Celtics Champion Dodges Prison Time In Health Care Fraud Case

Former Celtics guard and 2008 NBA Finals champion Tony Allen won’t see any time behind bars despite partaking in an insurance fraud scheme that scammed the league out of nearly $5 million.

Allen, who last played in 2018 and collected over $40 million in career earnings from the NBA, participated in a plan to collect fraudulent health benefits from the league. Fellow ex-Celtic Terrence Williams — the alleged mastermind behind it all — drew the short end of the stick after being sentenced to 10 years. Allen and Williams, however, were just two of 18 other fellow former NBA players-turner-scammers.

Charged alongside the 18 others back in 2021, Allen, after initially facing jail time, was instead sentenced to community service and supervision

“I fully acknowledge my individual responsibility and I understand the gravity of my actions,” Allen said during his sentence hearing, according to Jonah Dylan of the Memphis Commercial Appeal. “As a member of the NBA community, I failed to uphold our core values.”

Allen illegally accepted $265,000 for chiropractic services plus another $155,000 for dental services, both of which he’s since paid back, per Pete Brush of Law360.

The Celtics selected Allen 25th overall in the 2004 draft, raising Banner 17 with the defensive-minded reserve guard in 2008 after Boston defeated Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers in the finals. Following that six-year run with the C’s, Allen went on to be named to three NBA All-Defensive First Teams as a member of the Memphis Grizzlies.

Most recently, Allen joined Ice Cube’s Big3 basketball league, returning to Boston’s TD Garden to play on July 28.