Sebastian Telfair is making a last-minute plea to avoid prison time, and he’s calling on Donald Trump for help.
The former NBA guard, who was sentenced to six months in federal prison, took to social media to express his frustration over what he feels is an unfair punishment. In an emotional message, Telfair said he plans to turn himself in but urged Trump to issue a pardon so he can remain home with his children.
“I’m gonna turn myself in tomorrow,” said the former NBA guard in an interview with TMZ. “I’m mad. I don’t want to be going to be doin’ no federal time, I know I’m a good person, did so much good sh*t for my people and my community. I shouldn’t be doing any federal time or community service, but I’m still gonna tell my story.”
Telfair played for 10 years in the NBA with career averages of 7.4 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game on 39.0% shooting. It’s been eight years since his final season, and now he’s turning to the U.S. President for help.
“It’s looking like six months, but that’s why you gotta take care of your sh*t. It’s super unfair to my family, my fans, and everybody who loves me. I’m being treated super unfairly right now,” said Telfair. “I know Donald Trump got some big things going on, but Trump might need to give this boy a pardon so I can stay home with my babies. I ain’t sleep for the last 72 hours. All my peers are mad right now about the situation. Nobody wants to see me in this situation.”
Telfair is being forced to report to prison, where he will spend the next six months serving out his sentence. While he claims he’s being treated “unfairly,” it was Telfair’s own misdeeds that caused him to get into legal trouble.
The ordeal started when the former NBA veteran was exposed for his role in a fraud case that involved former NBA players submitting false invoices to defraud the NBA’s Health and Welfare Benefit Plan. The scandal involved as many as 18 NBA players, including Darius Miles, Tony Allen, Glen Davis, and Terrence Williams (among others).
While Telfair was not the orchestrator of this crime, he played a role in the scheme that stole at least $4 million. He served time back in 2021 for his crimes and initially received a sentence of time served plus three years of supervised release. Unfortunately, he is now required to return to prison after breaking the terms of his release.
For Telfair, the next few days will determine whether his plea to Trump gains any traction or if he will have to serve out his six-month sentence as planned. Either way, his fall from NBA lottery pick to federal inmate stands as one of the league’s most sobering cautionary tales, and a reminder that no amount of talent, fame, or goodwill can shield someone from the consequences of their choices. Once hailed as one of New York City’s brightest basketball prospects, Telfair now finds himself fighting for the smallest bit of freedom, hoping his legacy won’t be defined entirely by his mistakes.
