What happened to former NBA star Latrell Sprewell, the man who once choked his coach?

Latrell Sprewell is reviled by Golden State Warriors fans, beloved by New York Knicks supporters, and accepted by Minnesota Timberwolves loyalists. He had one of the strangest careers in NBA history, marked by unflattering events and clutch performances in high pressure situations. We’ll take a look back at the highs and lows of Sprewell’s story.

Latrell Fontaine Sprewell’s story begins in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1970. His parents, Latoska and Pamela, divorced when Latrell was six years old, according to ESPN. The next year, he moved with his grandparents in Michigan, but would eventually return to Milwaukee to finish high school. It was a development that would change his life forever.

Sprewell wasn’t on a basketball track heading into his senior year of high school, as he was asked to try out as a senior. It turned out he was a prodigy, averaging nearly 30 points per game. Washington High School went 24-2 that season, but due to Sprewell’s late introduction to basketball, he wasn’t recruited by any major colleges, according to ESPN.

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He started his college career at Three Rivers Junior College, but it was apparent pretty early on that Sprewell was destined for a larger program. Sprewell played for the University of Alabama basketball team as a junior and senior, bringing prowess to both the offensive and defensive ends of the court.

The Golden State Warriors took Sprewell with the 24^th overall pick in the 1992 NBA Draft. On the court, it went pretty well, as Sprewell was an All Star in three of his six seasons with the team. However, he had some off the court behavior that was starting to become a concern for the organization.

In 1995, Sprewell was arrested in Oakland for driving with a suspended license and speeding. The Warriors star allegedly hurled racial slurs at the police officer, according to the Chicago Tribune. The charges were eventually dropped, but the basketball player came into the news again when his four-year daughter had her ear severed after one of Sprewell’s pit bulls bit the girl.

In a Warriors practice on December 1, 1997, Sprewell did not respond well to criticism levied by head coach P.J. Carlesimo. The player confronted the coach, and Sprewell put his hands around Carlesimo’s throat, dragging him to the ground.

Reports indicate that Sprewell held Carlesimo’s neck for around 15 seconds. Sprewell also allegedly punched Carlesimo a few minutes later, according to ESPN.

Predictably, the NBA did not take kindly to the matter, and suspended Sprewell for the rest of the 1997-1998 season. When the league reinstated him, the New York Knicks traded for his services, taking a chance on the mercurial swingman. In his first season in New York, Sprewell helped lead the Knicks to an NBA Finals appearance.

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Thanks to his energy and passion on the court, Sprewell was a beloved player in New York. However, he still had some issues that his new franchise had to navigate.

In 2002, Sprewell reported to training camp with a broken hand, something the team wasn’t aware of. He allegedly tried to punch a guest on his yacht, but hit a wall instead, according to CBC.

In 2003, the Knicks traded Sprewell to the Minnesota Timberwolves, who also experienced instant success upon his arrival. The team made it to the Western Conference Finals in 2004, and the forward’s experience was a large reason why. He would spend one more season with the Timberwolves to round out his career.

While Sprewell played 80 games in 2004-2005, his relationship with the Timberwolves soured when he rejected a three-year, $21 million extension.

He infamously told the media that he needed to feed his family, and that the offer was a slap in the face to a player of his standing. As it turned out, no better offer ever came around for Sprewell.

Sprewell was in a world of fiscal trouble towards the end of his NBA career, and those difficulties continued after it ended as well. He had two homes foreclosed upon in 2008 and 2015 respectively, and was sued by the mother of his children for $200 million.

Sprewell also allegedly set up a GoFundMe in 2023 to raise $35,000 to help cover medical expenses for his granddaughter, according to Grunge.

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