The situation resulting in the San Antonio Spurs terminating Joshua Primo is a classic case of He Said/She Said that never needed to happen. That said, he is 19-years-old and by his own admission has emotional issues.
As a keynote speaker on Sports Ethics, I know all too well that there are situations athletes face that are at once confusing and frightening where a more mature intercession might have helped.
The psychologist and the athlete
At the heart of the matter, a trained psychologist claimed the young man had exposed himself to her on multiple occasions during counseling sessions. Each time, she claimed, the exposure got worse. In turn, Primo is adamant he never intended to expose himself; it was inadvertent as he was wearing basketball shorts and on multiple times (actually, 9 times) there were “wardrobe malfunctions.”
Who do I believe? Both, and neither. Sports Ethics is not a matter for legal adjudication, but it is a matter of ethical versus unethical, right versus wrong.
The doctor, Dr. Hillary Cauthen, is the performance therapist who was attempting to help Primo. Like it or not, she is highly trained, has ethical obligations and claims sexual harassment. She was hired by the Spurs to be their performance coach (she claimed it was her dream job).
She made multiple complaints against the athlete to team ownership. She said she felt uncomfortable being alone with him. Allegedly, over the course of counseling, he became increasingly inappropriate and despite Cauthen’s complaints, she claimed the team ignored her.
Allegedly, Primo also said he was shocked by her accusations and the consensus among Promo’s friends was that the 40-year-old psychologist was taking advantage of his vulnerability. The Spurs decided to part ways with the athlete and of course, lawyers got involved.
According to an article that appeared in the NY Post (November 17, 2022):
“Primo’s attorney, William J. Briggs II (as part of a statement) Nov. 3, that the NBA player ‘never intentionally exposed himself [to Cauthen] or anyone else’ — and described the allegations as ‘either a complete fabrication, a gross embellishment or utter fantasy.'”
Indeed, the entire statement ripped the psychologist apart but that is what defense attorneys must do.
Said Primo after the accusations came to light:
“I know that you all are surprised by today’s announcement. I’ve been seeking help to deal with previous trauma I suffered and will now take this time to focus on my mental health treatment more fully…I hope to be able to discuss these issues in the future so I can help others who have suffered in a similar way. I appreciate privacy at this time.”
Parting Ways
Head coach Gregg Popovich, no stranger to social justice causes stated:
“It is our hope that, in the long run, this decision will serve the best interest of both the organization and Joshua.”
The young man appeared in more than 50-games last season and only in four games this year. He is off the team and at this time, no other team has expressed an interest. Probably, for good reason.
As for Cauthen, she did file a lawsuit and it has been settled. Many observers were angry at her for using the same lawyer that was recently used by the women who accused Deshaun Watson of sexual misconduct. That should be the least of all things to make the fans unhappy.
There are numerous social and ethical overtones to this case. But one thing is clear: Joshua Primo needed a mentor; he needed ethical counseling.
Why he persisted on wearing basketball shorts that allowed exposure is not known. We would be fools to believe that the case is as cut-and-dry as Primo expressed it to be.
There are, as we initially observed, many stressors on a 19-year-old thrust into a world of big money, adoration and relative power. It is especially rough on a teenager who had a prior history of emotional problems. Did he badly abuse boundaries in private counseling sessions? It is impossible to say, but I do know he needed a lot more emotional nurturing than he received.
It is difficult to blame Dr. Cauthen for trying to maintain professionalism; it is impossible to understand the emotional demons that plague Joshua Primo. However, the key to understanding what happened here might be the NBA’s inability to safeguard reputations. The young man needs help, the psychologist needed support. Neither won, but money and indifference continued to rule.
