Ty Lawson, who made millions during his eight years in the NBA, found himself arrested last week over a $34 bottle of Tito’s vodka.
Rather than showing any remorse, the former Denver Nuggets guard directed his anger at the police officers from the Castle Rock Police Department, calling them “white bastards” during the incident. He later took to social media to claim that he was the real victim.
When arrested on July 16, Lawson was reportedly intoxicated and tried to steal the vodka. Police later discovered him sitting in a nearby restaurant, and he smelled strongly of alcohol.
Instead of taking responsibility, he took to social media again, sharing his views with a familiar narrative about racism in America.
The arrest report indicated that he insulted the officer multiple times, referring to him in derogatory terms.
In posts on social media, he expressed sentiments like, “It’s hard being black in America… To be fooled by a white woman and go wild… Don’t leave Castle Rock, Colorado!” He described the experience as “the wildest and most racist thing I’ve ever encountered.”
Interestingly, even as someone who claimed victimhood, Lawson had no reservation about identifying the race of the arresting officer.
From 2009 to 2015, Lawson solidified his place in the Denver Nuggets’ line-up and was also part of the North Carolina team that won the NCAA championship in 2009 under coach Roy Williams.
Many online questioned why a former player who had earned over $40 million would frame himself as a victim while evading accountability for his actions. One user notably commented, “Is it racist to blame the person who made 40mil and stole the bottle? What a pathetic victim mentality.”
Additionally, Lawson had played alongside Chauncey Billups in Denver, who is currently facing federal scrutiny related to alleged illegal poker activities.
