Source: Detectives downplay Telfair's role in shooting

In recent years the NBA has gone to great lengths to clean up its negative image, instituting policies such as player dress codes and issuing zero-tolerance mandates on excessive in-game outbursts designed to create a more fan-friendly image and bring back a disillusioned audience. Yet despite these superficial changes, the league continues to be victimized by the behavior of its players.

While the NBA is still reeling from the events of the brawl in Detroit -- civil lawsuits were still being filed as recently as last month -- several of its members have failed to learn from past lessons.

Last month Pacers guard Stephen Jackson, one of the principal perpetrators in the 2004 melee, was arrested and charged with felony criminal recklessness for allegedly firing his gun in the air outside an Indianapolis strip club. Earlier this week Sacramento Kings coach Eric Musselman was arrested and charged with driving under the influence after police pulled him over in Sacramento.

Those offenses, however, pale in comparison to reports that link Boston Celtics guard Sebastian Telfair to the shooting of rapper Fabolous, a.k.a. John Jackson, in New York City.

By now the facts of the case are well known: Last Monday, Telfair -- a Brooklyn native in town to play an exhibition game with the Celtics -- was robbed outside Justin's, a popular Manhattan bar and grill owned by rap mogul Sean (Diddy) Combs. Just after 10 p.m., Telfair, who was having dinner with fiancée Samantha Rodriguez, was confronted outside the restaurant. According to reports, the assailant, who made off with Telfair's $50,000 necklace, was at the restaurant with Fabolous. Several hours later shots were fired as the group was leaving, one of which struck the rapper in the right thigh.

Yet despite published reports connecting Telfair to the incident, sources tell SI.com that Telfair's role in the attack is a nonexistent one. Telfair's alleged involvement centers on a phone call he made shortly after the robbery.

Telfair, who left the Celtics game against the Knicks at halftime and was taken to a local precinct to view a lineup (he did not identify anyone), has denied any involvement in the shooting, and two league sources with knowledge of the investigation tell SI.com that NYPD detectives do not consider Telfair a suspect and that they consider any connection between the phone call and the shooting "not credible."

On Monday the NYPD would neither confirm nor deny to SI.com that Telfair was no longer a suspect.

Though Telfair's association with events last week cast another black cloud over the NBA, his exoneration, should it prove true, would go a long way toward creating a silver lining.