The story of the former NBA player that is serving a 23-year sentence because of manslaughter
Javaris Crittenton
© Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Unfortunately, not all stories from NBA players that made it to the highest level of basketball have a fairy tale ending, and the case of Javaris Crittenton is a prime example of that.
Basketball career
Coming out of Atlanta, Georgia, Javaris was a prosperous high school player, even playing with Dwight Howard at a certain point. The impressive numbers and team success would make Crittenton an All-American and Mr. Georgia of Basketball.
Georgie Tech would recruit and get their hands on Javaris, as he displayed leadership qualities in his freshman season and proved he could ball on a pro level. After averaging 14.4 ppg, 3.7 rpg, and 5.8 apg in his lone season at college, Javaris would declare for the Draft and get selected by the Lakers 19th in 2007.
Recommended Articles
Although the potential was there for the 6'5'' combo guard, Crittenton's NBA career would only last for two seasons, and he would get traded in both of those seasons, averaging 5.3 ppg, 2.4 rpg, and 1.8 apg in only 113 games, before eventually leaving to play overseas in China and the D-Leauge.
A big reason for Crittenton getting waived after only two seasons was the notorious locker room gun incident with Gilbert Arenas, but it would turn out that moment wasn't a coincidence, as Javaris's basketball career and life outside the court practically ended precisely because of a gun.
Troublesome off-court life
Back in August of 2011, a few months after his last basketball appearance in the D-Leauge, Javaris would get charged for the murder of a 22-year mother of four named Jullian Jones. Allegedly Crittenton was trying to shoot a guy robbing him and hit the innocent woman in her leg, causing her to die later in surgery.
Javaris would get released on a bond, but his connections with gangs, drug trafficking, and more murders in the following years would bring him back into trouble with the law. It would all end up in Crittenton admitting to voluntary manslaughter with a weapon and aggravated assault with a firearm, getting sentenced to 23 years in old, with a release date in 2036.
It was a sad outcome of events for a young man with all the talent in the world to become a reliable NBA player and successful person. But his connections outside of basketball, gang involvement, and bad influence really took him down a destructive path, for which he is paying a huge price.
