Former Sacramento Kings guard Ty Lawson was arrested July 16 in Castle Rock, Colorado, after allegedly stealing a $34 bottle of Tito’s vodka from a liquor store, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by FOX31 in Denver.
The California Post, a West Coast sister publication of the New York Post, reported that Lawson repeatedly directed racial insults at a police officer while being booked into the Douglas County Jail, calling the officer “b----” and “white b----.”
Lawson, 38, has a long arrest history dating back to 2008, including multiple arrests for driving under the influence.
On the court, Lawson built a decorated college résumé at North Carolina, where he was named Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year while helping lead the Tar Heels to the NCAA championship in 2009. He also won the Bob Cousy Award, given annually to the nation’s top point guard.
He entered the NBA as the 18 th overall pick in the first round of the 2009 draft and went on to average 12.7 points and 6.0 assists across eight seasons with the Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers and Kings.
Lawson spent his first six NBA seasons with 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 produced the first triple-double of his career, a 22-point, 12-assist, 11-rebound outing in a 129-104 win over the Phoenix Suns.
Lawson 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.
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Acuffs early run in Summer League offered both the promise and the caution that usually come with a rookie point guard. He flashed real offensive ability and had one standout scoring night in Las Vegas, but he also showed the efficiency and turnover issues that can follow a young creator adjusting to the pro game. Even so, Sacramentos optimism around him is hard to miss, especially with new general manager Scott Perry in place and the idea growing that Acuff could eventually become the face of the franchise. [Read more 🡒]