Businessman convicted of cheating ex-NBA star Dwight Howard out of millions in scam to buy WNBA team
A Georgia businessman has been convicted of cheating former NBA stars Dwight Howard and Chandler Parsons of $8 million after a trial in Manhattan federal court
NEW YORK (AP) — A Georgia businessman was convicted Friday of scamming former NBA star Dwight Howard out of millions of dollars in a bogus scheme to buy the WNBA's Atlanta Dream.
The jury returned its verdict against Calvin Darden Jr. on Friday afternoon after a trial in New York City. Darden was also convicted of cheating former NBA forward Chandler Parsons in a separate ruse.
Howard — one of the NBA’s most dominant centers during the prime of his 18-year professional career — testified during the trial that Darden fooled him into giving him $7 million by convincing him that it was an investment toward the purchase of the Dream. In reality, a three-member investor group that included former player Renee Montgomery bought the team in 2021.
When a prosecutor asked him if he got anything in return for his $7 million, Howard testified that he got “a slap in the face.”
