D.J. Stephens was signed by the Memphis Grizzlies with a shot to make their opening night roster as a deep rotation, athletic wingman. He showed flashes of his athletic brilliance in the preseason, putting down some nasty dunks with his head almost hitting the rim on multiple occasions. Unfortunately for the former NBA D-League star, things didn’t quite work out. And less than a week later he finds himself in some serious trouble.
Stephens was cut by the Grizzlies before Monday’s opening roster deadline and just a few days later, he was arrested in connection with a domestic violence incident.
The Commercial Appeal in Memphis has more information.
D.J. Stephens, a former University of Memphis basketball player, has been arrested in connection with a domestic violence incident involving his child’s mother, police said.
Stephens, 25, was arrested Wednesday night and charged with domestic aggravated assault for allegedly attacking his child’s mother.
According to the arrest affidavit, the incident occurred at 5:45 p.m. Monday outside a home in the 6900 block of Waters Bend Cove. The woman told police that she and Stephens were arguing when he grabbed her wrists and pushed her down. She told police that when she got up Stephens grabbed her by her neck and threw her on the ground.
When she got up again, she said, Stephens grabbed her arm and threw her to ground again, causing her to hit her head on the pavement. She told police that Stephens left on foot as she lay on the ground dazed with blurry vision.
She then called 911 and was taken to Methodist Germantown. Police interviewed her at the hospital where they reported that she had several cuts and scratches on her arms, a cut on her nose and face, scrapes on her neck, a cut on her lip and a bloody and swollen left eye.
Stephens was arrested. He will be in court Friday for a video arraignment on the charge. He remains in jail and his bond has been set at $15,000.
It remains to be seen if Stephens will be disciplined by the NBA. He is not on a roster as of right now but he’s definitely a fringe player and former D-League standout. He has a future in professional basketball, whether that be on an NBA team looking for depth or with the NBA D-Leauge. We will keep you updated if official disciplines from the NBA are handed out.
