Throughout its existence, the NBA took pride in being the place “Where Amazing Happens.” Although there is a long list of moments the league wants the casual fan to know, there’s a dark side that they attempt to keep hidden. Recently, the court sentenced former eight-year NBA veteran Glen Davis to 40 months in prison for defrauding the NBA’s Players’ Health and Benefit Welfare Plan. Additionally, the court sentenced Davis to three years of supervised release.
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The one-time NBA champion with the Celtics participated in an elaborate insurance fraud with over 20 others. Davis took advantage of the NBA’s healthcare benefits and falsely claimed dental and various other medical services.
He submitted a whopping $132,000 worth of claims during the scheme. On October 2, 2018, Davis claimed he received dental work worth $27,200 at a Beverly Hills dental office. Authorities debunked that statement as a lie with the assistance of geolocation data on Davis’ cellphone. The records indicated that Davis was in Las Vegas at the time and flew to Paris the same day.
It was shocking to see the 38-year-old former big man participate in such a scheme considering his respectable NBA career. His career earnings suggest that the role player wasn’t short of money. ‘Big Baby’ played for three different teams, the Celtics, Magic, and Clippers, accumulating $33,175,999 over eight seasons.
For context, the amount of money that Davis defrauded from the NBA is less than one percent of his total career earnings. However, some culprits schemed significantly larger sums of money than Davis, leading to harsher punishment.
Former NBA player Terrence Williams was the ringleader of the operation. Williams’ career didn’t last long, as his tenure in the league spanned only four seasons. His actions as the leader resulted in the court sentencing him to 10 years in prison.
Davis is ready to serve his time behind bars
On October 22, 2024, Davis officially set off to serve his 40-month sentence at FPC Duluth in Minnesota. ‘Big Baby’ posted a farewell message to his fans on Instagram. His energy was surprisingly positive, despite the situation. The one-time NBA champion’s last words were a message of endearment saying, “Love y’all. Y’all be good!”
Glen “Big Baby” Davis posted a farewell message to his fans before heading to prison to serve his 40-month sentence.
He was hit earlier this year for his role in a scheme that defrauded the NBA’s Players’ Health and Benefit Welfare Plan. pic.twitter.com/q8iudFruDl
— My Mixtapez (@mymixtapez) October 22, 2024
Davis flashed a peace sign to the camera in his last moments on social media as he approached the correctional facility. Under the assumption that he serves his full sentence in prison, Davis will be released in February 2028. He will be 42 years old at the time of his expected release, and ready to rejoin society.
