Former Sacramento Kings guard Ty Lawson was arrested July 16 after allegedly stealing a $34 bottle of Tito’s vodka from a liquor store in Castle Rock, Colorado, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by FOX31 in Denver.
The report says Lawson, 38, then used racial insults toward police while being booked into the Douglas County Jail. The California Post, a West Coast sister publication of the New York Post, reported that Lawson repeatedly called a police officer “b----” and “white b----.”
Lawson has been arrested multiple times going back to 2008, including several DUI arrests.
Before his off-court troubles, Lawson built a strong basketball résumé. He was the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year while helping North Carolina win the NCAA championship in 2009, and he also took home the Bob Cousy Award as the nation’s top point guard.
He entered the NBA as the 18th overall pick in the first round of the 2009 draft and played eight seasons with the Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers and Kings. Over that span, he averaged 12.7 points and 6.0 assists.
Lawson spent his first six NBA seasons in Denver, then played for Houston and Indiana in 2015-16 before joining Sacramento in August 2016. He appeared in 69 games for the Kings in 2016-17, making 25 starts and averaging 9.9 points and 4.8 assists in 25.1 minutes per game.
His final regular-season NBA game was a memorable one: Lawson recorded the first triple-double of his career with 22 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds in a 129-104 win over the Phoenix Suns.
He later signed with the Washington Wizards for the 2018 NBA playoffs, where he averaged 5.8 points and 3.0 assists in 19.2 minutes per game during a first-round series against the Toronto Raptors.
In Other News...
Colorado Fall Camp Just Put Deions Biggest Roster Questions Under Pressure
Colorados 2026 fall camp is shaping up as a roster audit as much as a practice schedule, with Deion Sanders and his staff sorting through a lineup that looks deeper in some places than it did a year ago and far less settled in others. The Buffaloes have added real firepower at receiver, rebuilt the linebacker room through the portal and brought in enough new faces on the offensive line to make nearly every position group worth a fresh look once camp opens.
The challenge is figuring out which of those upgrades can hold up when the competition starts for real. Colorado still has questions in the trenches, a secondary that leans heavily on youth and versatility, and a backfield that may fit Brennan Marions system better than it has proven itself to this point. Even with talent spread across the roster, the staffs biggest decisions now come down to which groups are ready to be trusted and which ones still need time before the depth chart feels secure. [Read more 🡒]
Coach Prime's ESPN Reaction Says Everything About His Loyalty
Deion Sanders has never been shy about backing people who have walked a similar road, and his reaction to the latest ESPN chatter fit that pattern. With former NFL players Ryan Clark and Cam Newton both having made the jump from the field to television and podcasting, Sanders offered public support for two of the more recognizable voices in that lane, praising Clarks talent and making it clear he hoped the rumors surrounding Newton were not true.
For Colorado fans, it was another reminder of how closely Sanders identifies with players who have had to reinvent themselves after football. He has built his own post-playing career around media and personality just as much as coaching, so when news swirls around former pros trying to hold their place on a crowded network roster, Sanders tends to sound less like a coach watching from afar and more like someone who understands exactly what is at stake. [Read more 🡒]
One Overlooked Coach Prime Recruit Feels Like A Massive Colorado Win
Colorados recruiting push under Deion Sanders has started to look less like a one-off splash and more like a real pipeline, especially as the staff leans harder into high school blue-chip talent while still working the portal. The Buffaloes have put together a class that includes 2026 signee Payne, a massive offensive lineman, along with a growing group of 2027 prospects who have already begun to attract attention from other major programs.
Among the more interesting developments is how Colorado keeps finding value in places other schools may have passed over. The unranked Washington running back was offered in May, then climbed into the three-star range before landing with the Buffs, a reminder that the staff is willing to bet on upside and development. And with names like Li'Marcus Jones, Jaiden Kelly-Murray and Gabe Jenkins in the mix, there is a sense that Colorados next wave could matter just as much as the headlines it has already made. [Read more 🡒]