'I saw a lick, so to speak' - Keyon Dooling talks about his involvement in NBA health care fraud scheme

Keyon Dooling played 13 years in the NBA. Although he didn't garner any individual accolades during his lengthy pro career, he was considered a dependable and solid backup guard, which was why seven different teams employed him during his playing years. Unfortunately, Dooling will be best remembered for his role in the fraud scheme involving the league's health and welfare benefit plan.

The former Missouri standout recently appeared on "All The Smoke" and spoke to Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson about the notorious incident, his thoughts and feelings about it, and the underlying issues that led to his involvement.

Bad judgment

After his NBA career ended in 2013, Dooling was soon hired as a player development coach by the Utah Jazz in 2020. However, his coaching career was placed on hold when he was arrested in April 2022 on charges of fraud. Nearly a year later, the native of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was sentenced to 30 months in prison. Also indicted were former NBA champion Glen "Big Baby" Davis and former NBA guard Will Bynum, while 19 former NBA players were implicated in the scheme that was uncovered in 2021.

Speaking about the incident, Dooling made no qualms about admitting his part in the fraudulent scheme. He expressed regret for his actions.

"I try to be very clear on the fact that it was just a bad judgment. It was a mistake. It was greed. It was trying to, you know, navigate in the wrong way. You know, I didn't wait on God for opportunities, you know what I'm saying, to open up for me," Keyon shared in a candid and emotional interview. "I saw, not even an opportunity—I won't call it an opportunity—you know, I saw a lick, so to speak."

Dooling revealed that he was exposed to bad elements and was seduced by the nature of easy money.

"I'm not pointing the finger at anybody, but I got exposed to it. You know, cats was moving around doing that, and I decided to do it," Keyon, who spent 18 months in federal custody, admitted. "One of the worst—not one of the worst—the worst decision I made in my entire life."

Unhealed trauma

Dooling shared that the event allowed him to introspect further into the reasons why he put himself on a dangerous path. He realized that it stemmed from unhealed trauma and unresolved pain from his childhood.

In 2012, Dooling opened up about experiencing sexual abuse at a young age and how this led him to seek out alternative ways of coping with his emotions.

"It's a whirlwind somewhat, right? Because, like, when you go through things like unhealed trauma, it's stored in your body, right? And somebody touches the right button, pokes the right button, we could be triggered," he disclosed. "And when you're hooping, man, you're so busy accomplishing and becoming, and there's always these benchmarks that you're trying to achieve that you don't really get to process the journey. What you've seen—gunshots, molestation, poverty—it brings a certain amount of trauma."

Dooling said that although he had success on the hardcourt, his battles with his personal demons were raging, leading him to make decisions that still haunt him today. While Keyon's future is uncertain, he hopes to find peace and healing in his continued journey.