Glen Rice Jr., son of NBA champion Glen Rice, saw his contract with Utena Juventus terminated after a few days with the Lithuanian franchise. The former NBA player’s transgressions include missing two flights to Lithuania, breaking quarantine, arriving to practice intoxicated, and challenging his teammates to fights, per Lithuanian media 15min.
Rice Jr. missed his initial flight to Lithuania for unknown reasons. However, after purchasing a new ticket, the 29-year-old forgone his connecting flight to Amsterdam — again, for reasons unknown.
Upon arriving with his new team, the former Washington player has to self-quarantine. Rather than follow COVID-19 protocols, Rice Jr. was spotted partying at local bars his first night in town.
His rockstar lifestyle wouldn’t stop there, as his alcohol problems carried over to practice. According to reports, he showed up drunk to the first two practice sessions with Juventus. In the morning, he reeked of alcohol and showed no attempt to hide it. Moreover, Rice Jr. did not attempt to assuage his teammates in the evening session but instead appeared intoxicated once again.
In another incident involving practice, Rice Jr. accosted center Mindaugas Kupsas for throwing a bad pass. He challenged his seven-foot, 255lbs teammate to settle the dispute outside.
How The Team Reacted
Utena Juventus terminated Rice Jr’s. contract after six days. The director of the club, Eimantas Skersis, did not reserve his vitriol when discussing the ex-NBA player.Â
“This person is unpredictable and has a lot of problems in life. We took risks — the risks did not work. The circus is over, and now we have to find someone who will want to play basketball and not engage in stupidity,” Eimantas Skersis told utenosjuventus.lt.
Rice Jr. appeared in 16 games for the Washington Wizards from 2013 to 2015. He averaged 2.7 points and 1.5 rebounds. After being waived in 2015, he would play for a multitude of international teams, leaving behind a trail of misconduct.
