Jordan Hill’s Indiana Pacers tenure is already off to an inauspicious start.
The big man was arrested for reckless driving in Atlanta on Friday, according to a report in the Indy Star. Hill was allegedly clock at 107 mph in a 65 mph zone.
The report also claimed that the former Laker gave the arresting officer a fairly blunt justification for his offense.
According to the police report, Hill was taken into custody Tuesday afternoon. A police officer from Alpharetta, Georgia, wrote that Hill explained he was “in a hurry.”
Mike Petchenik of WSB-TV shared police dashcam footage of the incident.
#NBA star Jordan Hill arrested for driving 107 mph on #GA400. On #wsbtv at 4:15, hear from a man who called 911. pic.twitter.com/fheXVNQSxO
— MikePetchenikWSB (@MPetchenikWSB) July 31, 2015
Pacers president Larry Bird released a statement shortly after the news broke.
Statement from #Pacers President Larry Bird regarding Jordan Hill: pic.twitter.com/JotiteXDQV
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) July 31, 2015
It’s probably safe to assume that the 28-year-old will face a short suspension to begin the 2015-16 season, perhaps in the spirit of 2010 Tyreke Evans.
Hill averaged career highs across the board last season in Los Angeles, posting 12.0 points per game, 7.9 rebounds per game, and 1.5 assists per game. He signed a one-year, $5 million deal with the Pacers this offseason. With the departures of Roy Hibbert and David West, the hope was that Hill would combine with rookie Myles Turner to plug the gaping hole in their frontcourt with energy, interior toughness, and youth. But if the Arizona product engages in antics like this off the court, Bird may just pull the plug on him after his contract expires without so much as a second thought.
See what happens when Hill no longer has Kobe Bryant around to keep him in line?
