Glen Davis, a former NBA big man who played for the Celtics, Magic, and Clippers over eight seasons from 2007 to 2015, has been sentenced to 40 months in prison by a federal judge for his role in a scheme to defraud the league’s health and welfare benefit plan, according to ESPN’s Alex Prewitt.
Davis was one of 18 former NBA players charged in 2021 with participating in a fraud conspiracy that involved filing false claims for millions of dollars in dental and medical expenditures that were not incurred.
According to Prewitt, Davis was found guilty of various fraud crimes, as well as conspiring to make false representations, and forced to pay $80,000 in restitution. His sentence also includes three years of supervised release following his stint in prison, during which he must take a financial management class and receive mandatory drug treatment.
Former NBA swingman Terrence Williams, the suspected ringleader of the enterprise, was sentenced to ten years in jail last summer. Other former players who have received prison sentences include Keyon Dooling (30 months), Alan Anderson (24 months), and Will Bynum (18 months). Tony Allen, possibly the most well-known NBA veteran implicated in the scandal, escaped prison prison and was sentenced to community service and supervision.
Davis, the 35th overall choice in the 2007 NBA draft out of LSU, spent his first four seasons in Boston, where he earned Most Improved Player and Sixth Man of the Year accolades and won a title as a rookie in 2008.
The 6’9″ forward/center, also known as “Big Baby,” was dealt to Orlando in 2011. He spent two-and-a-half seasons with the Magic before finishing his NBA career with a season-and-a-half with the Clippers. In 514 career regular-season games, he averaged 8.0 points and 4.4 rebounds in 21.1 minutes.
According to Prewitt, Davis’ former coaches and other NBPA leaders, including executive director Andre Iguodala, submitted pre-sentencing documents to the court on his behalf, urging leniency. Sabrina Shroff, Davis’ defense counsel, advocated for a time-served sentence that included “community service, mental health therapy, and treatment for a cannabis addiction,” according to Prewitt.
However, the court chose for a heavier punishment, backing with the prosecution, which argued that Davis made a “sophisticated and intelligent effort” to cover up his misdeeds. Davis had maintained his innocence throughout the judicial process, according Prewitt.
