Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is in an interesting predicament.
The Los Angeles Lakers guard is currently in the process of serving a 25-day jail sentence yet he is being allowed to continue practising with his team and is able to play in some games, the Los Angeles Times reported Thursday.
In March, the 24-year-old was arrested in Auburn Hills, Mich., on suspicion of driving under the influence and was given a 12-month probation. However, Caldwell-Pope violated that probation in the summer by not complying with a court-ordered drug and alcohol screening. He pled guilty to the probation violation on Dec. 13, which resulted in the jail sentence and strict travel restrictions that force him to stay in the state of California.
Caldwell-Pope released this statement following the court’s ruling:
“I am grateful for the Court’s consideration and for the support of the Los Angeles Lakers and all involved in allowing me to continue with my NBA season while I complete the strict requirements set by the Court. I understand the seriousness of this matter and I apologize for my past actions that have created this situation. Now I am committed to becoming a better person and professional from now on.”
The University of Georgia product signed with the Lakers as a free agent in July after spending the first four years of his NBA career with the Detroit Pistons.
“It has been very disappointing to me as well, as far as my teammates, I feel like I let them down as well, my coaches, the organization,” Caldwell-Pope told reporters this past Saturday following his team’s practice.
The Lakers released the following statement over the weekend:
“This is a legal matter, stemming from an incident that occurred last season while Kentavious was a member of another NBA team. The Los Angeles Lakers are abiding by the terms of a program for Kentavious that were established for him by a court in the state of Michigan. As such, we will have no further comment at this time.”
Caldwell-Pope is averaging 14.2 points five rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.8 steals and 34.8 minutes per game in 25 games with the Lakers this season. He is expected to be in the lineup when his team visits the Golden State Warriors Friday.
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