Justice For Dante Cunningham

Disclaimer: I do not condone, in any way, shape, or form, violence of any kind, be it domestic, public, whatever. If you witness, hear about, or are a victim of domestic violence, it is of utmost importance and urgency to speak up.

The phone does not ring in the motor home. Might as well cancel the service. The man continues his work, hoping, just hoping that he will be recognized once again. Each day a new struggle to return. He's known to be a hard worker. Growing up in a strict family, the hard-nosed athlete always contributed something to the team. Yet now, he's not wanted. Why? 

"When anyone looks up Dante Cunningham, oh, wasn't he the one that was in trouble?"

There's certainly a change in culture in professional sports, for better and for worse. Leagues are cracking down on athletes that commit crimes, from doing drugs/DUI to domestic violence. And that's good in a sense. It heightens the penalties for wrongdoing. In reality, it doesn't do anything directly to solving problems with individuals, with real life humans. Bad is when a player has a problem, and the punishment is there, but it doesn't rectify the problem. Worse is when an individual is caught with an unjust stigma, a false label thrown on him.

David Sherman/NBAE/Getty Images

Such is the case with ex-NBA player Dante Cunningham. Arrested twice, once for alleged domestic violence, and once for violating a protection order, Cunningham missed one game for his previous employer, the Minnesota Timberwolves, while in jail. He continued to play when released, but was not resigned when his contract expired. Six months after his arrest, he remains a free agent. Teams won't touch him. After the incidents in the NFL regarding Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson, teams will further shy away from Cunningham. It seems logical, right? Justice served?

Not in the least. While the police report claims that the woman involved in the domestic incident had red marks on her neck, as well as a bump on her head, Cunningham claims that the only time he touched her was when he touched her wrist to keep her from holding on to his car as he drove out for a bit to cool down. The woman's story about violating a protection order appears to be fabricated, as police records show that Cunningham had not contacted the woman in question, and in fact, the woman appears to have sent threatening messages to herself via devices in her own home. That's some damning evidence for this case. We know that all people, fans and athletes, are above all, people. There are always disagreements in even the most harmonious home, and maybe there was a situation where tempers flared. However, with no proof of any wrongdoing, yet proof that his accuser has undoubtedly fabricated at least part of this story, Cunningham remains the one that loses the most, out of work. 

"At this point it's about justice and it's about clearing my name. Clearly this adds a terrible stigma to my name.
There's nothing out there saying there was a false charge and now we have to change it."

As a fan, it is of utmost importance that athletes have a fair chance at playing if they have the ability to do so. In writing this piece, I hope that the full truth can come out of this case so that an athlete can go back to doing what he does for a living, playing basketball. Please share this article to help rebuild Dante's reputation. 

David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images


All quotes are from Cunningham to the Associated Press.