James Harden was detained by French police in Paris on Thursday, but was ultimately not arrested. The incident occurred when a car was pulled over by police officers due to the smell of cannabis, according to the French newspaper Le Parisien. Rapper Lil Baby, whose real name is Dominique Jones, was reportedly among those in the car.
Harden, who is in Paris for Fashion Week, was apparently nearby talking to friends and walked over to intervene. Harden was ultimately free to leave after being briefly detained, but Lil Baby is reportedly in police custody on suspicion of transport of illicit drugs. Video of the incident surfaced online with Harden saying “I don’t understand.
Harden was originally supposed to be in Las Vegas this week training for the upcoming Olympics as a member of Team USA. However, he dropped out after suffering a Grade 2 hamstring strain in the second round of the postseason as his Brooklyn Nets lost to the Milwaukee Bucks. Harden played through the injury in the last three games of the series but struggled statistically without his typical burst. The Nets ultimately lost the series to the Bucks in seven games with Harden hobbled and Kyrie Irving out due to a sprained ankle.
Marijuana is illegal in France, and reports indicate that 20 grams were found in the vehicle. The prosecutor said that one additional person aside from Lil Baby was detained, but would not release that person’s identity, according to ESPN. An investigation is reportedly underway.
Courtesy: CBS Sports
