Ex-NBA star Baker pleads innocent to DUI

Norwich, Conn. -- Former NBA standout Vin Baker pleaded innocent to drunken driving charges in a Connecticut court Tuesday, forcing his legal case to go to a jury trial.

The Hartford (Conn.) Courant said the four-time NBA All-Star pleaded innocent in a superior court in Norwich, Conn., to charges he was driving intoxicated on a state highway last month.

The former University of Hartford player was arrested on June 19 on a section of Connecticut's Route 2 after he allegedly failed a sobriety test.
The court case, that begins jury selection Aug. 9, marks the most recent problem for the 35-year-old basketball player.

After enjoying several successful seasons with the Seattle Supersonics and the Milwaukee Bucks, Baker was hit with a series of team suspensions while with the Boston Celtics.

The 2000 U.S. Olympian, who once admitted to having an alcohol problem, was released in 2004 and failed to gain playing time during a brief stint with the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Courant said.

Copyright 2007 by United Press International.