Kings Coach Arrested

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Kings coach Musselman arrested on DUI chargesAssociated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Eric Musselman, in his first season as coach of the Sacramento Kings, was arrested on a drunken driving charge early Saturday, hours after his team's exhibition victory over the Utah Jazz.

He was released without bail from Sacramento County Main Jail at dawn, the sheriff's department said. He was cited for misdemeanor driving under the influence.

Musselman was pulled over at 2:15 a.m. about 1½ miles from the State Capitol after his car was seen making a right-hand turn from the left-hand lane and cutting off another vehicle, said California Highway Patrol spokesman Sgt. Evan Williams.

Another man and two women were in Musselman's Mercedes. They were released, Williams said.

The 41-year-old coach failed three sobriety tests and had a blood-alcohol level of 0.11, according to the arrest report. The legal limit is 0.08.

Musselman has coached four preseason games since being hired in June. His arrest comes at a particularly inopportune time for the franchise. On Nov. 7, voters will be asked to approve two ballot measures increasing local sales tax as part of the club's quest to build a new arena in downtown Sacramento.

Musselman did not immediately return a call to his cell phone Saturday afternoon.

Geoff Petrie, the Kings' president of basketball operations, said Musselman called him about 6 a.m. and told him of the arrest.

"He was very apologetic and ashamed for the lack of discretion leading to this situation," Petrie said in a statement. "On behalf of the Kings organization, we are very disappointed in the poor personal behavior which precipitated this incident. We also believe Eric will face this adversity honestly and appropriately."

Musselman, who coached the Golden State Warriors from 2002-04, planned to speak to reporters Sunday afternoon at Arco Arena before the Kings travel to Reno, Nev., for an exhibition game against the New Orleans Hornets that night. The team opens its regular season Nov. 1 at Minnesota.

Musselman has been through a divorce since his firing from the Warriors, and his two sons still live in the San Francisco Bay area.

Musselman recently told The Associated Press he can usually drive from home to the arena in two minutes. He was arrested nine miles from his home after the Kings' 112-96 victory Friday night.

The Kings hired Musselman to replace Rick Adelman, who was fired after eight consecutive winning seasons. Musselman, son of the late coach Bill Musselman, was a winning minor league coach with extensive experience as an NBA assistant.

He led Golden State to its most successful two-season stretch during the franchise's 12 consecutive losing seasons, but was dismissed when the club hired Chris Mullin to run its basketball operations. Musselman briefly worked in broadcasting before becoming Mike Fratello's top assistant in Memphis during the 2004-05 season.

Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press