It has been quite a ride for Emoni Bates.
He is still only 18 years old, but he is close to becoming another of those cautionary tales about a high school basketball star whose potential was wasted and never panned out. He needs to be very careful about his moves in the future.
Here are the details surrounding his arrest and why his lawyer says don’t be quick to rush to judgment.
Emoni Bates, the former top high school basketball recruit who transferred from Memphis to Eastern Michigan this offseason, was arrested on Sunday night in Superior Township, Mich. and charged with a pair of felonies related to the possession of a firearm. The news was first reported by WXYZ in Detroit and later confirmed by 247Sports.
According to WXYZ, Bates, who is 18, was pulled over for allegedly failing to stop at an intersection. The authorities claim that Bates’ vehicle was searched, which led to the discovery of a firearm and Bates being taken into custody. He’s been charged with carrying a concealed weapon and altering ID marks on a weapon, both of which are felonies.
Pete Thamel of ESPN spoke to Bates’ lawyer, Steve Haney, who claims that the Ypsilanti native was driving a car that he borrowed from someone else.
Assuming that is true, you shouldn’t be borrowing a car from someone who has guns with serial numbers erased. That person isn’t your friend if they are letting you drive around dirty like that. Bates needs to use better judgment in the future.
One thing about life, especially for athletes you might only get one chance to make it, and if you don’t, you are going to regret a lot of the decisions you made.
Hopefully, Bates balls out at Eastern Michigan and stays out of trouble before the NBA draft.
Flip the pages for his lawyer’s comments.