A Brooklyn gangbanger who was arrested in a shocking basketball-court murder when he was just 15 years old but beat the rap was sentenced to life in prison Thursday for another slaying.

Yasser Ashburn, now 33, made headlines in 1999 when he was accused of stabbing another teen to death in Crown Heights during a fight at a basketball game. After an initial hung jury, Ashburn was acquitted in a second proceeding.

Ashburn, whom Brooklyn federal prosecutors labeled a big shot in the Folk Nation gang, was convicted of murder and other charges last year.

He maintained his innocence and lobbied for a 25-year term before getting hit with the mandatory life sentence.