Ty Lawson’s battles with alcohol problems have persisted even after he retired. His NBA career, often marred by off-court incidents, saw him, the 38-year-old ex-Denver Nuggets star, again face legal issues last week after being charged with shoplifting.

According to a Fox 31 report, the incident occurred on July 16 in Castle Rock, Colorado. A liquor store owner in the area called the police after reporting that a man had stolen a $34 bottle of Tito’s vodka around 8:03 p.m. The individual, later identified as Lawson, allegedly appeared intoxicated and was stumbling.

Lawson took the bottle outside the shop, where the store owner reported seeing him take a drink from it before he headed to a nearby restaurant, Scileppi’s. He then set the bottle down by the fire pit and moved to the bar, sitting there with it until officers arrived and arrested him.

Lawson was taken to the Douglas County Jail.

Subsequently, he faced a misdemeanor shoplifting charge involving property valued at less than $300. During the incident, Lawson’s friend, who was at the restaurant, was also detained after being found holding the bottle of alcohol. However, officers released him after finding no evidence linking him to the theft.

According to the New York Post, the former Nuggets guard also resisted arrest, repeatedly shouting at officers to stop and directing derogatory remarks toward them. The arresting officer noted that Lawson smelled “of an unknown alcoholic substance.” The arrest affidavit further states that Lawson kicked the glass wall of his holding cell, repeatedly yelled “stop,” and allegedly spat on the floor before eventually calming down.

The same affidavit noted that Lawson later apologized for his behavior. However, more than a week after the incident, Lawson has not issued a public statement regarding the arrest. This incident, though, is far from the first alcohol-related issue that has put his name in the headlines for the wrong reasons.

Former Denver Nuggets PG Ty Lawson Isn’t New to Alcohol-Related Charges

Ty Lawson was once regarded as one of the NBA’s most promising young point guards after winning an NCAA championship in 2009. He was a Sixth Man of the Year candidate in his second pro season, averaging 11.7 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 4.7 assists off Denver’s bench. He scored in double figures in five of his six seasons with the Nuggets and even received MVP votes during the Nuggets’ 57-win campaign in 2012-13. However, his ongoing issues with alcohol have led to repeated legal troubles.

They date back to 2008. Lawson pleaded guilty to driving after consuming alcohol while underage in North Carolina, where he was also cited for driving with a suspended license and a noise violation. The remaining charges were later dropped. Fast forward seven years, and Lawson’s career path changed once again.

Denver’s guard was charged with two DUI offenses within six months in 2015. The first arrest occurred in Colorado, where he was reportedly driving nearly twice the posted speed limit and told officers he had previously been arrested for DUI in Missouri, an incident that has never been publicly documented in detail. The second arrest happened in Los Angeles on suspicion of driving under the influence.

According to an ESPN report published that year, Lawson also entered residential treatment at Cliffside Malibu for about a month as part of his efforts to address his alcohol issues. The NBA suspended him twice over the two cases, initially for two games, then for three more after a later guilty plea.

These repeated incidents marked a turning point in Lawson’s NBA career. Shortly after the DUI arrests, Denver traded him to the Houston Rockets. While the Nuggets never officially cited the arrests as the reason for the move, the incidents were widely seen as a key factor in the decision.

Around that time, Josh Kroenke, the Nuggets president, told Yahoo! Sports he could smell alcohol on Lawson’s breath during practices. Kroenke also confirmed that he spoke to the player and that the entire team offered help.

As part of the underage drinking plea agreement, Lawson was required to complete his community service hours and an alcohol assessment program. According to WRAL-TV in Raleigh, Lawson wrote in a four-page letter, “It made me think of how lucky I am that nothing bad happened that night to me or to anyone else. Drinking and driving do not mix.”

A source close to Lawson confirmed during his rehab that he was “doing well” and “making progress.”

But after Ty Lawson left the Denver Nuggets, he never rediscovered the form that made him one of the league’s better point guards. He had brief stints with the Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers, Sacramento Kings, and Washington Wizards, earning a substantial $43 million salary before continuing his career overseas in China, Greece, Tunisia, and Venezuela, but he never reached the same level of success he enjoyed in Denver.

Lawson’s off-court troubles followed him overseas. He was permanently banned by the Chinese Basketball Association in 2020 due to a derogatory social media post. Ultimately, the career of the former 18th overall pick and all his basketball accomplishments faded from the NBA spotlight.