NBA legend has a lengthy prison sentence on the horizon — but he’s got some work in front of the camera to complete before he goes behind bars.
Based on a ruling made by a judge in Manhattan federal court on Wednesday, August 28, per the Associated Press, Davis, 38, can wait until October 22 to begin serving a three-year, four-month prison stint so he can finish a documentary about his life.
Davis was originally scheduled to report to prison on Sunday, September 1.
In November 2023, the former Boston Celtics star was one of 22 people — 18 of whom were former NBA players — convicted of filing false medical claims with the NBA Players’ Health and Benefit Welfare Plan. In May, he was sentenced to 40 months in prison and three years’ supervised release.
Davis has maintained his innocence in the case since the charges were initially filed in October 2021.
On Tuesday, August 27, Davis’ lawyer argued that completing the still-in-production documentary “could go a long way” in helping to pay back the $80,000 in restitution Davis owes in the case.
White said the documentary was in limbo as the production company attempted to schedule interviews with Davis’ former colleagues and friends with the ex-basketball star to be used in the film.
In her ruling granting the postponement, Judge wrote that Davis “owes significant restitution” to a victim and she hopes “optimism about the financial rewards of the film is warranted.”
Davis’ financial struggles have been well documented, including at sentencing in May when his lawyer said Davis — who also played for the Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Clippers during his nine-year career in the NBA — asked her for $800 so he could keep his phone on.
“I’ve been struggling because basketball was taken from me,” Davis said at sentencing. “That’s all I know. I was expert at that. But when I lost basketball, I lost myself.”
Davis’ NBA career came to an end after he underwent left ankle surgery in the summer of 2015. He returned to professional basketball in 2018, playing one season with the St. John’s Edge of the National Basketball League of Canada before finally hanging things up permanently.
There is no word on an expected release date for the untitled documentary.
