SPORTS digest || Kings’ Randolph faces pot charge in LA

Kings’ Randolph faces pot charge in LA

LOS ANGELES

Sacramento Kings forward Zach Randolph has been charged with misdemeanor marijuana possession and resisting arrest following an incident this month when a large gathering became unruly at a Los Angeles housing project, prosecutors said Thursday.

The two-time NBA All-Star had initially been arrested on suspicion of possessing marijuana with intent to sell — a felony — but Los Angeles city prosecutors instead charged Randolph with misdemeanor drug possession.

Court documents say the 36-year-old Randolph possessed “more than 28.5 grams of marijuana or more than four grams of concentrated cannabis or both.” Randolph also is accused of resisting arrest and obstructing a Los Angeles police officer in the discharge of their duties.

Randolph is scheduled to appear in a Los Angeles courtroom on Sept. 14, said Rob Wilcox, a spokesman for the Los Angeles city attorney’s office, which is prosecuting the case.

Randolph’s attorney and agent, Raymond Brothers, did not immediately respond to telephone and email messages seeking comment Friday. He has previously said the charges against his client were “false and misleading.”

Minnesota’s Curry out for season with injury

MINNEAPOLIS

Minnesota sophomore forward Eric Curry will miss the upcoming season, after injuring his left knee during a pickup game.

The university announced that Curry tore his ACL, MCL and meniscus Thursday.

Gophers coach Richard Pitino said the team was “disheartened by the news” after a “tremendous summer” on the court by Curry. The native of Memphis, Tennessee, played in all 34 games in a reserve role as a freshman. He was third on the team in rebounds and blocks, averaging 5.5 points and 19.9 minutes.

The Gophers have experience with this kind of setback. Last year, forward Davonte Fitzgerald tore the ACL and damaged cartilage in his left knee during a noncontact drill.

Darlington Raceway honors Jeff Gordon

DARLINGTON, S.C.

Four-time NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon has a permanent place at Darlington Raceway.

Gordon cut the ribbon on the track’s new luxury seating area called the Jeff Gordon Finish Line Terrace. The section consists of three, 12-seat boxes in Darlington’s main grandstand alongside its start-finish line. The Southern 500 will be held Sunday night.

Gordon won seven races at Darlington, third behind David Pearson’s 10 wins and the late Dale Earnhardt’s nine. Gordon, though, holds the record with six wins in the Southern 500.

Barkley rejects move to Premier League champ

LONDON

Ross Barkley became the latest player to reject a move to Premier League champion Chelsea, pulling out of a deal at the end of a summer transfer window in which English clubs spent more than 1.3 billion pounds ($1.7 billion).

Chelsea did manage to sign midfielder Danny Drinkwater from 2016 champion Leicester for a reported 35 million pounds ($45 million) and defender Davide Zappacosta from Italian club Torino on Thursday. But missing out on the main targets may hamper Antonio Conte’s bid to defend the title and challenge in the Champions League.

The problems for Chelsea began in July when striker Romelu Lukaku opted to join Manchester United and Conte’s transfer plans further disintegrated in the last two days of the transfer window.

Barkley’s rejection stunned Chelsea after midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain opted to leave Arsenal for Liverpool and forward Fernando Llorente favored a move to Tottenham from Swansea.

Everton owner Farhad Moshiri revealed that a transfer fee of 35 million pounds ($45 million) had been agreed and Barkley had passed a medical examination when the midfielder changed his mind about moving.

Associated Press