(Photo Credit: Johnny Nunez/Getty Images)
Coming out of high school, Brooklyn’s own Sabastian Telfair was one of the most hyped basketball players in the NBA after being drafted 13th overall in the 2004 Draft by the Portland Trailblazers.
He ended up spending over nine years in the NBA, averaging a disappointing 7.4 points per game, and 3.5 assists before playing overseas.
In 2017, Telfair and another man were pulled over during a traffic stop when officers alleged found three loaded guns, one semi-automatic rifle, a ballistic vest, and other items. They also claim that they found a marijuana roach in the car. At the time he was working on opening new basketball courts around his hometown of Coney Island.
He was recently found guilty of second-degree gun possession and sentenced to 3.5 years in prison.
During a recent appearance at Brooklyn Supreme Court, Telfair was passionate and emotional as he asked the judge for leniency, and to not be “taken from society.”
“Please don’t take me from society right now,’’ he said. “I am 34. I can go play in China for six years and take care of my family. I’m waiting for my daughter right now to get her period. Real mental illness because I wasn’t around. She hasn’t even gotten her period yet.”
He then continued while crying, “Sebastian Telfair is going to jail for a victimless crime. Put a gun in his hand and fight for us n****. I go to the gun store. I got an American Express.’’
Telfair claims that the officer framed him, and that he was convicted “on perjury.”
“I’m being convicted on perjury,” he said. “Your honor, I swear he took it out his pocket. Nobody was smoking right there. Nobody was smoking your honor. What my community gon’ do? We’ve been doing basketball classes for 15 years. Don’t let them do this to me.”
Watch footage below.
Retired #NBA point guard #SebastianTelfair convicted of weapons charges Telfair, the cousin of former All-Star Stephon Marbury, played 10 NBA seasons with nine different teams from 2004 to 2013, including the Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns, Oklahoma City Thunder and Toronto Raptors pic.twitter.com/HXOclk0m7I
— The Daddy Phantom (@DaddyPhantom) August 13, 2019