An Alabama jury awarded $9.25 million in damages to former Crimson Tide basketball player Kai Spears on Thursday after an eight-person jury found the New York Times defamed him by incorrectly reporting that he was at the scene of a fatal shooting.
The jury ruled in favor of Spears after the Times wrote in 2023 that he was a passenger in a car involved in the death of 23-year-old Jamea Harris, which he denied after the report came out. The Times reported that the person had spoken, "on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters."
"I have one thing to say — the report in the New York Times was 100% inaccurate and the writer had complete disregard for the truth," Spears said in a statement in 2023. "I am trying to process and cope with these false statements that somehow have been published and then seen by so many. So thankful to Alabama Athletics for refuting it on my behalf.
"More than anything, I remain completely heartbroken by the tragic death that occurred that night."
Spears, who began his college basketball career at Alabama as a walk-on, transferred to Marshall in 2024, where he spent the last two seasons. He transferred to Division II West Liberty this offseason.
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