Ex-Detroit Piston Bynum caught in NBA union fraud indictment
Do not assume that everyone who played in the NBA comes out rich. Allegedly, some needed money enough to defraud their own union’s health plan. Among them, former Detroit Pistons guard Will Bynum have been indicted.
Bynum was a pretty popular player for the six seasons he was a member of the Detroit Pistons. He was (barely) 6-feet tall but he made the team in 2008 after spending two years playing in Israel. Bynum played very well in the 4-0 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2009 playoffs, averaging 11.8 points.
He was one of those scrappy reserve types, the kind of blue-collar, underdog players Pistons fans like.
However, new coach Stan Van Gundy was not a fan, and traded Bynum for center Joel Anthony in 2014. He went on to play only a few games for the Wizards, and then went on to play professionally in China.
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Bynum had become a trainer, and among his clients were Pistons point guard Killian Hayes, before he was drafted. It kept him in the game.
However, he is back in the news … and not for good reasons.
News broke recently that 18 former NBA players were indicted for submitting $3.9 million worth of false claims to the NBA Players Union Health & Welfare for medical and dental work that never occurred.
All were charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, which carries the potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison. Terrance Williams, who was in the Pistons training camp back in 2012, had additional charges as the alleged ring leader.
According to the indictment, the players would submit invoices for treatment they paid out of their pocket, and ask for reimbursement. They allegedly ended up getting $2.5 million out of the union health fund.
Among those indicted were two former Michigan State players: Shannon Brown and Alan Anderson and Chris Douglas-Roberts, who is from Detroit.
According to the indictment, there were different levels of involvement in the fraud, but it did not break down exactly how much each player is suppose to have gotten in the scheme.
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The Big Question: Why?
According to basketball-reference.com, Bynum made over $17 million in his NBA career. And that does not count all the money he made playing overseas.
He should not be hurting for money. Bynum might not be in the stratosphere of Pistons billionaire owner Tom Gores, but he should have enough to not get involved in some scheme because he needs the money.
There are lots of stories of athletes who squandered their money and ended up broke. Let’s hope this has not happened to Bynum.
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The announcement of the indictment is just the first step of what will probably be a long legal affair. It will be interesting how Bynum and the others with Michigan ties end up.