NBA star Anthony pleads guilty to driving impaired

DENVER (Reuters) - A day after he was named to the U.S. basketball team for the Beijing Olympics, Denver Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony pleaded guilty on Tuesday to driving while impaired, stemming from a drunken driving arrest in April.

By pleading guilty to the driving while impaired charge and failing to drive in a single lane, Anthony avoided a more serious driving under the influence offense, said Lynn Kimbrough, spokeswoman for the Denver District Attorney.

Anthony, 24, told Denver County Judge Claudia Jordan that he regretted putting himself and others at risk and wanted to take responsibility for his actions, Kimbrough said.

The judge sentenced him to one year's probation, ordered him to perform 24 hours of community service, and pay $1,049 in court costs and fees.

The two-time NBA all star was arrested after officers stopped him in his Mercedes April 14 on a highway near downtown Denver after they spotted him weaving and failing to dim his headlights.

On Monday, the Nuggets suspended Anthony for the first two games of the 2008-2009 season as punishment for his "serious lapse of judgment," the team said in a statement.

(Reporting by Keith Coffman)