Kings forward Zach Randolph was reportedly arrested in Los Angeles on Wednesday night for possession of marijuana with intent to sell, which is a felony. Randolph was one of three people detained during a gathering in the street near the Nickerson Garden Housing Project, where people were drinking alcohol, smoking weed and listening to loud music, according to TMZ. After the arrests, the crowd reportedly got rowdy, vandalizing six cop cars and forcing LAPD to call for backup.
According to the police report, Randolph was arrested at 11 p.m. PT and booked at 4:23 a.m. Thursday morning. Bail was set at $20,000.
Why would an NBA player like Zach Randolph, who’s made over $170 million in his 16-year career and just signed a $24 million contract in Sacramento, be selling the weed? The suspicion that Randolph had intent to sell comes from Randolph possessing a “large amount of weed,” according to TMZ. So it’s always possible that he simply had an exorbitant amount of weed all for himself.
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, like yours truly, finds it hard to believe that Randolph actually had intent to sell.
But Randolph has gotten in trouble for drug-related offenses before. He was the subject of a 2010 police investigation in 2010, although he was never arrested or charged. In 2011, he reportedly invited a drug dealer to sell marijuana at his Portland home during a party.
Randolph has had other weed-related incidents with the law. In 2003, as Portland was trying to shed the Jail Blazer era, he was charged for driving under the influence following a police stop when officers smelled marijuana in his car.
After struggling to find his way during the first half of his career, Randolph blossomed with the Grizzlies, averaging 16.8 points and 10.2 rebounds during his eight-year stint. The Kings signed him to a two-year deal last month.
[TMZ]