Ex-NBAer Lamar Patterson Briefly Detained in Australia; Dog Shipped Back to USA

Former NBA player Lamar Patterson was briefly detained in Brisbane, Australia, after he attempted to bring his French bulldog, Kobe, into the country with him in a carry-on bag, according to the New York Post's Yaron Steinbuch.

Patterson was trying to join his new team, the Brisbane Bullets of the National Basketball League.

The issue arose when Patterson's flight landed in Brisbane. His ticket reportedly noted he would be traveling with an animal, something he apparently does routinely. However, per CNN's Joshua Berlinger, bringing his dog into the country broke Australia's biosecurity laws.

NBC News' Alex Johnson reported Patterson had checked with LAX officials prior to the 14-hour flight. The official may not have realized the ex-Atlanta Hawk wasn't flying domestically, though, according to Bullets coach Andrej Lemanis.

Patterson was eventually cleared by customs, but his dog was shipped back to Los Angeles. Ultimately, the 27-year-old chalked the situation up to a "miscommunication."

"If this is big news, then Australia is an amazing place to live at," Patterson told reporters. "It was on my ticket that I was traveling with a pet, even my return ticket. It was a miscommunication with the airlines."

Patterson added, per Berlinger: "I wasn't aware of the policies and the rules here or the regulations."

In the end, he was just happy his dog made it home safely:

The airline even weighed in:

Patterson spent parts of two seasons with the Hawks, averaging 2.3 points and 1.1 assists over 40 games from 2015 to 2017. He spent time in the G League during that span as well, suiting up for the Austin Spurs, Canton Charge and Reno Bighorns.