Desmond Mason, a former NBA player who suited up for multiple teams, has been arrested in the state of Oklahoma. He faces theft allegations stemming from an incident in Texas that occurred in mid to late 2025.
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According to News 9, a couple in Collin County, Texas, filed a police report in January. They claimed that they commissioned the former basketball player in March 2025 to frame a piece of sports memorabilia. The Melissa Police Department said that the couple paid Mason $9,822.86 for the work.
News 9 reports that Mason sent the couple a photo of the framed memorabilia in April and promised delivery. However, the couple alleged that he soon made excuses about delays and then cut off all communication and ultimately failed to return the memorabilia valued at approximately $40,000.
Authorities in Texas issued an arrest warrant in February 2026. Mason was apprehended in Oklahoma City on May 7. He is being held as a "flight risk," meaning that the authorities have concerns about him potentially exiting custody and then attempting to cross state lines.
The 17th overall pick in the 2000 NBA Draft, Mason entered the NBA as a member of the Seattle SuperSonics. He landed a spot on the 2000-2001 All-Rookie team after appearing in 78 games and averaging 5.9 points per game.
He spent just over two years in the Pacific Northwest before landing with the Milwaukee Bucks during the 2002-2003 season.
Mason remained with the Milwaukee Bucks through the 2004-2005 season before heading to the New Orleans Hornets, where he spent two seasons. He then finished out his NBA career with one more year in Milwaukee (2007-2008), one year with the Oklahoma City Thunder (2008-2009), and one year with the Sacramento Kings (2009-2010).
Mason appeared in 643 games during his career while starting 385. He averaged 12.1 points per game and 4.5 rebounds. He successfully converted on 44.9% of his attempted shots and on 74% of his attempted free throws.
