Guest MrRant Report post Posted July 8, 2003 PHOENIX -- Damon Stoudamire, who was arrested on marijuana charges after allegedly trying to pass through an airport metal detector with almost 1½ ounces of the drug wrapped in aluminum foil, was suspended by the Portland Trail Blazers and fined $250,000. Stoudamire was stopped at the Tucson airport Thursday as he prepared to board a flight to New Orleans, police said Monday. He was charged with possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia, both misdemeanors. Police said he was carrying almost 40 grams of marijuana. After Stoudamire set off the metal detector, he placed the drug and rolling papers into a plastic security bin, police said. Security officials then summoned police. Stoudamire told officers that the drug was marijuana and that it was his. Stoudamire was released on his own recognizance and is to appear in court July 25. He could face a sentence of up to $2,500 in fines and unsupervised probation on each charge. People facing similar charges to Stoudamire's usually pay around $200 in fines, said Rick Unklesbay, Pima County's chief criminal deputy county attorney. Calls to Stoudamire's attorney, Steve Houze, were not returned. Trail Blazers president Steve Patterson said Stoudamire would be suspended until there is a "satisfactory response to these matters." Patterson also said the team is working with union representatives to get Stoudamire into a drug rehabilitation program. Patterson said the arrest has again compromised an image the team is trying to rebuild after Stoudamire's and other players' previous drug and legal problems. "Actions like this on Damon's part are contrary to that effort and cannot be tolerated," Patterson said. "We are committed to changing this behavior and changing the image of this franchise." Patterson also said he would void Stoudamire's contract if he could, but hasn't found a provision in the contract that would allow him to do so. Stoudamire has been arrested twice before on drug charges. In November, Stoudamire and teammate Rasheed Wallace were passengers in a vehicle that was stopped for speeding on a highway outside Chehalis, Wash., after a game with Seattle. A search of the vehicle turned up a small amount of marijuana, police said. Stoudamire agreed to attend drug and alcohol counseling and stay out of legal trouble for the next year to have misdemeanor charges against him dropped. If convicted of the latest charges, Stoudamire would face a mandatory sentence of one day in jail because of that previous agreement. Andrew Toynbee, chief criminal deputy with the Lewis County, Wash., district attorney's office, said prosecutors might seek a longer sentence. Earlier in 2002, Stoudamire was charged with a felony after police found a large bag of marijuana in his home while responding to a burglar alarm. A judge declared the search illegal. Stoudamire was drafted from University of Arizona in 1995 by the Toronto Raptors, where he was Rookie of the Year in 1996. He was traded to the Trail Blazers in 1998. Stoudamire is attending summer school at Arizona and working toward a degree in media arts, with a minor in sports broadcasting. He left the school two terms short of graduating in 1995. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest bps "The Truth" 21 Report post Posted July 8, 2003 Throw him in jail. Too many stupid people running around....and this appears to be their leader. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest razazteca Report post Posted July 8, 2003 I was almost worried that it was the Rookie of the Year Amare but it was only the Blazers up to no good as usual. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest MD2020 Report post Posted July 8, 2003 Can you blame him? Got to keep that stuff fresh... Anyhow, I wish I could become an employee of an NBA star. He'd pay me 250,000 a year, and I would just be his "common sense man". When he would start to do something stupid, I just step in before the madness starts. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Redhawk Report post Posted July 9, 2003 Anyhow, I wish I could become an employee of an NBA star. He'd pay me 250,000 a year, and I would just be his "common sense man". When he would start to do something stupid, I just step in before the madness starts. Yeah, just imagine the possibilities... "No Damon, you're married. Let ME take care of that groupie for you." Than you could tell her that you're Travis Outlaw or Qyntel Woods or somebody. "You can't take weed to the airport, Damon. Here, let me have it. I'll find something to do with it." "You're spending way too much on clothes, Damon. Give me your credit card so you won't do anymore damage." Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest El Satanico Report post Posted July 9, 2003 Damn you tin foil...daaaaaamn yooooou Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest starvenger Report post Posted July 9, 2003 Anyhow, I wish I could become an employee of an NBA star. He'd pay me 250,000 a year, and I would just be his "common sense man". When he would start to do something stupid, I just step in before the madness starts. It sounds like a good idea, but I'd say that the odds are 50-50 that you'll get shot trying to stop him from doing something stupid... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Kingpk Report post Posted July 9, 2003 Anyhow, I wish I could become an employee of an NBA star. He'd pay me 250,000 a year, and I would just be his "common sense man". When he would start to do something stupid, I just step in before the madness starts. With my luck, I'd get Shawn Kemp and have to help him keep track of all his kids and their mothers. I'd probably just make some flash cards for him. "See Shawn, Tyrone's mother is LAUREN, not Keesha. Keesha has a girl named LENA, see L-E-N-A. No, you can't get the Double Whopper meal, coach doesn't want you balooning up again. Don't try anything, he gave me his tazer." Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Human Fly Report post Posted July 9, 2003 Has Stoudamire ever been in violation of the league's substance abuse policy. If not, it shows what a joke it really is. You hear about him getting in trouble all the time with the law, but you never hear anything from the league about it. This is the 2nd time in less then a year that he has gotten in trouble that I know about. I too was relieved that it wasn't Amare. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest alkeiper Report post Posted July 9, 2003 Seeing Phoenix in the byline sure didn't help. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest DerangedHermit Report post Posted July 9, 2003 Serves the stupid Jail Blazer right. Tinfoil? He might as well walk outside naked in front of a police station with a gun in his right hand, a bomb in his left, and a steak stapled onto his crotch while they send the police dogs on him. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Crazy Dan Report post Posted July 9, 2003 Tom Tolbert today had very funny suggestion for Damon. He said that he should have just loaded all his weed into a gun, and then try to walk through the metal detector. Seriously though, this has to be one of the dumbest things to do. I mean, trying to sneak weed in tinfoil, are you kidding me? Did he honestly think that this would not set off the metal detector. Man, he has enough money, if he really needs to light up, I am sure he would have been able to find a hook up pronto in the city he was arriving in. And I have no problem with him lighting up, but when he does something this stupid, he deserves to be thrown in jail on the grounds of being a bad pothead. Just another case of another upsatnding citizen on the JailBlazers. Man, Mo Cheeks must love this and wonder why he happen to take this job. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest El Satanico Report post Posted July 9, 2003 You know...when you get some primo "the shit that killed Elvis" weed you just hate to leave it and let it go to waste. Find plastic containers Damon...plastic is your friend...metal is baaad. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest MaxPower27 Report post Posted July 9, 2003 Since he has prior drug problems, and has been in rehab, he's going to get the book thrown at him. I saw/heard somewhere that he's facing ONE WHOLE DAY IN JAIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Nanks Report post Posted July 9, 2003 Oh man, this guy is going to ruin that intelligent, clean-cut image professional athletes everywhere so cherish. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Hogan Made Wrestling Report post Posted July 9, 2003 Is there some rule that says when you join the Jailblazers, you not only have to become a criminal, but a stupid one at that? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
