Lakers News: Javaris Crittenton Joined Gang His Rookie Year

The Lakers are hopeful they will select another piece in this year’s NBA Draft (if they keep the pick) that will help them become relevant once again. After two disastrous seasons, the Lakers need a player who will come in and have a positive impact on a nightly basis.

-== 11 Players The Lakers Passed On In The NBA Draft ==-

Unfortunately, while the draft can be exciting and full of promise, sometimes teams get it wrong and their draft selections turn out to be busts. The Lakers drafted Javaris Crittenton 19th overall in the 2007 draft, but quickly traded him during his first season in the deal that got Pau Gasol to Los Angeles.

The Lakers used Crittenton to land Gasol, so his selection was not a complete waste, but the Grizzlies probably regret acquiring Crittenton and instead wish they would have asked for another player.

Today, it was announced that Crittenton was sentenced to 23 years in prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter charges from 2011. According to John Barr of ESPN, Crittenton joined a gang in Los Angeles while a member of the Lakers:

"Shortly after becoming the 19th overall pick in 2007 and signing a contract with the Los Angeles Lakers for $2.6 million in guaranteed money, Crittenton joined the West Los Angeles street gang known as the Mansfield Gangster Crips.On Wednesday, Crittenton admitted in court to being a gang member in a tearful guilty plea in which he apologized to the family of Jones. In open court, Crittenton acknowledged that he joined a gang for protection, said J. Gabriel Banks, Deputy District Attorney for Fulton County, Georgia."

Crittenton only played 22 games for the Lakers because he was traded to Memphis, but that was enough time for him to join one of the most well-known gangs in Los Angeles, the Crips. This is quite shocking considering he was a professional basketball player playing for a franchise like the Lakers.

Unfortunately, Crittenton involvement with the gang is the reason he faces 23 years in prison. In more than one occasion Crittenton was involved and the result was the death of a mother of four and the death of 22-year-old Julian Jones.

This is definitely a shame because innocent people had to die and Crittenton could have avoided all that if he would have just focused on basketball.

Next: 11 Players The Lakers Passed On In The NBA Draft

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