In a sad story, former NBA player Keon Clark was sentenced to prison on Wednesday. Clark was initially arrested on charges of a DUI and weapons charges. Clark pleaded guilty to the charges and will spend the next eight years in an Illinois prison.
Clark was once a lottery pick of the Orlando Magic in 1998. He last played for the Utah Jazz during the 2003-2004 season.
Clark’s problems with substance abuse and maturity have been noted throughout his life and basketball career. Back in 2007, Clark admitted that he “never played a game sober.”
He also admitted that he couldn’t handle the supposedly glamorous life of a professional athlete that so many wish they could live.
‘”The money, the fame, the fact that I was on TV,” Clark explained. “People think money will make your life better. Money didn’t dissolve my problems. It increased them.”
Clark also told reporters that he’s been getting counseling while he’s in custody.
Once Clark’s fate was read, he became visibly upset.
“I, uh, did a lot of stuff in my past,” Clark said at his plea hearing in Vermilion County Circuit Court, tears streaming down his face via Noelle McGee of the News-Gazette. “I have to own up to it.”