According to a source close to the situation, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today reports that Minnesota Timberwolves rookie, Shabazz Muhammad, was sent home from the NBA’s Rookie Transition Program late Tuesday night after a woman was discovered in his room, which is against the program’s rules.
The NBA’s four-day Rookie Transition Program goes through Friday, with the rookie photo shoot on Tuesday starting things off before the assembled players take seminars on handling their finances and dealing with the everyday rigors of playing in the National Basketball Association.
A few hours before Muhammad was sent home, the 50 or so rookies in attendance were given instructions they were not allowed to have guests unless approved by program administrators. Because Muhammad broke this rule, he was sent home early. Now he’ll have to complete the program next year, with the class of 2014, and pay a fine.
The No. 14 pick in the draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves (by way of the Utah Jazz), Muhammad seemed to be enjoying his stay at the NBA Rookie Transition Program before his guest was discovered.
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Just a couple hours before being dismissed, Muhammad gave a quote to Timberwolves.com about his responsibility to adhere to a professional standard while transitioning to the pro game (h/t: PBT):
“Just carrying yourself the right way,” he said. “And making sure you’re nice to everybody, because you’re carrying out your brand and it will really help you out as a basketball player, and not only as a basketball player but as a person as well.”
This is not the first off the court incident involving Muhammad. Many believe his troubles outside of basketball are a large reason he fell out of the top 10 in this June’s Draft. Before playing a single game for the UCLA Bruins, he was ruled ineligible after an NCAA investigation discovered he’d violated their amateurism guidelines. After three games missed, he was reinstated and his family was asked to pay a fine.
A couple months before the 2013 NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Times released a report about an age discrepancy where Shabazz was actually a year older than it had been reported in the UCLA media guide. He was born in November of 1992, and the Bruins media guide listed him as born in November 1993.
This latest report might just be a quirky incident, or it could be another stain for Muhammad’s reputation. His tough NBA beginnings were already viewed with apprehension after so many personal issues kept cropping up before the draft.
How do you think Muhammad’s career will play out?
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