).

But what are the fastest ejections ever? Let's look at the Top 10 below:

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Top 10 fastest ejections in NBA history

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#1 - Rasheed Wallace (1:25)

As mentioned above, Rasheed Wallace leads the NBA in ejections. He also holds the record for the fastest ejection ever at just one minute and 25 seconds. It happened on Dec. 2, 2012, when he was playing for the New York Knicks against the Phoenix Suns.

Wallace was unhappy with a call and was whistled for a technical foul. Goran Dragic missed the bonus free throw, prompting the big man to shout "ball don't lie." The ball certainly didn't lie at the moment, but it also caused a second technical foul.

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#2 - Isaiah Thomas (1:28)

Isaiah Thomas almost broke Rasheed Wallace's record in a game on Jan. 3, 2020. Thomas was playing for the Washington Wizards when he got trapped early in the game by the Portland Trail Blazers. He made physical contact with referee Marat Kogut, who called him for a technical foul and was quickly ejected.

The other officials reviewed the incident and determined that Thomas earned the disqualification. Players are not allowed to make unnecessary contact with referees no matter what the situation.

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#3, 4 and 5 - Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Jaden McDaniels (1:43)

Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Jaden McDaniels are all tied for the third-fastest ejections in NBA history. All three players were ejected early in the Golden State Warriors-Minnesota Timberwolves game on Nov. 15, 2023.

It started when Thompson and McDaniels had a jersey-tugging war, but the craziest melee followed. Green put Rudy Gobert in a headlock that started the Warriors star's chaotic year that was full of suspensions.

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#6 - Greg Ostertag (2:00)

Greg Ostertag held the record for the fastest ejection in NBA history before Rasheed Wallace broke it in 2012. Ostertag was called for two technical fouls and was ejected two minutes into the game between the LA Lakers and Utah Jazz on Dec. 8, 2002.

The Jazz big man was unhappy when referees didn't blow the whistle following heavy contact against Shaquille O'Neal. It was a rare quick ejection given that it happened in 2002, but Ostertag was livid and even kicked a bunch of towels before heading into the locker room.

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#7 - Eric Bledsoe (2:36)

Eric Bledsoe was ejected with less than three minutes into the game between the Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers on April 4, 2019. Bledsoe was battling Joel Embiid down low for a rebound. He lost his cool and pushed Embiid in the back.

The future NBA MVP tossed the ball back to the then-Bucks guard, who lost his cool and threw it back as hard as possible. It hit Embiid in the stomach, which was enough to earn an ejection for Bledsoe.

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#8 - Udonis Haslem (2:40)

This is not a complete list without Udonis Haslem and his famous ejection on May 13, 2021, when he tried to fight Dwight Howard. Haslem, who barely got any playing time at that point in his career, was only in the game for less than three minutes before earning an ejection.

Haslem was unhappy after Howard threw him to the ground while battling for a rebound. He didn't react until the next dead ball when he confronted the three-time NBA DPOY, pointing and making contact with his face.

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#9 - Rudy Gobert (2:47)

Draymond Green might be happy to have Rudy Gobert join him on this list. Gobert earned two quick fouls in a game between the Utah Jazz and Houston Rockets on Dec. 6, 2018. Gobert felt that his second foul was unwarranted given that James Harden flopped after the contact.

Nevertheless, Gobert was taken out of the game but slapped a water bottle on the scorer's table. He was immediately called for a technical foul and was ejected for his actions.

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#10 - DeMarcus Cousins (2:53)

It's not a complete NBA list of ejections without the controversial DeMarcus Cousins, who was called for two technical fouls on Jan. 4, 2021. Cousins was playing for the Houston Rockets at the time and got entangled with Willie Cauley-Stein of the Dallas Mavericks.

The former All-Star center was called for his first technical foul after pushing Cauley-Stein. Seconds later, Cousins attacked the rim and scored but felt he was fouled. He put his hands up in air in disbelief, which prompted the referee to call for his second technical.