Cavaliers guard Iman Shumpert could face a suspension after his arrest near Atlanta on a charge of driving under the influence of marijuana.
Shumpert was arrested about 11:30 p.m. Aug. 10 and charged with DUI, possession of marijuana (less than an ounce) and failure to maintain lane after a Fayette County sheriff’s deputy noticed the taillights on his rental car weren’t working and observed him swerving. The Cavs announced Shumpert’s arrest Friday. No court date has been set.
Ty Lawson was suspended two games for his first DUI arrest last season and Greg Monroe was suspended two games for driving while visibly impaired — a charge in Michigan similar to DUI. If convicted, Shumpert would be placed in the league’s marijuana program. If this is Shumpert’s first marijuana violation, he would not face additional sanctions. Players aren’t suspended for marijuana use until a third offense, either by court conviction or a failed drug test administered by the league. A second violation results in a $25,000 fine and a third offense is a five-game suspension.
Shumpert was alone in the vehicle and driving to the airport to pick up his father, according to the arrest report. He had bloodshot eyes and the car smelled of marijuana. Shumpert was given a series of field sobriety tests and acknowledged to the arresting officer he had been smoking marijuana just before driving. It was also found in the trunk of his rental car, authorities said. He told the officer he was “nervous” and declined a blood test after initially agreeing because he didn’t want to go to the hospital for fear of being recognized and creating a scene. Under Georgia law, refusing to submit to a blood test incurs a one-year suspension of a driver’s license.
Shumpert appeared in 54 games last season for the Cavs, averaging a career-low 5.8 points and shooting a career-worst 37 percent. He is entering the second year of a four-year, $40 million contract and typically spends his summers in the Atlanta area. He played collegiately at Georgia Tech.
Shumpert and the rest of the Cavs will receive their NBA championship rings before the season opener Oct. 25 against the New York Knicks.
Jason Lloyd can be reached at jlloyd@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Cavs blog at www.ohio.com/cavs. Follow him on Twitter www.twitter.com/JasonLloydABJ.