Nearly a decade removed from being considered one of the best high school basketball players in the country and becoming the fourth overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls, the life of New York Knicks center Eddy Curry continues its downward spiral into the abyss of unfulfilled promise.
According to NYDailyNews.com, a Chicago judge has issued an arrest warrant for Curry after learning the troubled Knicks big man hasn’t paid approximately $200,000 of a $660,000 settlement for having sex with an underage girl. The warrant is the second that has been issued for Curry’s arrest since June.
The payout resulted from a 2001 case in which an 18-year-old Curry was sued for engaging in sexual relations with a 14-year-old girl. Curry agreed to the settlement in 2007.
However, when it was discovered that he still had about a third of the settlement balance left to pay almost two months ago, a judge issued the first arrest warrant, which was revoked when Curry signed a new agreement to resolve the matter.
This is only one in a litany of problems that has plagued the enigmatic Curry since 2007, when he averaged career highs in points (19.6), rebounds (7.1) and minutes played per game (34.9) for the Knickerbockers.
In January of 2009 alone, Curry was sued for sexual harassment by his former chauffeur, David Kuchinsky, while having to contend with the shocking murder of his ex-girlfriend, Nova Henry, and their nine-month-old daughter, Ava.
And despite an annual salary of $10.5 million, Curry is deeply in debt, including being significantly behind in payments on a Chicago mansion that is in foreclosure.
To add injury to insult, the 6’11” Curry has played only four games in the past two seasons due to conditioning challenges and a problematic right knee.
This is the enormous weight, no pun intended, which the 27-year-old husband and father of five has to carry on a daily basis.
So for every Kobe Bryant and LeBron James there are hundreds of stories that are being written or have been written about players in the National Basketball Association who gradually fade into anonymity by squandering their respective fortunes and talent; all due to their emotional, mental and spiritual unpreparedness for the pressures that come with fame and wealth.
Unfortunately, Eddy Curry is one of those stories that is still being written. Therefore, amidst all the criticism he receives for not living up to his basketball promise, it should never be forgotten that beneath the surface beats the frail heart of a young man who’s still trying to find his way in life.
Click here to read the original article on Examiner.com, which includes relevant links and a special video presentation featuring Eddy Curry.
Underage Sex Settlement Rears Ugly Head Again for Knicks’ Eddy Curry
