LAS VEGAS – After alcohol use ruined his own NBA career, four-time All-Star Vin Baker would like to talk to troubled Denver Nuggets guard Ty Lawson, whose playing days are now in jeopardy after yet another DUI arrest.

"I wish I could reach out to him," Baker told Yahoo Sports. "I would just give him encouragement no matter where he is at with it. It's a fight, it's real and it's not to be taken lightly. The unfortunate thing sometimes is you have to take a step back from what you've been doing your whole life to deal with something that is life-threatening.

View photos Vin Baker is working as an assistant coach with the Bucks' summer league team. (AP) More

"It's like, 'I got to get back to play.' You got to get right first."

Lawson, 27, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol early Tuesday morning in Los Angeles. It was the second time in six months he had been arrested on such allegations. Lawson is slated to be in court on Friday in Denver for his first case this year. If convicted, he faces between 10 days and a year in jail.

In 2008, Lawson also pleaded guilty in a North Carolina court to underage drinking and driving while playing at the University of North Carolina. He also did not show up for the first practice after the NBA All-Star break in February after vacationing in Las Vegas. Lawson has two years and nearly $26 million remaining on his contract with Denver.

"My advice to Ty Lawson is to make his life his No. 1 priority," Baker told Yahoo Sports. "I don't know what this means for him as far as suspension or the discipline aspect, but it's important for him to get a hold of it first. The biggest mistake I made was trying to keep basketball as the priority. All the flags were around me. Life is bigger than the sport itself.

"When you have agents, fans, friends, family pushing basketball and all the other stuff gets kind of pushed under the rug when the signs are there that there is an issue. You got to make life the priority before someone else makes it a priority. When someone else makes it a priority, the disciplines, fines, whatever, at the end of the day it means your life isn't the priority. It means that contract may be of importance."

Baker was an All-Star for four straight seasons from 1995-98 while playing with the Milwaukee Bucks and the Seattle SuperSonics. The 13-year NBA veteran revealed that he was a recovering alcoholic who used to binge drink in hotel rooms and at home after playing poorly for the Boston Celtics following the 1998-99 lockout.

Baker told The Boston Globe that Celtics coach Jim O'Brien once smelled alcohol on him in practice and confronted him about it. The Celtics suspended Baker indefinitely on Jan. 23, 2004, for failing to comply with his aftercare program stemming from alcohol abuse. Boston requested waivers on Baker on Feb. 14, 2004, which was a step toward saving the $36 million they owed him over the next 2½ seasons.

View photos Nuggets guard Ty Lawson has two arrests on suspicion of DUI in the past six months. (NBAE/Getty Images) More

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