Former Denver Nuggets star Ty Lawson has been arrested in Colorado and has been accused of stealing from a liquor store.
An arrest affidavit obtained by FOX31 claims Lawson allegedly stole a bottle of vodka from an establishment in the Denver suburb of Castle Rock back on July 16.
Police were called by the store’s owner, who complained of a man entering her business and stealing a bottle of Tito’s Vodka before leaving just after 8:00pm.
The affidavit says the man took a drink from the bottle before walking to a nearby restaurant.
The owner claims she witnessed the man, later identified as Lawson, stumbling and believed he was intoxicated. He was later seen sitting at the restaurant’s bar with the stolen bottle.
Lawson faces a shoplifting charge, considering the value of the item was less than $300.
Former Denver Nuggets star Ty Lawson has been arrested for allegedly stealing a vodka bottle
Lawson earned $43million over the course of his eight-year NBA career
Lawson has had multiple off-court struggles, including when he was banned from playing in the Chinese Basketball League (above) for making derogatory comments in 2020
A friend of Lawson’s, who was found with the bottle, was also detained. But he was later released after police concluded he had no role in the theft.
Lawson, who made $43million across his NBA career, was booked into the Douglas County Jail.
Lawson was the 18th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft out of the University of North Carolina – who had just helped the Tar Heels win that year’s national championship.
He was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves, who then flipped his rights to the Nuggets. The now-38-year-old played six seasons in Denver and was a candidate for the Sixth Man of the Year award following the 2010-11 campaign.
Lawson also managed stints with the Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets and Indiana Pacers.
Off the court, Lawson struggled. He was arrested for two separate DUIs in 2015 – one in Los Angeles and the other in Denver. Additionally, he was banned from the Chinese Basketball Association in 2020 for making derogatory comments.
