Former UF basketball player Joakim Noah was arrested early Sunday morning and charged with cannabis possession and an open container violation.
At about 1:50 a.m., Noah was walking down a public sidewalk at 100 S Main St. with a clear plastic cup in his hand, said Officer Summer Hallett, spokeswoman for the Gainesville Police Department.
When he saw law enforcement, he set the cup down and walked away from it, Hallett said.
Police smelled the amber-colored liquid and realized it was alcohol, she said.
Noah was arrested and walked to GPD's downtown annex, where a cannabis cigarette was found in his pocket.
Noah was issued a notice to appear in court, and his court date is set for June. Hallett said Noah was very cooperative during the incident.
It is common practice for officers to hand out a notice to appear for misdemeanor charges such as Noah's, Hallett said.
Noah is projected to be an upcoming starter for the Chicago Bulls this year, and he helped the Gators basketball team win its back-to-back 2006 and 2007 national championships.
