Just a "Misunderstanding"

Note: After further research, it turns out Gatling pled guilty after all. 

Former NBA player Chris Gatling accused of squatting

By Matt Moore | NBA writer

May 2, 2013 9:56 am ET

Former NBA player Chris Gatling has been accused by police of squatting in a Paradise Valley, Ariz., house and then trying to rent out the home that he was squatting in. From the Arizona Republic:

Chris Gatling is accused of breaking into a key box and living in the home from July 2010 to August 2011. A police report says the homeowners lived in California but had left the power on.

A local TV station reports that he later listed the four-bedroom house for rent for $800 and called it an “Ex-NBA” home online.

Court records say that Gatling got a down payment from one potential renter but that another got suspicious and contacted police.

Gatling's attorney, Michael Alarid, said the case is a “misunderstanding.”

Gatling made close to $30 million in his career, appearing with 13 teams over an 11-year period. He also once congratulated Shawn Kemp for dunking on him. Gatling last played in the NBA in 2001-02.

The accusations come less than a year after a documentary was released profiling the number and ways that professional athletes go bankrupt.