Son of Hawks assistant charged with murder
The son of Hawks assistant coach and former NBA All-Star guard Nick Van Exel was arrested Wednesday and charged with murdering a close friend.
A Dallas police spokesman said Nickey Van Exel, 20, shot Bradley Bassey Eyo at a residence in the 6900 block of George Brown Drive in Garland, Tex. then dumped the body near Lake Ray Hubbard less than a mile way. Investigators quickly focused on Van Exel, who turned himself in to authorities on Wednesday, as a suspect, police said.
The younger Van Exel's attorney said his client and Eyo were playing with a shotgun Saturday when it accidentally fired, according to the Associated Press. Van Exel "panicked" and moved the body, the attorney said.
Van Exel is being held in lieu of $1 million bail.
In a statement, Hawks officials said their thoughts and prayers were with the Van Exel family. Nick Van Exel played for six teams over a 14-year NBA career. The flashy left-handed point guard, an All-Star with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1998, was known for his clutch shooting in late-game situations.
About the Author
A native Atlantan, Boone joined the AJC staff in 2007. He quickly carved out a niche covering crime stories, assuming the public safety beat in 2014. He's covered some of the biggest trials this decade, from Hemy Neuman to Ross Harris to Chip Olsen, the latter of which was featured on Season 7 of the AJC's award-winning "Breakdown" podcast.
