Category Archives: 1970’s
King, Bernard
Charge: Driving under the influence, driving without a license, possession of cocaine
Arrest Date: December 18, 1978
Franchise: New Jersey Nets
Age 22
Details: Yet another arrest for King came when police found the Nets star passed out and slumped over the steering wheel of his Corvette while in possession of a small amount of cocaine. This was the third arrest for King since being drafted by the Nets just 18 months earlier, and his fifth arrest since joining the University of Tennessee basketball program. He was ultimately traded to the Jazz by the frustrated Nets, where he eventually faced his most serious charges of sexual assault after a New Years incident in 1980.
Sojourner, Mike
Charge: Car theft
Arrest Date: October 18, 1977
Franchise: Atlanta Hawks
Age 24
Details: While riding in a taxi, Sojourner began to act erratically, scaring the cab driver to the point that he pulled over and fled the vehicle. Sojourner then drove off in the taxi and was later arrested. He was eventually hospitalized by choice for ‘psychiatric problems.’
King, Bernard
Charge: Marijuana possession, prowling, and resisting arrest
Arrest Date: July 15, 1977
Franchise: New Jersey Nets
Age 20
Details: This was King’s second arrest that week, both since being drafted by the Nets only a month earlier. This time he was arrested after a man told police King had attempted to break into his apartment. He was subsequently found to possess marijuana and resisted arrest. King had previously been arrested twice while in college with the University of Tennessee, and would subsequently be arrested two more times during his playing career.
King, Bernard
Charge: Breaking and entering
Arrest Date: July 10, 1977
Franchise: New Jersey Nets
Age 20
Details: Exactly a month after being drafted by the Nets, King celebrated broke into a University of Tennessee athletics building, a stealing a television. This was the first of four arrests during his professional career, though he had also been arrested twice previously while in college for smoking marijuana, drunk driving, and driving without a license. He would also be arrested a mere 5 days after this for marijuana possession, prowling and resisting arrest.
Green, Mike
Charge: Cocaine possession, marijuana possession
Arrest Date: December 9, 1976
Franchise: Seattle Supersonics
Age 25
Barnes, Marvin
Charge: Possession of an unregistered firearm
Arrest Date: October 9 1976
Franchise: Detroit Pistons
Age 24
Bryant, Joe
Charge: Cocaine possession, resisting arrest, and driving without a license
Arrest Date: May 5, 1976
Franchise: Philadelphia 76ers
Age 21
Details: Two years before the birth of his famous son Kobe, Joe Bryant was a 21 year-old rookie playing for the Philadelphia 76ers. After police attempted to pull him over for having a busted taillight one evening, he fled, crashing into three parked cars. Police searched his sports car and found several bags of cocaine, placing him under arrest.
Garrett, Dick
Charge: Loitering for the purpose of obtaining drugs
Arrest Date: December 10, 1972
Franchise: Los Angeles Clippers
Age 25
Details: Garrett, along with teammate Harold Fox of the then Buffalo Braves were arrested after being seen loitering with four other men, two of whom possessed marijuana.
Fox, Harold
Charge: Maintaining a criminal nuisance
Arrest Date: December 10, 1972
Franchise: Los Angeles Clippers
Age 23
Details: Fox, along with teammate Dick Garrett of the then Buffalo Braves were arrested after being seen loitering with four other men, two of whom possessed marijuana.
Allen, Lucius
Charge: Marijuana Possession
Arrest Date: October 6, 1972
Franchise: Milwaukee Bucks
Age 25
Details: While Allen and fellow Milwaukee Buck and NBA superstar Kareem Abdul-Jabbar smoked a joint while driving, cops pulled them over and arrested both for marijuana possession.
NBA Crime Library 