Max Whittaker/Reuters
The woman who accused Kevin Johnson of molesting her when she was 15 has come forward. Mandi Koba, now 36, says she was paid $230,000 to never speak of the 1996 case again as the NBA player moved on and became mayor of Sacramento. “I’ve chosen to say what I want, fully aware of the consequences,” she told Deadspin. “I just felt like I wasn’t doing anything but protecting him.” Koba alleges that the two met while filming a PSA commercial about gun violence, but the mentor-mentee relationship evolved into one in which Johnson fondled her breasts and vagina. Koba’s therapist tipped off authorities, who tried to build a strong case and filed a report with prosecutors in Maricopa County, Arizona. A staffer in the district attorney’s office informed Koba that they would not prosecute due to a lack of evidence and “because of who he is,” according to Koba. Johnson has since been accused of several other incidents with underage girls.