Former NBA player Glen ‘Big Baby’ Davis was sentenced to 40 months in federal prison, with three years’ supervised release, for defrauding the league’s insurance plan. Davis, 38, maintained innocence but was found guilty of multiple fraud charges and conspiring to make false statements. He must pay $80,000 in restitution and adhere to supervised release conditions, including financial management classes and mandatory drug treatment.
Davis is among more than 20 convicted in the case, primarily former players who submitted fictitious dental and medical claims, amounting to over $5 million, to the NBA Players’ Health and Benefit Welfare Plan. The purported ringleader, Terrence Williams, received a 10-year sentence last August.
Excluding Williams, Davis received the longest prison term among former NBA players implicated. Will Bynum, convicted alongside Davis, received an 18-month sentence. Davis’ defense attorney declined to comment, as did the Southern District of New York’s press office.
Assistant U.S. attorney Ryan Finkel characterized Davis’ actions as a “sophisticated and intelligent effort” to conceal wrongdoing. Aside from two journalists and half a dozen attendees affiliated with the prosecution, no other members of the public attended the sentencing.
“It pains me that there is no one here for Mr. Davis,” Shroff told the court while fighting through tears. She acknowledged her client’s “poor decisions” but argued for a time-served sentence with requirements for community service, mental health therapy, and treatment for a cannabis addiction.
Former NBA player Glen ‘Big Baby’ Davis, known for his contribution to the Boston Celtics’ 2008 championship win and retirement from the NBA after the 2014-15 season, displayed visible emotion during the hearing. He shook his head, buried his face in his hands, and sighed deeply in disbelief.
“When I lost basketball, I lost myself,” he pleaded to Judge Valerie E. Caproni before the sentence was handed down. “I ask you, your honor, to help me get back to who I am.”
