Two more former NBA players have been found guilty for the roles they played in a scheme to defraud the NBA’s health care system, and they are now facing prison time.
Former Boston Celtics big man Glen “Big Baby” Davis and ex-Detroit Pistons point guard Will Bynum were convicted by a New York jury on Wednesday in a scheme that prosecutors say defrauded an insurance plan for NBA players and their families of more than $5 million. Davis was found guilty of health care fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to make false statements, and conspiracy to commit health care and wire fraud. Bynum was found guilty of conspiracy to submit false statements to a health care plan.
The two players are each facing up to 20 years in prison, though their sentences are not expected to be that harsh.
More than 20 people have now been convicted in the case, which first came to light in Oct. 2021. The majority of the people involved are former NBA players. Former New Jersey Nets first-round pick Terrence Williams was sentenced in August to 10 years in prison for his role as the leader of the scheme.
Prosecutors have shown that Davis and the other former players made claims for dental and medical procedures that never took place. Williams came up with the idea and created fake invoices for other defendants. Investigators say Williams received kickbacks totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Doctors and dentists are accused of working with the players to create fraudulent invoices that were submitted to the NBA’s insurance plan for reimbursement.
Davis, who was a key part of Boston’s NBA champion team in 2008, got into trouble last year for violating his bail by attending a playoff game.
The 37-year-old Davis was with the Celtics from his rookie year in 2007 through 2011. He then played for the Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Clippers. Bynum, 40, spent the bulk of his career with the Pistons.
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