Former Rebel Nesby arrested

Former UNLV basketball standout Tyrone Nesby was arrested Wednesday on a charge of contempt of court, a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department spokesman said.

Bail was set at $5,000.

As of Thursday night, Nesby, a forward who played for the Rebels from 1996 to 1998, was in the Clark County Detention Center awaiting a Monday court date.

Clark County Assistant District Attorney Robert Gardner confirmed the arrest of Nesby, 31, in a phone message Thursday but did not specify how the charge was related.

However, the former NBA player, who spent four seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers and Washington Wizards, is in arrears on court-ordered child support payments in Illinois totaling $304,551, according to the state's Department of Health Care and Family Services.

Nesby, who averaged 16.2 points per game in two years for the Rebels, has had numerous run-ins with the law in recent years.

After earning a starting job with the Clippers after being undrafted, Nesby signed a contract for almost $9 million before the 1999-2000 season. He was traded to Washington midway through the next season.

While with the Wizards, Nesby was arrested in a locker room at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis in 2001 and spent the night in jail on a battery charge that later was dropped.

After his NBA career, Nesby played professional basketball in Europe before returning to Las Vegas to explore business ventures.

He also was arrested by Las Vegas police on July 7, 2007, and charged with contempt of court for an outstanding warrant.