The curious case of Sebastian Telfair gets more complicated as he goes viral. Last week, the NBA player was spotted chatting with another celebrity inmate at the federal prison, FCI Fort Dix, Sean “Diddy” Combs, with whom he shares an unusual connection. This week, what appears to be his old residence has also gone viral. Telfair returned to his roots under the most challenging circumstances… It begs the question: What really happened? Don’t worry, you’re not the only one confused about the timelines here.

Who Is Sebastian Telfair?

Born on June 9, 1985, Sebastian Telfair, the New York native, grew up in Brooklyn. He’s American, the son of Otis Telfair, a Marine who served in the Vietnam War, and his wife, Erica. His cousin is Knicks star Stephon Marbury, who’d also play overseas after a decorated but troubled NBA career.

Sebastian Telfair’s early life and career

Telfair is a product of the Surfside Gardens projects in Brooklyn. He attended Abraham Lincoln High School, where his talent on the court echoed the Big Apple hoops culture. The former Mr. Basketball USA was once ranked as the No. 2 point guard and No. 6 player in the nation in 2004.

Unfortunately, that didn’t translate well into an NBA career. 

Sebastian Telfair’s NBA career and personal life

Telfair had the opportunity to go to Louisville. However, he changed his plans and entered the 2004 NBA draft instead. The Trail Blazers selected him 13th overall. For the majority of his career, critics felt his stats, usually in the low single digits, were underwhelming for a starting point guard.

His trades to the Celtics, Timberwolves, Clippers, Cavaliers, and Thunder were just as uneventful. He even played in China for several seasons, like his cousin. He reportedly earned $19 million over 10 years in the NBA but fell into hard times.

Telfair and Diddy’s relationship explained

Very early in his career, Sebastian Telfair was a victim of a robbery. He was mugged outside Justin’s in 2006. The owner of that restaurant was Sean “Diddy” Combs. That night, the rapper Fabolous was shot outside the same place. And Telfair ended up missing a preseason game to identify possible suspects out of a police lineup.

Telfair and Combs’ paths didn’t physically cross back then. He has told DJ Vlad and several interviewers that he was invited to the parties held by Combs but never attended. The only time we’d see them in proximity to each other is in the yard of a federal prison. Pictures surfaced of the disgraced rap mogul holding court with inmates. A rep for Telfair confirmed that it’s him in the viral picture.

What happened to Sebastian Telfair?

In 2021, Telfair was named among 18 former NBA players charged with attempting to defraud the league’s health and welfare benefit plan. The accused players allegedly faked medical and dental expenses covered under the NBA’s benefits. The scam began in 2017 and lasted approximately two years.

Telfair pleaded guilty to the charges in 2023 and was sentenced to three years of probation. But he violated the terms by not meeting the community service hours and failing to report to the US Probation Office. He turned himself in in August 2025 and is serving a six-month prison sentence at Fort Dix, alongside Sean Combs.

Before he reported to prison, two significant events occurred. Telfair attempted to get a pardon from President Donald Trump. The second event was only recently revealed.

Apparently, due to his mounting financial problems, Telfair has returned to the Surfside Gardens projects in Brooklyn. A video that surfaced a week after the Diddy encounter shows him in the area saying, “I was not expecting to be living in this m——– though.” 

It created some mild confusion. Note that the video isn’t exactly verified, and it’s unclear when it was recorded. Telfair has been the subject of countless documentaries. It could be taken from any of them. One thing’s clear, though: Telfair’s not a resident of Brooklyn. He is now officially a prison inmate.