In what can only be considered a truly ironic public relations blunder for Minnesota Timberwolves forward Michael Beasley, the firm that he hired just three weeks ago in order to improve his image has issued a statement explaining that they no longer represent Beasley. The firm's reasoning:
"We think that Michael is a great kid, and we're wishing the best for him, but he was just not a good fit for our firm," S & S Associates' Tonya Payton told CBSSports.com on Wednesday. "Michael is at the stage in his life and his career where he just needs to take a step back and reevaluate a lot of things in his life."
The lockout-induced extra time away from the NBA has only compounded problems for Beasley, whose busy October included a bit of everything, as Ben Golliver of Eye on Basketball reports.
In the three weeks since he hired the P.R. firm, Beasley threw an "All-Star" charity game in which all the All-Stars bailed out and said that the ongoing labor negotiations are "kind of retarded." But that was the petty stuff.
The real bombshell came when Beasley launched explosive lawsuits against his former agent, Joel Bell, and his former AAU coach, Curtis Malone, in which he and his mother admitted to receiving thousands of dollars of illegal benefits while he was in high school and college. The lawsuit is personal, too, as Malone reportedly served as a surrogate father to Beasley, allowing him to live with his family during his high school years.