Cleveland Cavaliers’ president Koby Altman arrested for OVI, but who is he?
As they prepare for the coming season, the Cleveland Cavaliers now have a rather serious issue off the court and what’s worse, he’s a front office exec.
Just when you probably imagined that the Cavs could start to build on the shrewd moves they’ve made in the market, it now seems that they may have to address a scandalous situation that’s come to the fore after one of their execs crossed a legal line.
Cavs’ Koby Altman arrested for OVI
According to reports, Cleveland Cavaliers president of basketball operations Koby Altman was arrested on Friday night and charged with operating a vehicle under the influence. It is understood that the incident itself occurred in Cleveland. As per reports, highway patrol officers spotted Altman committing a traffic violation, at which point they pulled him over. After showing visible signs of impairment, Altman was placed under arrest. Regarding what he was officially charged with, the Cavs exec officially committed a marked lanes violation and an OVI (operating a vehicle under the influence). If you didn’t know, according to Ohio law, a first offense for OVI is a misdemeanor and can potentially result in the offender facing jail time and/or a fine.
Where the franchise itself is concerned, the Cavs released a statement in which Altman’s situation was acknowledged. “We are aware of an incident involving Cavaliers President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman,” the statement read. “We are currently gathering more information and have no further comment at this time.”
Who is Koby Altman?
For more than a decade now, Koby Altman has been part of the Cavaliers’ framework. After joining the front office in 2012 following numerous posts as an assistant coach in the college game, Altman began to climb the ladder. Indeed, his hard work was finally rewarded in 2017, when he was promoted to general manager. His climb didn’t stop there either, as in 2022 it was Altman who was chosen to be president of basketball operations. The promotion was quickly followed by an agreement on a sizeable extension that ties him to the organization until the 2027-28 season.
Kolby’s time in Cleveland has been quite productive if we’re honest. Consider for a moment that between 2015 and 2018 the Cavs made four straight NBA finals appearances, winning a title in 2016 you will recall. Of course, much of that success was also down to LeBron James, but after his exodus in 2018, it was Altman who once again spearheaded a revival in Cleveland as he orchestrated the acquisition of players such as Evan Mobley, Darius Garland, and Jarrett Allen. Last but not least, there was his most recent coup which was the huge signing of Donovan Mitchell, who appears to have finally pushed the Cavs into the realm of Eastern Conference contenders. There could be more to this than it seems. Watch this space.