"Whoever made the photo viral, go to hell" - Kentavious Caldwell-Pope's wife McKenzie quips as Magic star finally shuts down viral ankle monitor hoax
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope went viral during his first season with the LA Lakers in 2017 when he allegedly wore an ankle monitor during a game. The image that turned into a meme turned out to be fake, and his wife McKenzie still seemingly cannot forgive whoever made the photo.
In a post on her Instagram stories, McKenzie shared a clip from KCP's Dawg Talk podcast episode on Wednesday with Jordan McGruder. It was her husband finally explaining the viral ankle monitor image a few years ago. She jokingly suggested she was upset that it became popular despite the circumstances that happened before it.
"It was photoshopped. And whoever made that photo, go to hell," McKenzie wrote.
Before signing with the LA Lakers in the summer of 2017, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was sentenced to a year of probation in Detroit. It was after he was arrested for drunk driving in March of that year, with the NBA suspending him for two games at the start of the 2017-18 season.
The Detroit Pistons renounced their rights to the player, making him an unrestricted free agent. He signed a one-year deal with the Lakers, but was sentenced to 25 days in jail in December 2017. He pleaded guilty to violating his probation and served his sentence via the work-release program.
In those 25 days, KCP was allowed to practice with the Lakers. He was even playing in home games, but wasn't permitted to leave California during his sentence. He was only playing at the Staples Center at the time, and that's where the story of the ankle monitor game went viral.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope thought that it was funny and didn't need explaining since his DUI made headlines in the NBA. He owned up to his mistake and is now a family man with four kids, and expecting another one, with his wife McKenzie.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope left Denver to sign with the Orlando Magic
The Denver Nuggets let Kentavious Caldwell-Pope walk in free agency despite the contributions he made during their 2023 NBA championship run. KCP signed a three-year, $66 million deal to join the Orlando Magic. He's currently the team's starting shooting guard.
Caldwell-Pope is not just bringing his shooting and defense to the Magic. He's also set to provide valuable experience to a young team led by Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs. The Magic pushed the Cleveland Cavaliers to the limit in the first round of last season's playoffs.
They were up big in the first half of Game 7 before letting it all go down the drain in the second half. If they had a reliable veteran like KCP, he would have calmed the young players' nerves and possibly moved on to the second round.