From CNN:
Former NBA star Shawn Kemp was arrested and booked in connection with a drive-by shooting incident Wednesday, according to a sheriff’s office spokesperson in Washington state’s Pierce County and online jail records.
The 53-year-old Kemp was, briefly, a superstar, leading the Seattle SuperSonics to the NBA finals against Michael Jordan’s Bulls in 1996. But poor character led to weight problems.
From sportswriter Ethan Strauss’ House of Strauss substack about Ja Morant, a young NBA star who is averaging 27 points per game:
According to The Athletic, in an incident that triggered an NBA investigation: “Acquaintances of Grizzlies star Ja Morant aggressively confronted members of the Pacers traveling party near the team’s bus in the loading area of FedExForum, and later someone in a slow-moving SUV—which Morant was riding in—trained a red laser on them.”
According to the Washington Post: “Morant repeatedly punched a teenage boy in the head during a pickup basketball game at Morant’s house, the boy told police.” The 17-year-old told detectives that “Morant went into his house and re-emerged with a gun visible in the waistband of his pants and his hand on the weapon.’” The WaPo report also includes an allegation that the superstar shoved and threatened a mall security guard last summer.
And finally, on the heels of these incidents generating scrutiny, Morant followed up a blowout loss in Denver by Instagramming himself, shirtless, waving a gun around a strip club in the early morning of March 4th.
And from Alabama News about the star of the #4 ranked U. of Alabama basketball team:
Alabama Basketball Star Brandon Miller Calls Fatal Shooting “Really Heartbreaking”
Posted: Mar 8, 2023 10:46 PM CST
by Alabama News Network StaffAlabama basketball star Brandon Miller spoke Wednesday about being at the scene of a fatal shooting that killed a 23-year-old mother, saying he will “never lose sight of the fact that a family has lost one of their loved ones.”
Miller, in a week where he collected awards—and was snubbed for a big one—spoke to reporters for the first time since his name was linked to the Jan. 15 scene in Tuscaloosa where Jamea Harris was killed.
“This whole situation is just really heartbreaking, but respectfully that’s all I’m going to be able to say on that,” The Associated Press Southeastern Conference player and newcomer of the year said.
Ex-Alabama player Darius Miles is charged with capital murder in the shooting. Prosecutors say he provided the gun used in the shooting to another man, Michael Davis, who shot Harris. Davis is also charged with murder.
Miller’s name was brought up in court by authorities as having delivered the gun on the night of the shooting at Miles’ request. Freshman point guard Jaden Bradley was also at the scene, authorities said. Neither have been charged with a crime.
Alabama has said its star forward is a cooperating witness, not a suspect. Neither Miller nor Bradley have been held out of a game.
Miller’s attorney has said the gun was in the back of Miller’s vehicle, and that the Tide star didn’t see or handle it.
Small sample size, but this fits into the general pattern of blacks carrying illegal handguns more since George Floyd’s death.
