A former NBA player is accused of breaking into a house in Georgia, stealing $100,000 and beating up a teenager.

James Edward “J.J.” Hickson Jr., 29, was arrested and charged with home invasion, aggravated assault and armed robbery with a knife on June 15, according to WSB-TV in Atlanta.

He allegedly broke into the house in unincorporated Senoia around 10:30 a.m. through a side door with a knife, authorities said, stole the large sum of cash, and several other items and then left.

A neighbor named Mary Taylor told WSB-TV that she saw the 17-year-old victim run out of the house after the robbery, with a broken nose.

“When he told me what happened,” she said, “I was so nervous I couldn’t even punch in [911] in my phone.”

Authorities did not say why Hickson chose that particular house, which is 60 miles away from his own in Smyrna.

The targeted house is at the end of the street near a stop sign, and a neighbor told WSB-TV that they spotted the getaway car five hours before the robbery.

“They jumped in the car and took off real fast,” a witness told the station.

Authorities said they believe at least two people were involved in the robbery, but so far only Hickson has been charged.

He was booked into the Coweta County jail without a bond.

Hickson played high school ball in Marietta and college ball at NC State. He was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers as the 19th overall pick in the 2008 draft, according to ESPN.com. He made at least $27 million during his eight season career, and he played for the Denver Nuggets, Washington Wizards, Portland Trail Blazers and the Sacramento Kings.

Since his NBA career ended in the 2015-16 season, he’s been playing overseas, most recently in 2018 with the Champville team in the Lebanese Basketball League.

[Photo: Getty]

Former NBA player James Edward “J.J.” Hickson Jr was arrested on Friday for allegedly stealing $100,000 during a violent Georgia home invasion.

 (Coweta County Sheriff’s Office)

A former NBA player was arrested Friday night for stealing $100,000 in cash during a Georgia home invasion that left a teenage resident with a broken nose, police said.

James Edward “J.J.” Hickson Jr. — who was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2008 – entered the residence located in Coweta County, through the side door and used a knife to attack the 17-year-old, police said, according to WSB-TV.

A law enforcement official told FOX 5 that “the victim was beat up pretty good.”

Hickson was charged with armed robbery in connection with a home invasion, the station reported. Authorities believe at least two other people were involved, however, as of Friday night Hickson is the only one currently facing charges.

Authorities said the former NBA player’s relationship to the victims was not immediately clear, WSB-TV reported.

The 29-year-old was a standout high school basketball before a successful eight-year NBA career that involved stints with the Cavaliers, Sacramento Kings, Portland Trail Blazers, Denver Nuggets and Washington Wizards, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

A Mount Royal University student and the former captain of its hockey team has been charged in a brutal attack on an MRU professor after a break-in at her Calgary home last weekend, CBC News has learned. 

Originally from Truro, N.S., Matthew Brown, 26, is facing charges of assault with a weapon and break-and-enter after a faculty member was brutalized with a broom handle, according to sources. The business student, who used to play in the QMJHL, is currently suspended and not allowed on campus, according to the university.

The victim, who is in her mid-60s, has a broken hand, requires surgery and also suffered torn tendons and severe bruising. 

Naked man broke into home

“[She] is understandably terrified and it will take a long time for her to get over this trauma,” said a family spokesperson. “It’s affecting every aspect of her life.”

CBC News has agreed not to name the victim, who fears for her safety. 

The woman lives in the community of Springbank Hill in southwest Calgary. Her family says the suspect had been at a nearby party.

The victim woke from a deep sleep after what sounded like an explosion, which was her glass door being smashed. She got up to investigate and was immediately attacked by a naked man who hit her repeatedly with a broom handle.

“It was very violent,” said one of the woman’s family members.

She was able to lock herself in the bathroom and then fled to a neighbour’s house where they let her in and called 911.

The family has been told police believe the suspect may have been on drugs at the time of the attack.

Banned from campus

The Mount Royal connection “appears to be a coincidence” the university claimed in an email to staff, which says there is no indication the two had ever met or that the attack was targeted.

“Our first and foremost concern is for the well-being of the victim, who was injured and is now at home recuperating,” reads the email.

Brown is suspended “and will not be permitted on campus or at MRU events during the course of the suspension,” according to an email sent to all university staff.

The family points out the victim “dedicated her life to Mount Royal students.” She is off work for at least the rest of the semester while she recovers.

The family has thanked Mount Royal colleagues and faculty for the “heartwarming” outpouring of support they’ve received since the attack.

Brown captain of Mount Royal team

Brown began playing on the Mount Royal team in 2012 and was captain from 2014 until last year.

Before arriving in Calgary, Brown — who is six feet tall and weighs 200 pounds — played in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), first with the Moncton Wildcats from 2008 to 2010 and then with the Quebec Remparts, where he was “brought up under the wing of legendary NHL Hall-of-Famer goalie, Patrick Roy,” according to a profile written on Brown last year in the Calgary Journal.

Brown has been released on bail.