Getty D'Angelo Russell #1 of the Brooklyn Nets passes the ball against Jimmy Butler #23 of the Philadelphia 76ers in Game Five of Round One of the 2019 NBA Playoffs.
D’Angelo Russell, the All-Star point guard for the Brooklyn Nets, was cited at LaGuardia airport Wednesday night after security discovered marijuana in his checked baggage, a person close to the incident informed USA Today Sports.
Russell arrived from Louisville, as evidenced by an Instagram story post Wednesday night. A.J. Perez of USA Today states that Russell: “Was questioned by police after a routine search flagged what at first glance appeared to be a can of Arizona Iced Tea. Upon further inspection, the can had a hidden compartment where marijuana was discovered.”
Russell received a summons to appear in court for marijuana possession.
The person who provided the information on the details of the incident was granted anonymity because the police report had not been made public.
A spokesperson for the Port Authority – the police agency for LaGuardia and other major airports in the New York metro area – did not yet have information on the incident when contacted Thursday.
This is Russell’s first drug offense, meaning that he will deal with the normal court proceedings and not necessarily face a suspension from the NBA. The league does require a suspension after a third offense according to the collective bargaining agreement.
(Offenders) will be required to enter the Marijuana Program. A second violation involving marijuana will result in a $25,000 fine and the player’s re-entry into the Marijuana Program. A third violation involving marijuana will result in a five-game suspension and the player’s re-entry into the Marijuana Program. A fourth (or any subsequent) violation involving marijuana will result in a suspension that is five games longer than the player’s immediately-preceding suspension.
Russell is 23 years old and has played for the Nets since 2017. He was orginially a 1st-round selection to the Lakers in 2015 after a season at Ohio State. He made his first All-Star game with 21.1 points per game and 7.0 assists per game this season.
Russell will be a restricted free agent this summer, and is expected to be worth nearly $20 million a season in a year where the Nets will have about $54 million in cap space and a desire to bring superstars like Kevin Durant or Kawhi Leonard in the fold.