Former Boston Celtics forward Glen “Big Baby” Davis has been granted a temporary reprieve by Judge Valerie E. Caproni from the start of his three-year prison term for a fraud conviction in Manhattan federal court. The judge has allowed Davis to delay reporting to prison until October 22 to work on completing a documentary film project on his life. This delay comes after attorney Brendan White requested more time for Davis, citing the need to finish the film project for a Hollywood production company.
Davis was among a group of former NBA players and individuals convicted of defrauding the NBA’s players’ health and benefit welfare plan of over $5 million. He was sentenced to a three-year, four-month prison term and ordered to pay $80,000 in restitution. The postponement of his prison term was granted in hopes that the financial rewards from the film project could help satisfy the restitution owed to the victim.
During his sentencing on May 9, Davis spoke about the impact of an injury that derailed his basketball career, stating that he had been struggling for the past five or six years since losing basketball. His lawyer, Sabrina Shroff, described Davis as facing a “colossal streak of bad luck” and shared an instance where he had asked her for financial assistance to keep his phone working. Despite these hardships, Judge Caproni noted that Davis had not fully cooperated with probation officers and had failed to address his issues, leading to the postponed prison term.
As a member of the Celtics’ 2008 championship team, Davis had a successful career in the NBA, playing for teams like the Orlando Magic and LA Clippers. However, his involvement in the insurance conspiracy case tarnished his reputation. Federal prosecutor Ryan Finkel highlighted Davis as one of the most successful basketball players caught in the fraud scheme. Despite his achievements on the court, Davis’ legal troubles have overshadowed his basketball career and led to his current situation.