Ex-NBA All-Star Steve Francis charged with DWI, threatening officer
Former NBA All-Star Steve Francis was arrested Saturday evening outside Houston on suspicion of driving while intoxicated, according to Houston CBS affiliate KHOU:
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Francis was stopped by a Precinct 5 deputy around 11:20 p.m. for speeding. He was reportedly traveling 88 mph in a 65 mph zone.
The deputy smelled alcohol and reported that Francis was belligerent. Three additional deputies were called to the scene and tried to get Francis to park his vehicle in a parking lot but he was uncooperative.
There was no physical confrontation but deputies said Francis did refuse a field sobriety test. He was arrested and was taken downtown without incident.
Francis faces a misdemeanor charge of driving while intoxicated, as well as a felony “retaliation” charge “after prosecutors say he threatened to assault a Houston-area deputy during a traffic stop,” according to The Associated Press. TMZ reported Monday that “Francis made comments essentially warning the officers that he would get revenge for the arrest.”
Francis was released on $5,500 bond, and is scheduled to be arraigned on Wednesday. He was also arrested for driving while intoxicated back in 2001, while a member of the Rockets.
The No. 2 pick in the 1999 NBA draft, Francis played nine years in the NBA, averaging more than 20 points per game three times and making three straight All-Star appearances from 2001 through 2004. A once-promising career cratered quickly, though, with his trade from Houston to the Orlando Magic in a 2004 megadeal that made Tracy McGrady a Rocket kicking off four straight seasons of decline that ended with Francis out of the league in 2008 at age 30.
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Francis last played pro ball in China in 2010, making just four appearances for the Beijing Ducks before being cut. In recent years, he has become considerably more likely to make headlines for things going awry or getting weird in nightclubs, or for concerns over his appearance, than for anything else.
During an interview in which he said he only gave up the idea of an NBA comeback this past year, Francis copped to post-career partying to SLAM’s Abe Schwadron, but downplayed its impact on a life that now includes being the father of two children:
Did the partying ever take you to a dark place? Was the partying ever out of control?
Dark as far as just getting tired of drinking? Hell yeah. It wasn’t like I was trying to kill myself. But was I getting f—– up? Who didn’t? Who don’t? When you get drunk, you get drunk. It’s the same drunk for anybody. Anybody that drinks, who gets drunk, you know what getting drunk is. It’s no different. I’m human. If it was out of control, I wouldn’t be right here.
So you’re done with the partying?
I ain’t saying done. Man, look, I’m not no Johnny Manziel, that’s who the f— y’all need to talk to. Ain’t none of that. So talk to Johnny Manziel about that. I ain’t no n—- getting in no fights or beating anyone up. But don’t get it twisted. If I want to get 10 boats, I’ma get 10 boats. I’m going to be Steve. I don’t care what nobody say. I told the NBA that, I’ll tell the public that way. Whatever I feel like doing, I’ma do. Do you, do your life.
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Dan Devine is an editor for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at devine@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!
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