Former King Ty Lawson Sued For Allegedly Choking Woman

Ty Lawson is far removed from his days in Sacramento, but his most recent accusation is still a blemish on the Kings organization.

Former Sacramento Kings point guard Ty Lawson is being sued by a woman who claims that Lawson assaulted and choked her this past May.

According to TMZ, Jonae Keyes claims that Lawson “grabbed her by the neck, choked her, and began punching her in the head.” Keyes is suing for damages, though the amount she is seeking is unknown.

While Lawson obviously no longer plays for the Kings, his last regular season in the NBA was spent in Sacramento. During the summer of 2016, Lawson signed with the Kings on a 1 year, $1.3 million contract. Even at the time, the signing seemed risky. Fans were already nicknaming him “Ty Lawsuit”.

Over the first eight years of his career, Lawson had been arrested on five separate occasions; four times for driving under the influence and another on suspicion of domestic violence.

While with Sacramento, it was found that Lawson violated the terms of his probation by testing positive for alcohol on three separate occasions, resulting in a bench warrant for his arrest. Lawson was previously ordered to abstain from alcohol by a Denver judge after one of his many DUI charges.

The newest development regarding Lawson is certainly not a good look for the Sacramento Kings despite Lawson not being on the roster. The team was met with objection when they stood by newly hired head coach Luke Walton while he was being accused of sexual assault. There were a number of fans on social media who called for the Kings to take action against Walton, though none was taken and investigators concluded that there was not a sufficient basis to support the accusations.

Both the Lawson and Walton situations are blemishes for the Kings front office. It is apparent that the team gives little thought to off-court issues when obtaining both players and coaches, which can cause issues for an organization that is constantly in the public eye.

Last season, Lawson averaged 26.5 points and 9 assists for the Shandong Golden Stars of CBA China. His last NBA action came in 2018 when the Washington Wizards signed him for their five-game playoff run.