Former National Basketball Association (NBA) player Samaki Walker was found in possession of eight vials of injectable anabolic steroids when police officers pulled him over during a traffic stop in Kingman, Arizona. As Department of Public Safety officers approached his 2002 Mercedes-Benz, Walker was trying to eat marijuana in order to conceal it from authorities.
Walker told DPS officers that he used anabolic steroids in order to enhance his athletic performance as a professional basketball player in Syria. He defended his use of steroids claiming that steroids were legal in the country of Syria.
Samaki Walker played professional basketball for 10 years in the NBA after being drafted by the Dallas Mavericks in 1996. He also played for the Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heath, Indiana Pacers and Washington Wizards before leaving the NBA in 2006.
Walker continued to play basketball overseas having played professionally in Russia, China, Korea and, most recently, Syria. He was a member of the Al-Jalaa Aleppo team that won the Syrian League D-1 Championship in 2008.
Steroid possession is a misdemeanor in the State of Arizona. Walker was arrested and placed in Mohave County Jail on a bond of $2,000. A court hearing is scheduled for August 5, 2011.
Source:
UPI. (August 1, 2011). Ex-NBA player arrested on drug counts. Retrieved from http://www.upi.com
