Controversial Book On NBA Players Discussed On ABC's "20/20"

Author Jeff Benedict appeared on ABC's "20/20" Friday night to discuss his book, "Out of Bounds: Inside the NBA's Culture of Rape, Violence & Crime." In the book, Benedict examines the criminal histories of 177 out of 417 U.S.-born NBA players from the '01-02 season and found that 40% "had been investigated, arrested or convicted of a serious crime." NBPA Exec Dir Billy Hunter said of the book, "There's a market in dumping on blacks and black athletes in particular. I think its controversial, I think it sells." But former NBAer A.C. Green said the NBA should be concerned about player conduct off the court. Green: "What happens a lot is that a monster is always created ... The NBA needs to be worried, absolutely." Hunter responded, "Our biggest problem is that we have a few guys who engage in miscreant or aberrant behavior. And, everybody gets painted with a broad brush, so we tend to lose sight of those players who are law-abiding citizens and who make positive contributions." Benedict said most of these cases are not reported because they never make it to court. Benedict added, "You're not just indicting a famous athlete, you're indicting a power source. It's truth versus power when a woman accuses an NBA player of a sex crime, and oftentimes, power wins" ("20/20," ABC, 7/2).