A Story That Just Doesn't Make Sense (Updated)

This was first posted on July 8, 2005

Former Mavericks forward Alan Henderson, an Indiana grad and to the best of my knowledge the son of a cardiologist, was arrested in NYC because he had a handgun in his luggage. He currently is an unrestricted free agent who, according to the article, could get 15 years in jail for this transgression. My guess is that he won't get anywhere near that and probably won't get jail time, but this one leaves me puzzled.

How did the gun get there?

Assuming it was Henderson's, what could he possibly have been thinking?

Clearly there's more to this story than has already been reported. I don't want to make jokes at Henderson's expense, speculate as to what drove him to do this (if in fact the gun wasn't planted) or scold him when he hasn't been convicted of anything.

Which leaves me with the same question: how did this happen?

And why?

Update (July 13): One of my many readers is closer to this situation than most. He has advised that many athletes in the public eye fear for their safety and carry guns for their own protection. Apparently, Henderson was carrying the gun for his own protection, had it properly secured in his luggage, and then ran afoul of New York's strict gun laws in the process. He is a very solid citizen from all reports, and here's to hoping that the NY District Attorney views this case as simply a bad mistake and let's Henderson go without processing this case any further.