A former NBA player who spent years suiting up for the Detroit Pistons and who made his debut in the league with the Golden State Warriors has been reportedly sentenced to over a year of prison time on Tuesday. Will Bynum, who broke into the league with the Warriors will be serving a jail time of 18 months following a conviction related to insurance fraud in the NBA.
Via the Associated Press (h/t ESPN):
Bynum, 41, of Bensenville, Illinois, was sentenced in Manhattan federal court, where a jury convicted him in November of conspiring to make false statements related to NBA players who submitted false dental and medical claims to the NBA Players’ Health and Benefit Welfare Plan.
Bynum is just one of over 20 individuals who have been convicted in relation to the said fraud, including other former pros Terrence Williams and Keyon Dooling. Williams was already sent to jail for 10 years, while Dooling has been sentenced to 30 months.
In Bynum’s case, it was discovered that Bynum got $200,000 worth of medical services at a chiropractor in Los Angeles, as reflected on bogus invoices. However, Bynum, who went undrafted in the 2005 NBA Draft, never took such services.
The former Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets star “lied to the jury while under oath. His sentence stands as a stark warning that prison time awaits any who seek to defraud and obstruct justice,” as stated by U.S. Attorney Damian Williams.
Will Bynum’s career with the Golden State Warriors, NBA
After going undrafted, Bynum managed to find his way to see action in the league for the Golden State Warriors, thanks to a pair of 10-day deals in 2006. In 15 appearances with the Warriors, Bynum averaged 3.6 points and 1.3 assists per game, while shooting 40.4 percent from the field. He then played overseas basketball before returning to the United States and signing with the Detroit Pistons in 2008.
He played for six seasons with the Pistons, during which he put up averages of 8.4 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 3.4 assists. Bynum last played in the NBA in the 2014-15 season with the Washington Wizards.
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