Rafer Alston
Late in his career, Rafer Alston signed a deal with the Miami Heat. This was supposed to provide veteran leadership to a young group of Heat players. That backfired after about 25 games.
When Alston learned that he was set to be benched after his performances were unimpressive in those starts, he sent text messages to the team saying he wasn’t going to be able to make it for one of the team’s upcoming games. Apparently, he meant all the games as he never returned to the team, and they ended up suspending him for the rest of the season.
Where Are They Now: In a 2019 story from TheAthletic.com, it was revealed that “Skip To My Lou” began coaching an AAU basketball team in Houston, but later approached then-Minnesota Timberwolves Head Coach Tom Thibodeau about a position as a scout. Thibodeau hired him, and it was reported that Alston has enjoyed his career choice, and has no intention of trying his hand at coaching again.