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      *French tennis veteran Yannick Noah has come out in support of his son Joakim after the young Chicago Bulls star was arrested Sunday for possession of marijuana.

       "In the newspapers, there's a lot of talk about my son who is 23 and has a drink with his friends and who is caught with a joint in his pocket," said Yannick of his son, who was taken into custody in Gainesville, Florida on charges of marijuana possession and having an open alcohol container.

       "He called me. He said: 'Dad, I think I've blundered'. I said: 'Yes, it's a mistake but it's not serious. Don't change. Make me happy, don't let it happen again'," said Yannick, according to the AFP.      

Joakim Noah

       As previously reported, Joakim was stopped in the early hours of May 25 when a cop caught him walking with a plastic cup containing an "amber-colored" liquid, which was later found to be cognac. He faces a possible fine, noted Yannick, the last Frenchman to win the men's singles at Roland Garros in 1983.

       "I told him that I have fooled around for 20 years and I'm still popular because people think I'm a good bloke. So you can do the same thing," he said. "When you do something well, it's extraordinary and when you make a blunder, it's a catastrophe. It's all part of the game. After all, you are called Joakim Noah."