Kendrick Nunn understands his reputation may be damaged after accusations of domestic violence: 'I've grown a lot'

Jan. 16--Kendrick Nunn, a former Illinois and Simeon star, said he understands his reputation may be damaged for some fans. His dismissal from Illinois after accusations of domestic violence may always be attached to his name.

After a 32-point performance in his Chicago homecoming Monday night when he led Oakland to a 78-68 victory against Illinois-Chicago, Nunn wanted fans to know something else about him.

"I think a lot of people know I'm a good kid," he told the Tribune. "The situation that happened is not who I am. If you would get to know me, you would know that."

It's a familiar refrain. But Nunn's transfer to Oakland, where he entered Monday's game ranked third in the nation in scoring -- drawing several NBA scouts to watch him perform -- brings up the complex question about second chances with athletes, especially as society has become more attentive to the issue with the #MeToo movement's emergence.

When it comes to sports, it's a conversation that has frequently lacked nuance in our age of shallow social-media debate-driven dialogue. Black-and-white arguments usually insist either a player should be banished forever from sports or be unequivocally worshipped. What's the right answer?

"People draw their own lines in the sand different ways," said Penn State professor Amira Rose Davis, who writes about sports, gender and race. "It is definitely complex and there is not a blanket playbook for dealing with it. Context really matters."

Nunn was dismissed from Illinois in May 2016 after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor battery charge stemming from a domestic-battery arrest two months earlier, when he was accused of hitting a woman, pushing her to the floor and pouring water on her. The victim declined to comment last week when contacted by the Tribune.

Nunn told the Tribune on Monday night he did not hit the woman and only poured water on her. He said he agreed to a misdemeanor charge at the urging of his attorney and expected to continue to play for Illinois after a suspension.

He said he regrets angrily confronting the woman about money he said she owed.

Court records indicated Nunn would avoid a conviction on his record if he completed 100 hours of community service, completed a 26-week partner abuse prevention program and wrote a letter of apology to the victim while under 18 months of court supervision. Nunn said he completed these orders.

"My actions, I can't blame anyone for," he said. "Now, I would have just ... walked away from it."

But Nunn also indicated that he believes the false claim that women are always vindicated by the law.

"It's hard because it's he said-she said," Nunn said. "When there's a female involved, they automatically listen to what she says."

There's more to learn apparently.

Illinois made the right decision -- unlike so many universities who go out of their way to protect star players involved in more heinous cases -- in dismissing Nunn because he failed to uphold the program's standards.

Oakland coach Greg Kampe said like with other players who have desired a new start in his program, he vetted Nunn and believed an opportunity at Oakland could help him improve as a player and a person. Nunn said he has.

"I've grown a lot, he said. "I'm wiser. I've moved on from it."

Stories like Nunn's deserve complex introspection from fans and sports media instead of choosing a singular hard stance, Davis said.

Should sports teams open their doors to such players or is that dismissive to women on campus? Do we care more about rehabilitation or punishment? What becomes of an athlete who is denied playing again and likely an opportunity to attend college? Does concern for the accused wind up wrongly overriding our concern for victims?

Through the years, the brighter spotlight on athletes who have been accused of domestic violence has promoted an inaccurate racial depiction of who commits domestic violence. Sports media needs to ask how these crimes should be reported compared to assaults by less famous men on campuses.

Yes, it is complex.

For Nunn, he said he understands his reputation may be long linked to his dismissal from Illinois.

"I'm mindful of it all the time," he said. "But it hasn't changed the way I've acted. I still smile every day. A lot of people like me. They think I'm fun to be around."

Nunn has not had other legal issues at Oakland, where he sat out last season per NCAA transfer rules, a period he called a "dark time." But that doesn't erase a troubling incident in Champaign.

"He's at a different school," Davis said. "He's had consequences. But that doesn't mean people have to have short memories."

sryan@chicagotribune.com

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