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...
Rockies Just Sent Their Clearest Signal Yet About A Bigger Selloff
The Rockies are finally giving the rest of the league a clearer read on where this season is headed, and it points toward a more meaningful deadline shakeup than a simple one-for-one move or two. According to MLB insider Bob Nightengale, Colorado has made a group of players available as the August 3 deadline approaches, a sign that the front office is at least listening on pieces from both the rotation and the everyday mix.
What makes this notable is not just the volume, but the range of the names involved, which suggests the Rockies are weighing value, contract status and whatever market exists for each player rather than treating the roster as untouchable. There is still a line they have not crossed, and that distinction matters because it tells rival clubs how far Colorado may be willing to go if the offers keep coming. [Read more 🡒]
Rockies Suddenly Face A Tough Jake McCarthy Deadline Decision
Jake McCarthy has spent this season looking like the kind of player the Rockies have been trying to build around, bringing steady offense, reliable defense and the sort of all-around game that fits the clubs long-term vision. Since arriving from the Diamondbacks in January, he has carved out a meaningful role and drawn clear appreciation from Colorados leadership for the way he plays and the way he fits into the lineup.
Still, the closer the Aug. 3 Trade Deadline gets, the more his name is expected to surface in conversations around the league. The Rockies have already shown they are willing to make moves that reflect a broader philosophical shift, and McCarthys value on both sides of the ball makes him one of the more interesting pieces to watch as the deadline pressure builds. [Read more 🡒]
Rockies Deadline History Includes One Brutal Bet Fans Still Regret
The Rockies have had their share of deadline swings over the years, but few still linger like the one from July 25, 2001. Colorado landed Jermaine Dye in a three-team deal with Kansas City, then flipped him to Oakland for Jos Ortiz, Mario Encarnacin and Todd Belitz, a move that looked busy at the time and has aged far more harshly in hindsight.
Dye went on to build a career that included a World Series MVP award and a reputation as one of the more productive power hitters of his era, while Colorados return never came close to matching that kind of impact. Ortiz had a brief spark, Encarnacin barely registered, and Belitzs big-league stay was short, leaving the Rockies with one of those deadline decisions fans still shake their heads at whenever the clubs trade history comes up. [Read more 🡒]