He was really physical and mean ... but we couldn't keep him on the court". Pacers general manager Mike Storen asked Ollie Darden to serve as Harding's unofficial bodyguard; Darden fed Harding, lent him clothing and took him to games when he could be found. Harding was fined by the Pacers on multiple occasions for misconduct and was ultimately suspended throughout the playoffs after he stopped attending practice. Pacers player Jerry Harkness believed that the team had a "good chance" to be ABA champions if Harding was not suspended. Harding was waived by the Pacers at the end of the season. Personal issues and death Harding's basketball career was cut short by a number of personal problems. Harding was arrested 11 times, often struggled with drug addictions, and was rumored to carry a pistol in his gym bag. As a high school student, Harding allegedly raped Florence Ballard, a member of The Supremes, at knifepoint outside a Detroit ballroom in 1960. Harding developed a heroin addiction during his NBA suspension in 1966 that he overcame in 1969. DeBusschere remarked that Harding was often isolated from his teammates as they felt "extremely uneasy" around him. During a television interview, Harding threatened to shoot the Indiana Pacers' general manager, Mike Storen. Harding also reportedly threatened to shoot teammate Jimmy Rayl while the two were rooming together. In June 1968, Harding was a police prisoner at Detroit General Hospital for an investigation of armed robbery; he returned to the hospital the following week with gunshot wounds to both legs in a separate incident. In 1969, Harding was sentenced to 2 and a half years in prison for a concealed weapons charge and served his sentence in Southern Michigan Prison. After his release in June 1971, he attempted to make an NBA comeback but never signed with a team. Two weeks before Harding's death, his birth mother, Lillie Mae Thomas, was shot to death in an argument with her husband. At her funeral, Harding stood over her coffin for 15 minutes and instructed the funeral director on how he would want his own funeral. On September 1, 1972, Harding was shot twice in the head by Carl Scott, who had been involved in an argument with Harding 20 minutes earlier. Harding was taken to Detroit General Hospital where he died at 1:30pm EST the following day. He was survived by his wife and two