Former NBA Player Isaiah Rider Allegedly Threatens to Pull Gun at Youth Hoops Tourney

Former NBA player Isaiah Rider, who played 9 seasons in the NBA and won a Slam Dunk Competition, allegedly threatened to pull a gun from his car during a confrontation involving his wife and another man during a youth basketball tournament in Arizona, according to TMZ Sports.

Rider’s wife, Vanessa, was reportedly involved in a fight with another man when Isaiah, who is the head coach of the SkyRiders basketball team, threatened to get his gun from his car, per a police report.

The incident took place at the Inspire Court Gym in Mesa, Arizona back on May 17th.

When police responded to reports of parents fighting, they spoke to Vanessa who claimed that she had been attacked by another woman for “no viable reason.”

Vanessa claimed that her 9 year old son was physically assaulted by an older boy during the altercation.

Police spoke to the other woman involved who they say told a completely different story, claiming that her son’s team had defeated the SkyRiders and that Vanessa was so “bitter”, and trying to swing at her, claiming she fought back to “protect herself” and admits she struck Vanessa during the confrontation.

The woman claimed that Isaiah then got involved, jumping over bleachers and calling for his friends to help break up the situation, asking “Who hit my son?”, and then he allegedly “told his friends to get his gun out of his car.”

Isaiah left the building and did not come back with a gun.

Vanessa was adamant that someone else in the gym had threatened to pull a gun first.

Police determined that the women were involved in “mutual combat”, but no arrests were made because they couldn’t determine who started the fight.