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Thursday, March 8, 2001
Rider, Odom to sit five games each
ESPN.com news services
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NEW YORK – Lamar Odom of the Los Angeles Clippers and
Isaiah Rider of the Los Angeles Lakers were suspended for five
games each by the NBA on Wednesday for violating the league's
anti-drug program.
No further details were given. The NBA is not allowed to
disclose information about the testing or treatment of any player
in the program.
Odom, a 6-foot-10 forward, is averaging a team-high 17.1 points
and 7.7 rebounds a game in his second season with the Clippers. He
finished third in rookie-of-the-year balloting last season.
"The NBA's drug policy is completely supervised by the league.
Lamar's top priority right now has got to be to fulfill whatever is
required of him under this program, and then go from there,"
Clippers vice president of basketball operations Elgin Baylor said
in a statement.
"Our organization will be fully supportive of the positive
choices he makes in going forward. He will have resources to help
him and there will be many people willing to talk to him and guide
him through this. He can – if he chooses – use this as a learning
experience, and come out better as a result. We will be there for
him, but it is ultimately up to him."
For Rider, it is the latest trouble in a turbulent career. He
has racked up hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines and
suspensions during his eight-year career with the Minnesota
Timberwolves, Portland Trail Blazers, Atlanta Hawks and Lakers.
"It doesn't endear Isaiah to us, obviously," Lakers coach Phil
Jackson said Wednesday night. "I'm sure Isaiah has a reason. I'll
have to listen to that tomorrow before I pass any judgment."
Because of the NBA's privacy surrounding drug suspensions,
Rider's teammates were unaware of the details of his suspension.
"They're curious," Jackson said. "I don't think any of them
are surprised."
Rider was suspended for a total of 12 games during his three
years in Portland, including three by the NBA in 1997 for spitting
at a fan in Detroit.
In May 1997, he was convicted of marijuana possession and later
pleaded no contest to possessing unregistered cellular phones.
"This is not something he's incurred while he's been with the
Lakers," Jackson said. "It's been something that he carried with
him from the past."
A talented scorer, Rider has averaged just over 18 points a game
during his career. But he is getting just 8.1 points in 18.7
minutes this season with Los Angeles.
Shaquille O'Neal
said he didn't know why Rider was in trouble,
adding, "I can't worry about that right now."
A stiffer anti-drug program was instituted as part of the new collective bargaining agreement signed by owners and players before the 1998-99 season. A series of drug-related incidents involving players led to the new program.
Guard Jason Williams of the Sacramento Kings was suspended for the first five games of the 2000-01 season for not complying with his treatment obligations under the league's anti-drug program.
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