Report: New Orleans Pelicans guard Devonte’ Graham arrested on DWI charge

Professional athletes seem to get into trouble more often during the offseason when they have more free time on their hands.

That certainly seems to be the case for NBA players this summer. Not long ago, Charlotte Hornets player Miles Bridges was accused of heinous crimes related to domestic abuse.

Now, it is New Orleans Pelicans guard Devonte’ Graham who has had an unfortunate run-in with the law.

According to TMZ Sports, Graham was pulled over early in the morning on Thursday after driving 23 mph over the speed limit. He then was hit with a DWI charge after blowing a blood alcohol content over the legal limit.

“The NC State Highway Patrol tells TMZ Sports…Graham was pulled over at around 2:49 AM on Thursday in Raleigh after he had allegedly been doing 63 MPH in a 40 MPH zone,” the celebrity news site reported.

 

“During the stop, cops say Graham showed signs of intoxication…and was arrested and taken to the station.

 

“Police say once there, the NBA player took a breath test, which revealed he had a .11 BAC.

 

“Cops say in addition to the DWI charge, he was also booked for a speeding charge. He’s due in court for a hearing on the matter on July 22.

In the state of North Carolina, the legal blood alcohol content for drivers is .08, so Graham was just over the limit when he took his breath test. With that in mind, it is likely he would have registered a higher BAC had he blown immediately after he was pulled over by the police.

Though the arrest reflects poorly on Graham, it is likely that he was simply enjoying a night out on the town. There is no evidence that this is a habitual issue for Graham. Still, he will have to appear in court and could face serious punishment for the crime.

Last season, Graham served as the Pelicans’ starting point guard for the majority of the regular season. He started 63 of the 76 games he played in during the regular season. He averaged 11.9 points, 4.2 assists and 2.3 rebounds per game.

Surely, Graham will be heavily motivated to put this incident behind him before the 2022-23 regular season begins. If he can do that and prove that this was a one-time mistake, he should be able to continue his NBA career without much of a hitch.