In December, former Kansas Jayhawks star Josh Jackson was charged with a vandalism misdemeanor after kicking and damaging the car of KU women’s basketball player McKenizie Calvert.
Jackson pleaded not guilty to the charge instead filing for a diversion. As a sort of plea deal, Jackson must agree to the following terms, among others, according to Jesse Newell of the Kansas City Star:
- Complete an anger management course.
- Abstain from alcohol and drug use.
- Complete 20 hours of community service.
For Jackson, this is a no-brainer of a decision. If he completes all of the tasks outlined by the diversion agreement, the court will dismiss the case against him.
Jackson’s outburst does not seem to have hurt his stock ahead of the 2017 NBA Draft as most consider him a consensus top-three pick. The guard/forward combo is known for his defensive ability especially.
Nevertheless, this will be something that sticks with Jackson for some time. NBA teams will be doing their research about the situation and asking about the incident; he has to be ready to be grilled, especially as the league attempts to crack down on cases of domestic violence and other similar incidents.
But with the court case likely being thrown out, it’s probably not something that will affect Jackson’s long-term future. That said, he will be under scrutiny and even the mildest offenses will now be magnified due to his past.
