Jan. 9 (Bloomberg) -- Charles Barkley will take a leave of absence from Time Warner Inc.’s TNT network after the basketball analyst was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol last week.

The National Basketball Association Hall-of-Fame player was pulled over by a law enforcement task force after he ran a stop sign in Scottsdale, Arizona, at 1:27 a.m. local time, according to a report issued by the Gilbert Police Department.

Barkley, 45, declined to take a breath test. He instead was given a blood test. Tests were completed today, revealing a blood alcohol content of .149 -- almost twice the state limit of .08, according to a news release by the Gilbert Police Department.

“When I spoke with Charles, he was apologetic for the events that transpired and it was obvious he understood the significance of this situation,” David Levy, president of Turner Sports, said in an e-mail.

Scott Maasen, Barkley’s attorney, didn’t immediately return a message left at his office.

Voted one of the 50 best players in NBA history, Barkley played 16 seasons for the Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns and Houston Rockets, and was an 11-time All Star and league Most Valuable Player in 1993. He was also a member of the “Dream Team” that won Olympic gold medals in 1992 and 1996.

To contact the reporter on this story: Curtis Eichelberger in Washington at ceichelberge@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: January 9, 2009 16:47 EST