Ty Lawson reportedly banned from Chinese Basketball Association after 'inappropriate words'
Ty Lawson, a former first-round NBA draft pick and current free agent, is banned for life from the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) after posting inappropriate photos on his Instagram story, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.
Lawson, 32, posted multiple things to his story on Friday that triggered an angry response from the public. He used a slang term and was criticized for insulting Chinese women. A later photo was showed him with a woman.
The Fujian Sturgeons, his most recent team, gave a statement to Chinese news agency Xinhua:
“His inappropriate words are inconsistent with the social responsibilities and values abided by our club and have brought serious adverse social impacts to the club and the league. We will not sign him for the new season.”
Lawson, a 5-foot-11 guard, has played in the CBA for the past two seasons, first with the Shandong Heroes in 2017. He was transferred in 2019 and his contract ran out at the end of the season in August. The Sturgeons had the priority to extend the contract.
The issue may be alcohol-related, SI.com reported. Lawson was arrested four times for driving while intoxicated, the last of which occurred July 2015 in Los Angeles. He entered a private alcohol treatment program on a court order.
Lawson was the No. 18 pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2009 draft. He was immediately traded to the Denver Nuggets, where he spent the first six seasons of his eight-year NBA career. His last full season was in 2016-17 with the Sacramento Kings after stops with the Houston Rockets and Indiana Pacers. In 2017 he reportedly violated his probation by failing three court-ordered sobriety tests.
The Washington Wizards signed him in 2018 and he played in five playoff games, averaging 5.8 points and 3.0 assists in 19.2 minutes per game.
The point guard averaged 12.7 points and 6.0 assists over his NBA career.
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