3 NBA players that have been arrested on shooting charges, featuring Javaris Crittenton & Jayson Williams
Former NBA player Shawn Kemp was arrested on Wednesday in an alleged drive-by shooting in Tacoma, Washington. Memphis Grizzlies superstar Ja Morant is currently under investigation for brandishing a gun on Instagram live.
NBA players and guns seem to be a poor combination, and they've been heightened by Morant's status as a superstar. Kemp, who retired from the league in 2003, could give the league more scrutiny.
Kemp was previously arrested a couple of times in the mid-2000s for drug possession. It was his first time getting booked for an alleged drive-by shooting. However, it's not the first time an NBA player has been arrested on shooting charges.
NBA players arrested on shooting charges
Here are three of them:
#1 Javaris Crittenton
Probably the synonymous name for gun charges when it comes to the NBA, Javaris Crittenton is currently in prison for two charges. He was arrested in 2011 and was convicted of voluntary manslaughter with a weapon and aggravated assault with a firearm four years later.
Crittenton played two seasons in the league from 2007 to 2009. He was the 19th overall pick in 2007 by the LA Lakers but was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in his rookie season as part of the Pau Gasol deal.
The Grizzlies traded Crittenton to the Washington Wizards early in his second season. He had an infamous gun incident with Gilbert Arenas that resulted in both players' suspensions for the rest of the 2008-09 season.
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#2 Jayson Williams
Jayson Williams was a household name for the New Jersey Nets in the 1990s. After spending his first two seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers, Williams blossomed into an All-Star with the Nets. He retired from the league in 2000 after a 10-year career.
Williams made headlines in 2002 when a limousine driver named Costas Christofi was shot and killed at his estate. He was tried for manslaughter but was acquitted after a lengthy trial. However, he was convicted of aggravated assault in relation to the incident and spent more than two years in prison.
"I struggle with the loss of lives," Williams told ESPN in an interview in 2012. "The loss of Mr. Christofi and the loss of my father. An hour doesn't go by that I don't think about it, think about how can I replay this as to bring back Mr. Christofi."
Also Read: Shawn Kemp arrested for allegedly being involved in drive-by shooting: All you need to know
#3 Keith Appling
Keith Appling spent most of his career in the NBA G League and overseas. He played five games with the Orlando Magic in the 2014-15 season, but that was it.
After two years of playing overseas from 2018 to 2019, Appling ran into the law a couple of times. He was arrested on drug charges in 2020 for attempting to sell heroine. He was arrested again a year later for the shooting death of a senior citizen in Detroit, Michigan.
Three years after his arrest, Appling pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and an additional firearm charge. He was sentenced to 18-40 years in prison for the murder charge and two years for the firearm charge.
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