Sam Cassell: Acquitted Point Guard

Sam Cassell has had a mobile career in the NBA.  Traded multiple times before finding what seems to be a more permanent home with the Los Angeles Clippers, Cassell is known as a “feisty” player on and off the court.  Fans have tried to nickname him “alien head” because of his distinctive head shape, but it hasn’t seemed to stick as a permanent nickname.

Cassell started out in the NBA on the Houston Rockets in 1993.  He was a respectable 24th picked in the 1993 NBA draft based on his college scoring percentage.  He made it to the 2003 All Stars and the 2003 All NBA Second Team.  In spite of being traded repeatedly in his early career, he has a respectable scoring average on the court.  His team mates call him “Sam I Am”, and consider him a valuable asset to whatever team he is on.

On of his other claims to fame is having a name that makes for easy rhyming. He has been mentioned in numerous rap songs, among them South Park Mexican’s “Wiggy”, Redman’s “It’s My Thang ‘99”, as well as songs by Jadakiss, Cassidy and Drag-On.   Each song refers to his shooting percentage, as Cassell has become known for reliable net work in the final minutes of the game.

After his stint with the Houston Rockets in the beginning of his NBA career, he went for a quick stay with the Phoenix Suns, followed by time with the Dallas Mavericks, New Jersey Nets, Milwaukee Bucks and Minnesota Timberwolves before making it to the LA Clippers.  Cassell has done well since arriving at the Clippers, becoming a point scoring star on the court, and a saver in the closing minutes of many games.

While Cassell was with the Milwaukee bucks, he and fellow team mates Jason Caffey and Gary Payton were accused of assaulting a male stripper and his fiancé, also a stripper, and were arrested in Toronto on the assault charge.  Payton and Caffey were both accused of the assault on the strippers, while Cassell was accused of assaulting the bouncer at the club.

The strippers accused the basketball stars of causing them bodily harm, including brain damage.  A judge acquitted the three basketball stars in February 2007. He said that there was insufficient evidence to prosecute, and that the accusers accounts were both inconsistent and outright lies.  The judge said that while a fight did happen, the injuries claimed by the stripper and his fiancé were exaggerated.

The three basketball stars were sidelined for a few games after the incident, however; they faced no jail time, fines or probation. They have been completely exonerated of the charges.  Since the incident, Caffey has retired, Payton has moved to the Miami Heat and Cassell is with the Los Angeles Clippers.  Cassell has so far managed to stay out of trouble since that night.