Watch CBS News

LA Drug Charges Dropped Against NBA Star Zach Randolph

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – Charges were dropped Thursday against Sacramento Kings forward Zach Randolph following his arrest last year during a riot at a housing project in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Watts.

In September 2017, the 37-year-old Randolph plead no contest to misdemeanor charges of marijuana possession and resisting arrest and was sentenced to 150 hours of community service.

Zach Randolph
Zach Randolph of the Sacramento Kings drives on Steven Adams of the Oklahoma City Thunder at Golden 1 Center on Nov. 7, 2017, in Sacramento, Calif. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

At a hearing Thursday, L.A. County Superior Court Judge Kevin Stennis noted that Randolph had completed his community service and ordered that his pleas be withdrawn.

Randolph did not appear in the downtown Los Angeles courtroom for the hearing. He did his community service with two local organizations, including the Brotherhood Crusade, and "went well beyond what was required," his attorney Rickey Ivie, told reporters outside the courtroom.

On the night of Aug. 9, 2017, Randolph was among a group of people at the Nickerson Garden Housing Project near 112th Street and Zamora Avenue. Los Angeles police discovered the group, and as officers arrived on scene, a mob formed and began to destroy police cruisers and throw objects.

Randolph was one of two men arrested that night. He was released the following morning on $20,000 bond.

Five police cars and one sheriff's vehicle ended up with smashed windows and slashed tires, but no officers were injured. There were no reports of any serious injuries during the disturbance.

Randolph, a 17-year NBA veteran, is about to enter the final season of a two-year, $24 million deal with the Sacramento Kings. He previously spent eight seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies.

He has had a lengthy history of run-ins with the law dating back to his time with the Portland Trail Blazers in the early 2000s. In April 2009, while playing for the Clippers, he was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving on the 405 Freeway, according to the Los Angeles Times. The arrest resulted in a two-game suspension.

Randolph played for Michigan State and was drafted in 2001 by the Blazers. Along with the Blazers, Clippers, Grizzlies and Kings, he also played for the New York Knicks.

(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.