Former NBA All-Star Chris Gatling has pleaded guilty to charges of theft and forgery after he was accused of squatting in a home in Arizona.
According to the Associated Press, Gatling, an All-Star back in 1997, pleaded guilty to one count of theft and one count of forgery in Maricopa County Superior Court Thursday.
Had he not pleaded guilty, Gatling was set to go to trial on Thursday.
Gatling was accused of breaking the key box at the home in Arizona and living in it for about a year while the owners lived in California and kept the power on. According to local news reports in the Arizona area, Gatling put the home up for to rent for $800 online and called it an "Ex-NBA home." Gatling even got a down payment from one potential renter, but when someone else asked about the home, they got suspicious and notified the police.
Gatling was the No.16 pick by the Golden State Warriors in the 1991 NBA draft, and had his best year in 1997 when he made the All-Star game due to averaging a career-high in points with 19 and also averaging 7.9 rebounds in his time spent between the Mavericks and Nets. He left the NBA in 2002 to play in Russia.
Gatling, 45, had a career average of 10.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. He spent his 11-year career with the Warriors, Heat, Mavericks, Nets, Bucks, Magic, Nuggets and Cavaliers.
The Associated Press reports that Gatling will be sentenced on Oct. 4.
In 700 career NBA games, Gatling put up 7,232 points and 461 assists.
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