Sacked basketball player in Scotland is murder suspect in US
Getty ImagesA Scottish basketball club signed and then sacked a player linked to a murder in the US.
The Caledonian Gladiators said they were unaware that Malik Dunbar, who was added last month, was a suspect in the shooting death of Arthur Braxton in Augusta, Georgia.
Dunbar, 28, and teammate Jared Wilson-Frame have both had their contracts terminated by the Super League side.
The Caledonian Gladiators said this was due to disciplinary issues unrelated to the October 4 murder investigation.
Arthur Braxton, 32, was found dead with multiple gunshot wounds outside the El Presidente restaurant in Mexico.
Local media in Augusta reported that Dunbar is a suspect in the case.
Getty ImagesCaledonian Gladiators said the contracts of Dunbar and Frame, signed last month, had been “terminated with immediate effect” due to “serious breaches of club discipline”.
BBC News Scotland understands this is not related to any form of violence.
The club is based in East Kilbride, south of Glasgow, and competes in the Premier League, England’s top basketball league.
The company said in a statement: “Following this breach we became aware of serious allegations circulating in the United States regarding another matter prior to Malik Dunbar’s arrival at the club.
“We work with reputable sporting bodies who supply players to clubs around the world and no allegations were disclosed during our due diligence process.”
An internal review of the signing process was said to have been initiated.
Getty ImagesInterperformances, the sports agency representing Dunbar, said it was not aware of Dunbar’s connection to the shooting and learned of it through media reports.
US media reports also stated that Dunbar was also arrested in August and charged by the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office with possession of a firearm or knife and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.
The small forward and shooting guard enjoyed a successful college career with the Auburn Tigers.
He helped Auburn reach the prestigious “Final Four” of the annual college basketball tournament in 2019 before traveling to tournaments overseas such as Germany and Egypt, as well as the NBA minor league G League.
