The father of former San Antonio Spurs forward Richard Jefferson was killed in a drive-by shooting in Compton, Calif. on Wednesday night, according to TMZ.
Citing law enforcement, TMZ says that Richard Jefferson Sr. was shot in front of a liquor store in a primarily residential area on around 6:52 p.m. The 65-year-old was shot multiple times in the torso and transported to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Two other men were believed to be with Jefferson Sr. at the time of the shooting. It remains unclear whether or not he was the intended target.
Although the younger Jefferson was born in South Central, he was raised by his mother in stepfather in Phoenix when his parents split. The 17-year NBA vet discussed his relationship with his father during a 2017 episode of his podcast, "Road Trippin,'" which he co-hosts alongside current Cavs forward Channing Frye.
The 6-foot-7 Jefferson spent his first seven seasons with the New Jersey Nets, including two NBA Finals appearances, one against the Spurs. After a year with the Milwaukee Bucks, Jefferson joined the Spurs for 2.5 seasons before moving on and bouncing around the league.
Jefferson signed with the Cavs prior to the 2015-16 season and played a rotational role on the 2016 NBA championship team. After averaging 5.6 points and 2.2 rebounds over the course of his two seasons in Cleveland, he was traded to the Atlanta Hawks just prior to the start of the 2017-18 season.
After being released by Atlanta, Jefferson signed a one-year deal with the Denver Nuggets, where he took on a locker room leader type of role. Appearing in just 20 games, he averaged 1.5 points and grabbed 0.9 rebounds while playing a total of 163 minutes.
Still currently un-signed, it remains unclear whether unclear Jefferson will continue his NBA playing career. Last postseason, he served as a television analyst for broadcasts of Cavs games on Fox Sports Ohio.
