The Los Angeles Lakers’ season has taken another bizarre twist.
Lakers center Deandre Ayton was briefly detained on Tuesday while at Nassau’s Lynden Pindling International Airport in his native Bahamas, ESPN reported late Tuesday night. Ayton’s lawyer, Devard Francis, said that the seven-footer was detained on suspicion of having a “very small amount of marijuana.”
Francis added that Ayton was promptly released after a brief investigation when it was determined that the marijuana had actually been in someone else’s bag. You can read ESPN’s full report on the situation here.
The former No. 1 overall pick Ayton, who is in his first season with the Lakers, appears to have been returning from an All-Star break trip to his homeland. He has also suited up for the Bahamas national team before, most recently at the 2024 Olympics Pre-Qualifying Tournament.
ESPN notes that marijuana is no longer classified as a banned substance by the NBA, and players are no longer tested for it. However, the drug remains illegal in the Bahamas.
Ayton, 27, is averaging 13.2 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks per game this season as the Lakers’ starting center. He has had some unusual moments over the course of the year though, and that continued this week with Ayton’s brief detention in his home country of the Bahamas.
