Tom Chambers, a four-time NBA All-Star who averaged 20 points a game for five Sonics seasons from 1982-88, was arrested Saturday in Scottsdale, AZ., on suspicion of driving under the influence, police officials told the Arizona Republic.
Now a TV commentator for the Phoenix Suns, where he played for five seasons after leaving Seattle, Chambers, 54, admitted to having a few beers at the Pac-12 Conference championship game at Arizona State University.
Two open beer bottles were found in Chambers’ pickup truck. Officers said he smelled of alcohol and behaved “somewhat belligerently,” according to a Scottsdale police report released Wednesday.
Chambers issued a statement Wednesday apologizing for the incident.
“I take my role as a representative with the Suns very seriously and have always held myself to a high standard,” Chambers’ statement said. “I want to apologize to the Phoenix Suns and its fans for the negative attention this incident has brought upon the organization.”
Chambers’ white GMC pickup first caught an officer’s attention by weaving in and out of the far right lane on Scottsdale Road as it drove past Happy Valley Road, according to the report. The officer initiated a traffic stop that was “so abrupt, I nearly rear-ended the pickup,” the officer wrote.
Chambers was booked on suspicion of DUI, possession of an open liquor container in a vehicle and failure to drive in a single lane.
He was booked on suspicion of DUI andcited for driving while under the influence to the slightest degree, possessing open liquor container in a vehicle, failure to drive in a single lane, and driving in the bicycle lane.
Chambers was a 6-10 forward and the eighth pick of the 1981 draft from the University of Utah by the San Diego Clippers. After a trade to Seattle, Chambers combined with Xavier McDaniel and Dale Ellis to form the highest-scoring trio in the NBA in the late 1980s. Chambers’ biggest highlight as a Sonic was the 1987 All-Star Game in Seattle, when he was voted MVP after scoring 34 points.
