Former NBA player Sebastian Telfair made a last-minute public appeal to President Donald Trump for a pardon just hours before reporting to federal prison on Tuesday to serve a six-month sentence for violating the terms of his supervised release in a healthcare fraud case.
The 40-year-old former point guard, who played 10 seasons in the NBA from 2004 to 2015, spoke to TMZ Sports on Monday in New York City, expressing frustration over what he characterized as an unfair situation stemming from paperwork issues.
Telfair stated, “Trump, go check in on my story and you’re definitely going to want to pardon me.” He indicated that Trump would hold him accountable and want him to continue doing good work, but insisted he had done too much good to warrant being sent to jail.
The Brooklyn native was among 18 former NBA players charged in October 2021 with defrauding the league’s health and welfare benefit plan out of approximately $2.5 million through fake medical and dental expenses. The scheme allegedly involved submitting fraudulent claims to pocket money from the NBA’s healthcare system.
Telfair reached a plea deal in March 2023 and was initially sentenced to time served plus three years of supervised release. However, prosecutors had originally recommended he serve between 15 and 21 months in prison according to court documents. The lenient initial sentence allowed him to avoid immediate incarceration while meeting specific conditions during his supervised release period.
His legal troubles escalated when he failed to comply with the terms of his conditional supervised release. Reports from June indicated that Telfair had not completed his court-ordered community service requirements and failed to report to the U.S. Probation Office as mandated. These violations prompted a federal judge to re-sentence him to six months in prison during the summer.
The former high school standout at Abraham Lincoln High School in Coney Island described the situation as definitively unfair and attributed his problems to paperwork complications rather than intentional misconduct. He expressed anger at finding himself in this position while maintaining that the circumstances leading to his imprisonment were unjustified.
Telfair indicated that if Trump does not grant the pardon, he plans to use his time in federal prison constructively by working on self-improvement and writing a book about his experiences. He told supporters and fans to remain patient as he expected positive developments despite his current circumstances.
The case involved several other prominent former NBA players, including Glen “Big Baby” Davis, who received a 40-month sentence in May 2024 for his role in the fraud scheme. Tony Allen was sentenced to three years of probation and supervised community service in August 2023 for his participation in defrauding the league’s benefit plan.
Telfair’s professional basketball career began when the Minnesota Timberwolves selected him 13th overall in the 2004 NBA Draft, making him one of the final players to transition directly from high school to professional basketball. He averaged 7.4 points, 3.5 assists, and 1.6 rebounds per game throughout his career while playing for eight different teams.
His NBA journey included stops with the Portland Trail Blazers, Boston Celtics, Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angeles Clippers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Phoenix Suns, Toronto Raptors, and Oklahoma City Thunder. He concluded his NBA career with the Thunder during the 2014-15 season before playing overseas in China with the Fujian Sturgeons in 2017.
A White House official declined to comment on speculation regarding potential pardons when contacted about Telfair’s public appeal. The official indicated that any decisions on pardons or commutations would come directly from the President without advance commentary on specific cases.
Trump has previously granted pardons to various celebrities and athletes, including rappers Lil Wayne, Kodak Black, and NBA YoungBoy, as well as reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley. He also issued clemency to more than 1,500 individuals prosecuted for their involvement in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot shortly after returning to office in January.
Telfair had previously faced legal challenges beyond the healthcare fraud case. In 2019, he was sentenced to three and a half years in prison for gun possession but was released on appeal just days later. His conviction was eventually overturned, and a new trial was ordered in that separate case.
Despite his legal troubles, Telfair expressed determination to document his story and experiences while maintaining that his contributions to his community demonstrate his value outside of prison. He emphasized his commitment to accountability while arguing that his positive work should prevent incarceration for what he characterized as administrative violations.
