- Cleveland Cavaliers President Koby Altman was arrested for operating a vehicle under the influence
- The incident occurred in Cleveland on Friday night
- Koby Altman is being charged with committing a marked lanes violation and OVI
There is some bad news for fans of the Cleveland Cavaliers after President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman was arrested for operating a vehicle under the influence on Friday night.
“Cleveland Cavaliers President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman was charged Friday night for impaired driving,” Fox8 News reported.
“Ohio State Highway Patrol says troopers stopped Altman just before 9 p.m. on Route 2 near East 55th Street in Cleveland.”
This is a bad look for Altman in his role as the senior executive of the Cleveland Cavaliers. He joined the organization in 2012 and steadily rose through the ranks before being promoted to General Manager in 2017.
In January of 2022, the 41-year-old Altman was promoted to President of Basketball Operations for the franchise, becoming a major executive in the NBA.
The patrol officers who stopped him and caught him reported that he was respectful and cooperative but refused the breath test that was offered to him.
“Troopers initiated a traffic stop and during their interaction with the driver indicators of impairment were observed. The driver was subsequently placed under arrest for OVI and soon after offered a breath test which he refused.”
As of now, the Cleveland Cavaliers organization has refused to comment on the situation, likely waiting for more facts to come to light in this situation.
NBA Fans React To Koby Altman Being Arrested
News of this nature about NBA players is unfortunately not uncommon, but it is surprising to see an executive get caught in a situation like this. It unsurprisingly went viral on social media, with fans having a lot to say in reaction.
On Friday night, Koby Altman, the President of Basketball Operations for the Cleveland Cavaliers, was arrested for driving under the influence, per @fox8news pic.twitter.com/o6njZsStrG
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) September 16, 2023
Koby Altman has built a promising young team for the Cavaliers, but this is sure to raise concerns. One fan suggested that the organization will be in some turmoil over this.
Cavaliers organization is unfortunately in chaos
— mr.perfect 🍀 (@emswym) September 16, 2023
While the initial charge only states that he was under the influence, one fan questioned what substance it was that he was impaired by.
Under the influence of what??? Complete the sentence
— King (@Gyanzah0) September 16, 2023
Overreactions are part and parcel of the game in NBA circles, and naturally, some fans are suggesting that he should go to jail for a long time for his crime.
Put him to jail for a long time
— Lukas (@LukasBoii) September 16, 2023
And while some people may debate what his punishment should be or if he should be reprimanded by the league, one fan lamented how entirely avoidable this situation is.
Don’t drink and drive. It’s that simple.
— xavie (@xavierverse) September 16, 2023
This will likely have some repercussions for Koby Altman, although it is unlikely that he will lose his job over it. Whether the NBA or the organization chooses to punish him remains to be seen moving forward.
The Penalty For OVI in Ohio Is Up To 6 Months In Prison
While the influence and wealth that Koby Altman has could mean he won’t face the maximum penalty, it bears investigating what the scenarios could be.
As per the official website of Koffel, Brininger, and Nesbitt, the minimum jail time for a first OVI offense is 3 days, and there is a fine of $250.
Since Altman refused the breath test, he could be jailed for a minimum of 20 days and the fine could be bumped up to $350.
The maximum prison time that could come out of a situation like this is six months, although that is unlikely in this situation.
The legal repercussions aside, this is bad publicity for both Koby Altman and the Cleveland Cavaliers organization and hopefully, it doesn’t cause any issues with just over a month remaining for the 2023-24 NBA season to begin.
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