Former college basketball star Russ Smith was arrested over the weekend and is facing multiple charges.
Smith, who now plays in Italy, was taken into police custody in the early hours of Sunday morning and booked on charges of operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol, reckless driving, and one count for an expired registration tag, per online records cited by the Louisville Courier Journal.
The publication notes that police observed Smith making an illegal U-turn across multiple lanes in the Original Highlands neighborhood and detected a strong smell of alcohol after stopping him.
Ex-Louisville star Russ Smith arrested for suspicion of DUI, reckless driving https://t.co/1LB6hjHhz5 pic.twitter.com/QI6EqyyGGv
— New York Post (@nypost) June 8, 2025
The 34-year-old admitted to drinking “two bourbon pours neat” before driving. He failed a field sobriety test and recorded a blood-alcohol level of 0.073.
While the number is below Kentucky’s 0.08 limit, state law makes provisions for police to charge anyone with a level above 0.04 if there’s other significant evidence to consider.
Russ Smith Caught Up In Wild Louisville Scandal Over A Decade Ago
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Russ Smith, a former Louisville Cardinals star, was released on bond and is scheduled to be in court on Wednesday morning.
The player was part of the Cardinals team that won a national championship under Rick Pitino in 2013, though the school has since vacated the title. Reports from 2015 claim Louisville provided strippers and escorts between 2010 and 2014, with one woman claiming she was paid $100 to sleep with the guard.
Smith was never charged in the NCAA’s case against the school, but the Cardinals were made to relinquish their title and other achievements. He denied the woman’s claim to the Courier Journal in 2016.
The Philadelphia 76ers selected Russ Smith as a second-round pick in 2014, although he never got to carve out a career in the NBA. He went on to play in China, Israel, and Italy following spells with several G League teams and now plays in Italy’s second division with Pallacanestro Nardò.
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