A Texas jury sentenced the son of former NBA All-Star Nick Van Exel to 60 years in prison on Friday for the shooting of his longtime friend Bradley Eyo.
Nickey Maxwell Van Exel, 22, received the punishment shortly after his sobbing father apologized on the witness stand to the family of the victim. The same jury found Van Exel guilty of murder earlier this past week according to the Associated Press.
''I'm really sorry to the Eyo family," said the elder Van Exel according to the Associated Press. "Nobody should have to go through something like this. Nobody.''
Nickey Van Exel reportedly shot Eyo in Dec. 2010 and dumped the body at Lake Ray Hubbard on the eastern outskirts of Dallas. His attorney proved that the two were playing with a shotgun at Nickey Van Exel's home in Garland, and Van Exel didn't know the gun was loaded.
His father played 13 seasons in the NBA, mostly with the Los Angeles Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks, and is now a player development instructor for the Atlanta Hawks. Van Exel discussed the better times he experienced with his son on the stand, many of which included Eyo.
One story he was able to discuss included a time he took his son and Eyo to a 2006 NBA Finals game in Miami between the Heat and the Mavericks.
''And they were about the only guys there cheering for the Dallas Mavericks,'' Van Exel said. ''It's dangerous when you go to an arena cheering for the other team.''
Prosecutors reportedly had sought a capital murder conviction.
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