Former NBA guard Ty Lawson has been banned for life by the Chinese Basketball Association after “inappropriate” posts on Instagram, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.
Lawson’s most recent team, the Fujian Sturgeons, released a statement to Chinese news agency Xinhua:
“His inappropriate words are inconsistent with the social responsibilities and values abided by our club and have brought serious adverse social impacts to the club and the league. We will not sign him for the new season.”
Lawson, 32, has played the last three seasons with the CBA. He averaged 27.3 points, 8.7 assists and 5.5 rebounds this past season with the Sturgeons.
After starring at North Carolina, Lawson was a first-round pick in the 2009 NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves. However, he was immediately traded to the Denver Nuggets, where he spent six seasons. He also played with the Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers and Sacramento Kings. He averaged 12.7 points and 6.0 assists during his NBA career.
His standing with the NBA faltered after a multiple DUI arrests in 2015. After subsequently being sentenced to probation and community service, Lawson violated his probation by failing multiple alcohol tests in 2016 and 2017.
Lawson, a Clinton, Maryland native, signed with the Washington Wizards for the 2018 NBA playoffs. He averaged 5.8 points and 3.0 assists in 19.8 minutes in five games.
