CA mom who ordered teen basketball player daughter to sucker-punch opponent is ordered to pay $9,000

A California mother has been ordered to pay $9,000 in restitution to the victim’s family after she ordered her teenage daughter to sucker-punch her opponent. 

Tira Hunt – ex-girlfriend to former NBA player Corey Benjamin and mother of the then-14-year-old assailant – was charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor and battery for the November incident. 

She has entered into a diversion program and has been ordered to pay the hefty price, as well as, to write apology letters to the victim Lauryn Ham, now 16, and her family. 

Tira Hunt, 44, was charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor and battery for the November incident. She has entered into a diversion program and has been ordered to pay the hefty price, as well as, to write apology letters to the victim Lauryn Ham, now 16, and her family. She also has to attend anger management 

Tira Hunt is the ex-girlfriend to former NBA player Corey Benjamin

She escaped jail time after the judge allowed her to enter a diversion program.  

Hunt, 44, also has to attend an anger management course after she instructed her daughter to ‘hit’ Ham, then 15. 

Hunt’s daughter – whose name has been withheld due to being a minor – can be seen punching 

Ham was seen falling to the floor after the violent sucker-punch Lauryn Ham, now 16, in November

In the video, Hunt’s daughter – whose name has not been released due to being a minor – can be seen shooting a three-pointer when Ham comes to block her and accidentally knocking both of them to the floor. 

Benjamin has previously apologized for his daughter’s actions, claiming: ‘This is not how I raised my daughter

Ham reportedly suffered from a concussion.  

Hunt can be heard screaming: ‘You need to hit her.’ 

Both girls can be seen getting up and continuing down the court before the teen violently switches course and reels toward Ham, sucker-punching her and knocking her to the ground. 

Ham’s mother, Alice, said she was ‘shocked’ by the event and said recently in court she ‘can’t let this go.’ 

‘As a mom, I can’t – in good conscience – sweep this under the rug,’ Alice said. ‘You choose to use your daughter to promote an act of violence and you condone your daughter doing it. What kind of a mom does that?’ 

Benjamin has previously apologized for his daughter’s action, claiming: ‘This is not how I raised my daughter.’

‘To the young lady who was punched by my daughter during a youth basketball game, I sincerely apologize to you and I am praying for your complete healing both physically and emotionally,’ he said at the time.  

The incident was allegedly not his daughter’s first.

According to Kevin Hahn, an attorney representing the victim’s family, the then-14-year-old was previously caught swinging at two opponents during a tournament game in September 2021.

Ham’s mother Alice (right, with daughter) said she ‘couldn’t let this go’ after her daughter was brutally given a concussion 

‘My understanding is that organization that held the tournament banned her and suspended her from any other tournaments in their organization,’ Hahn said, as quoted by NBCLA.

Hahn said it’s possible that organizers for the November tournament were unaware of the girl’s suspension.