BARKLEY TO TAKE LEAVE OF ABSENCE

The announcement by Turner Sports came today, hours after police said the 45-year-old former NBA star was legally drunk when police arrested him Dec. 31 on suspicion of drunken driving in Scottsdale, Ariz. Test results show Barkley had a blood-alcohol level at .149, nearly twice the legal limit of .08 in Arizona. While waiting for results of the blood test, TNT considered suspending Barkley if the results showed his blood-alcohol content was over the legal limit, a source told ESPN.com but I guess he decided to take a leave before the suspension. Barkley will be off the air for a minimum of several weeks and no return date has been set.