Sebastian Telfair Spotted With Diddy in Jail: The Former NBA Star's Career and Legal Controversies

Liputan6.com, Jakarta Sebastian Telfair, a former NBA point guard known for his colorful career, recently attracted public attention.

He was spotted with Sean "Diddy" Combs at the Federal Correctional Institution Fort Dix, New Jersey.

This unexpected encounter occurred during Telfair's sentence for violating probation related to the NBA health care fraud case.

Diddy himself is also serving a prison sentence.

Both have roots in New York and knew each other before the legal issues that landed them behind bars.

#EXCLUSIVE 👀 Diddy is seen hanging with former NBA star Sebastian Telfair in prison. Photos: https://t.co/fGKgsFRfTf pic.twitter.com/85jxkALQ23

— TMZ (@TMZ) November 3, 2025

Recently, photos obtained by TMZ showed Sebastian Telfair speaking with Sean "Diddy" Combs in the courtyard of the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) at Fort Dix, New Jersey.

Combs was seen interacting with former NBA player Sebastian Telfair, who played 11 seasons in the league.

Sebastian Telfair's publicist confirmed that his client was indeed speaking with Diddy in the photos, as reported by Daily Mail.

The two apparently knew each other from Telfair's NBA days and grew up together in New York.

Sebastian Telfair is currently serving a six-month sentence at FCI Fort Dix.

This sentence is the result of violating the terms of his supervised release related to the NBA health care fraud case.

Meanwhile, Diddy was sentenced to 50 months in prison after being found guilty on two counts of violating the Mann Act.

He is expected to be released on May 8, 2028.

Sebastian Telfair was born in Brooklyn, New York, on June 9, 1985.

Standing 6 feet 1.83 meters tall and weighing 160 pounds, he was known as a talented point guard.

Telfair also has family ties to basketball, being the cousin of former NBA player Stephon Marbury and the half-brother of Jamel Thomas.

His basketball career began brilliantly at Abraham Lincoln High School, making him one of the top prospects in the country.

His senior year was even documented in the film "Through the Fire."

He then made the crucial decision to jump straight into the NBA after high school, despite previously committing to the University of Louisville, and was selected 13th overall by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2004 NBA Draft.

During his 10 years in the NBA, from 2004 to 2014, Sebastian Telfair played for several teams.

He played for the Portland Trail Blazers, Boston Celtics, Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angeles Clippers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Phoenix Suns, Toronto Raptors, and Oklahoma City Thunder.

Following his NBA career, he went on to play in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) for the Tianjin Ronggang, Xinjiang Flying Tigers, and Fujian Sturgeons.

On June 11, 2017, Sebastian Telfair was arrested in Brooklyn, New York, after his Ford F-150 was stopped for driving without headlights and parked in a median.

Police found three loaded handguns, a submachine gun, ammunition, extra magazines, and a ballistic vest inside his vehicle.

In April 2019, Telfair was convicted of illegal firearms possession and sentenced to three and a half years in prison on August 12, 2019.

Although he argued that the weapons were legally licensed in Florida, where he resided, they were not in New York.

Interestingly, this conviction was later overturned by the New York Court of Appeals on November 21, 2023, offering a glimmer of hope.

However, another legal issue arose in October 2021, when Sebastian Telfair was among 18 former NBA players indicted in the NBA healthcare fraud case.

Telfair was accused of obtaining approximately $358,000 through false claims in the fraudulent scheme.

On March 16, 2023, Telfair pleaded guilty to the fraud charge and was initially sentenced to time served and three years of supervised probation.

However, he later violated the terms of his probation, including failing to perform community service and reporting to the U.S. Probation Office.

As a result, he was ordered to report to prison in August 2025 to serve six months and pay approximately $348,000 in restitution.