DENVER Oct 21, 2004 — Carmelo Anthony was cited for marijuana possession before getting on a team flight last week, but the Denver Nuggets' star says the drug was left in his backpack by a friend.
Anthony was issued a summons last Friday at Denver International Airport; he flew with his teammates to Milwaukee for the next day's preseason game but didn't play.
Anthony's attorney, Daniel Recht, said the marijuana was left in the bag by an out-of-town friend who borrowed the backpack last week.
"The friend obviously uses marijuana and left a small amount in the backpack when he returned it to Carmelo," Recht said Thursday. "Carmelo had no idea there was any marijuana in the backpack."
Anthony was charged with possessing less than 1 ounce of marijuana, a petty offense with a maximum $100 fine and no jail time. He was in Los Angeles for a preseason game Thursday against the Clippers and not immediately available for comment.
Recht said he met with a city attorney and requested the citation be dismissed. He also said the friend acknowledged the marijuana was his and would come forward to accept responsibility.
Recht also said he received a letter from Nuggets general manager Kiki Vandeweghe verifying Anthony passed four random drug tests last season and another two weeks ago. The letter also said tests from U.S. Olympic Committee at the Athens Games this summer came back negative.
The charismatic Anthony led Syracuse to an NCAA title as a freshman in 2003, then was the third overall pick in the NBA draft. He helped the Nuggets to one of the biggest turnarounds in NBA history, from the league's worst record at 17-65 to reaching the playoffs for the first time since 1995.
There also have been some growing pains.
Anthony refused to go back into a game last season after his teammates complained about his shot selection and he was relegated to the bench at the Olympics after U.S. coach Larry Brown called him a selfish player.
Anthony also was involved in a scuffle at a New York bar in September.
http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory?id=185480
Anthony was issued a summons last Friday at Denver International Airport; he flew with his teammates to Milwaukee for the next day's preseason game but didn't play.
Anthony's attorney, Daniel Recht, said the marijuana was left in the bag by an out-of-town friend who borrowed the backpack last week.
"The friend obviously uses marijuana and left a small amount in the backpack when he returned it to Carmelo," Recht said Thursday. "Carmelo had no idea there was any marijuana in the backpack."
Anthony was charged with possessing less than 1 ounce of marijuana, a petty offense with a maximum $100 fine and no jail time. He was in Los Angeles for a preseason game Thursday against the Clippers and not immediately available for comment.
Recht said he met with a city attorney and requested the citation be dismissed. He also said the friend acknowledged the marijuana was his and would come forward to accept responsibility.
Recht also said he received a letter from Nuggets general manager Kiki Vandeweghe verifying Anthony passed four random drug tests last season and another two weeks ago. The letter also said tests from U.S. Olympic Committee at the Athens Games this summer came back negative.
The charismatic Anthony led Syracuse to an NCAA title as a freshman in 2003, then was the third overall pick in the NBA draft. He helped the Nuggets to one of the biggest turnarounds in NBA history, from the league's worst record at 17-65 to reaching the playoffs for the first time since 1995.
There also have been some growing pains.
Anthony refused to go back into a game last season after his teammates complained about his shot selection and he was relegated to the bench at the Olympics after U.S. coach Larry Brown called him a selfish player.
Anthony also was involved in a scuffle at a New York bar in September.
http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory?id=185480
