Ex-College Basketball Star Facing ‘Death by Execution’ Over Marijuana Smuggling

Former Utah State basketball star Jarred Shaw plays in the Indonesian Basketball league after not making the cut in the G-League or the NBA.

Ex-College Basketball Star Facing ‘Death by Execution’ Over Marijuana Smuggling

Jarred Shaw could be executed for importing drugs into Indonesia (Image via FirstSportz)

When a young athlete works on his or her game, their goal is often to make it to the pros and earn enough money to feed their family and hopefully keep something aside for the next generation. Former Utah State basketball player Jarred Shaw might have had the same goal when he started out.

Shaw played two years at Oklahoma State and then two at Utah State before he declared for the 2014 NBA Draft. However, his dreams of earning a pretty penny in the NBA did not pan out after no team called his name.

He did find a place on the Santa Cruz Warriors team, the G-League affiliate of the Golden State Warriors, but that journey lasted just one season. Usually, a basketball player now has only two options. Give up and try his hand at another profession, or search for playing opportunities abroad.

Jarred Shaw went for the latter, playing in leagues in South America, Asia, Europe, and Africa. He essentially playing on any continent where he could get a job as a basketball player. But most of these leagues were small in stature, and so were the salaries, which means they haven’t been able to live the life they dreamt of.

As of now, he is a member of the Tangerang Hawks Basketball Club, part of the Indonesian Basketball League. The 34-year-old and his teammates have been been battling to push their team up the table, but find themselves currently in sixth place.

It is unknown how much he earns, but considering how the league goes, it might not be much. However, a player of his age knows he might not have much time left on his hands. That led him to do something illegal, for which he now is facing a life and death situation.

Jarred Shaw caught with marijuana-infused candies

In Thailand, marijuana possession faces no criminal charges. But when one transports it to Indonesia, where drugs are illegal, it is a serious crime. Police and customs officers at Soekarno-Hatta Airport undertook an investigation when a suspicious package passed through Indonesian customs.

The package was addressed to an apartment in Cisauk, Tangerang Regency. It seems that Soekarno-Hatta Airport Police arrested Jarred Shaw when he received the package. As per The Independent Observer, the package contained 132 pieces of marijuana sweets.

Once they tested the candies, they found that they contained the class 1 narcotic Delta 9 ThC. A total of 30 ounces was in the package. When news of this spread across Indonesian networks, the Tangerang Hawks fired the Dallas native.

But his problems might not stop at that. The laws are strict in Indonesia when it comes to handing out punishments for such crimes. Shaw could be looking at a situation where he might never see his homeland ever again.

Jarred Shaw could be executed

If convicted, Indonesian laws could sentence Jarred Shaw to face life in prison. If they feel like making an example out of him, they could write down an execution date. There are many drug crime offenders in Indonesian prisons awaiting execution.

Jarred Shaw with the Tangerang Hawks
Jarred Shaw with the Tangerang Hawks (Image via Open Source/X)

The last known execution took place in 2016. However, it is not a foregone conclusion that the 34-year-old will be spared. If guilty, he will face a firing squad that will gun him down to death. Many basketball players have thrown away their careers after finding other ways to make money.

The most recent being Jontay Porter. But none have lost their lives in trying to do so. Shaw could be lucky to spend the rest of his life in prison, or appeal for a shorter sentence. If he does get executed, it will be a first for an American-born basketball player.

Also Read: