Zach Randolph made headlines recently when he arrested at a Los Angeles area housing project on charges of possession of marijuana with intent to sell. It came as something of a shock to fans of the former Grizzlies forward who had rehabilitated his reputation during his eight-year stint in Memphis after several run-ins with the law earlier in his career.
Randolph was released on bail the next day will battle those charges, and the Kings will wait for the legal process to continue before making any comments on their new signing. On Wednesday, former Blazers teammate Rasheed Wallace came to his defense in an interview with TMZ Sports.
“It seems to be, no matter who you are, the bigger the paycheck, the bigger the party,” Wallace said. “I know for a fact he ain’t no dope dealer.”
Wallace himself once plead guilty to marijuana charges when he played in Portland during the notorious Jail Blazer era after he and Damon Stoudamire were pulled over by a state trooper.
Randolph signed with the Sacramento Kings this summer in free agency, and though the organization has acknowledged the incident via Twitter, they have yet to comment further. It’s also unclear what actions the league might take, pending the outcome of the case.
California’s marijuana laws allow individuals to possess up to one ounce for personal consumption and up to six plants. It also reduces most charges for going over those limits from felonies to misdemeanors. It’s unclear exactly how much Randolph had in his possession at the time, but his bail was set at $20,000.
(Via TMZ Sports)
