Sad news has been delivered to former Los Angeles Lakers All-Star Nick Van Exel, as a Texas jury sentenced his son Nickey Maxwell Van Exel to 60 years in prison Friday in the shooting death of a longtime friend.
Nickey Van Exel fatally shot Eyo in December 2010 and dumped his body at Lake Ray Hubbard on the eastern outskirts of Dallas. His attorney had said the two were playing with a shotgun at Nickey Van Exel's Garland home and that Van Exel didn't know the gun was loaded.
Nickey Van Exel, 22, received the punishment after his father was brought to tears at the witness stand after apologizing to the family of victim, Bradley Bassey Eyo. That same jusry in Dallas County in North Texas found the younger Van Exel guilty of murder on Thursday.
"I'm really sorry to the Eyo family. Nobody should have to go through something like this. Nobody," he said, as he looked at Eyo's family members who were in the courtroom.
Nick Van Exel was selected by the Lakers with the 37th overall pick in the 1993 NBA draft. He played with the Lakers until 1998, then was traded after an All-Star season for Tony Battie and the draft rights to Tyronn Lue.
He is currently on staff with the Atlanta Hawks in player development.
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