Chris Gatling's Alleged Squatting and Craigslist Ruse Unsuccessful in Arizona

So, former NBA player Chris Gatling was allegedly trying to sublet an apartment he broke into and had been squatting in for over a year. 

Yeah, that didn't quite work out for him. 

AZCentral.com (h/t Big Lead) reports Gatling is being accused of living in a Paradise Valley home he doesn't own for over a year. 

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Chris Gatling is accused of breaking into a key box and living in the home from July 2010 to August 2011. A police report says the homeowners lived in California but had left the power on.

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Let's take a step back for a second before diving into the truly remarkable part of the report. I understand that vacation homes might be safe for squatters when some families go months before ever renting out their homes or visiting it themselves. 

Still, I am very interested to hear why neighbors never noticed anything strange, or why the owners never noticed a surge in their power bill. 

It's best not to waste brain cells on that conundrum, because there is so much more to chew on with this story. 

Gatling, allegedly not one who's content with a free room, wanted to make this new-found home work for him, so he tried to rent it out on Craigslist. 

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The TV station reports that he later listed the four-bedroom house for rent for $800 and called it an “Ex-NBA” home online.

Court records say that Gatling got a down payment from one potential renter but that another got suspicious and contacted police.

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Now my interest is piqued beyond measure. What part of all of this was suspicious to a potential renter? I have no idea what homes are going for in Arizona, but a four-bedroom home for $800 sounds like a deal with some shadiness lurking in the background.

We do have to point out that Gatling's attorney, Michael Alarid, whom I'm guessing he borrowed, claims this was all a "misunderstanding."

I have no idea how either owning a house or not owning a house can get confusing, but this story now has me firmly planted on the edge of my seat.

The 45-year-old played 11 years, landing with Warriors, Heat, Nets, Mavericks, Bucks, Nuggets, Magic and Cavaliers during that span, making the All-Star team once in his career (1997).

If you are wondering, the report reminds us that Gatling made $30 million over the course of his career, which seems like enough dough to keep one from having to squat in an Arizona house. Our math could be wrong though. 

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