Former Milwaukee Bucks star Desmond Mason is making headlines for all the wrong reasons. The 48-year-old former NBA player was arrested on May 7 in Oklahoma City on a felony warrant for theft of property, according to the Oklahoma County Detention Center.
Mason, who dazzled fans as the 2001 Slam Dunk Contest champion, is currently being held without bond and has been labeled a "flight risk" by local authorities. The arrest stems from an alleged incident earlier this year involving a sports memorabilia deal gone wrong.
According to News9 in Oklahoma City, a Texas couple hired Mason in early 2025 to frame valuable sports memorabilia. They paid him over $9,800 for the job, and while Mason reportedly sent proof that the work was completed, he allegedly cut off all communication with the couple afterward. The memorabilia and authentication documents are valued at approximately $40,000. Before being booked, Mason was treated at a local hospital.
Bucks fans will remember Mason as a key piece of one of the most memorable trades in franchise history. Selected 17th overall in the 2000 NBA Draft, Mason came to Milwaukee midway through the 2002-03 season in the blockbuster deal that sent Ray Allen to Seattle for Gary Payton. While Payton left after just one season, Mason stuck around and became a fan favorite.
During his first stint with the Bucks, Mason showed serious promise. In the 2003-04 season, he played all 82 games—starting 31 of them—and averaged 14.4 points per game. The team finished 41-41 and took on the eventual champion Detroit Pistons in the first round of the playoffs. The following year, Mason hit his stride, posting a career-high 17.2 points per game in 80 games.
The Bucks traded Mason to the New Orleans Hornets before the 2005-06 season, but he returned to Milwaukee as a free agent in 2007. In his final season with the team, he shot a career-best 48.2% from the field while averaging 9.7 points in 59 games. He was then traded again in the summer of 2008 as part of a three-team, six-player deal involving the Oklahoma City Thunder and Cleveland Cavaliers.
This unfortunate incident marks a sharp fall from grace for a player who once soared above the competition in the Slam Dunk Contest and gave Bucks fans plenty of reasons to cheer.