Zach Randolph: Pot arrest was ’embarrassing’, threw off my conditioning

Zach Randolph opened up recently about just how embarrassing his offseason marijuana arrest was, and how much it affected his preparation for the season.

The Sacramento Bee’s Ailene Voisin wrote a feature on Randolph, who is in his first season with the Kings. Though his team is 2-8, Randolph is doing well and leads the Kings with 12.8 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. That’s all the more impressive when you consider his offseason felony marijuana arrest impacted his conditioning.

“It’s embarrassing,” Randolph told Voisin regarding his arrest. “But I tell the young guys, ‘Things happen in life. You grow from adversity.’ For me, just taking care of everything, dealing with all that stuff, really threw me off. I’ve got the type of body that’s top heavy, like Cuz (DeMarcus Cousins). But even though you’re built differently than slim guys like Skal or Willie (Cauley-Stein), that’s no excuse. You’ve got to be in shape.”

Randolph says he came into the season out of shape and is making an effort to lose weight. Voisin says he even hired a personal chef for that reason.

Even at 36, Randolph is still getting it done. He got his marijuana charge reduced to a misdemeanor, and it can be dismissed if he completes a program and community service.