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Third strike Heat reserve guard faces another drug possession charge
Posted: Friday May 05, 2000 08:47 PM
MIAMI (AP) -- Rookie guard Rodney Buford's third marijuana-related offense in the past year left his status with the Miami Heat in doubt going into their playoff series against New York. News of Buford's arrest last weekend on a misdemeanor charge of marijuana possession surfaced Friday. The NBA's collective bargaining agreement mandates that any drug-related issue be handled by the league, and Buford is at no risk of being suspended as long as his case is pending. But Buford wasn't at practice Friday, and coach Pat Riley declined to say whether the rookie from Creighton will be with the team during the Knicks series, which begins Sunday. "I just told Rodney to stay home," Riley said. "I want to think about it. ... We really are handcuffed somewhat by the policies of the collective bargaining agreement as to what we can do." Riley found out about the arrest Sunday, but Buford continued to practice until his arrest became public Friday. When asked why, Riley said Buford had not divulged all of the information about the case when they met to discuss it. Buford, 22, was pulled over in his vehicle in Miami Beach at 2:08 a.m. Sunday for illegally tinted windows, a police report said. Officers detected a marijuana odor, and a search revealed a bag and pill bottle containing marijuana. Buford declined to comment. The arrest came six months after Buford was forced to return from the Heat's trip to Toronto by customs agents who discovered a small amount of marijuana on his body. At the time he was participating in a drug awareness program after pleading no contest Sept. 1 to driving under the influence of marijuana in Nebraska. Buford missed two games with pay following the incident in Canada but wasn't fined by the Heat or the league. He issued a public apology, saying: "This will never, ever happen again." The latest arrest will count as an offense on Buford's NBA record only if he is convicted or enters a guilty plea. Buford, a second-round draft pick from Creighton, played in 34 regular-season games, averaging 4.3 points. He played in one of three games in the first-round playoff series against Detroit.
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