*An incident involving five New York City officers and Atlanta Hawks forward Thabo Sefolosha has resulted in the athlete bringing legal action against the quintet.
USA Today reports that Sefolosha filed a civil suit Wednesday morning (04-06-16) against the officers for excessive force, malicious prosecution, false arrest and false imprisonment. The most Sefolosha can be compensated is $50 million.
At the center of the suit is the incident, which occurred on April 8, 2015 outside of 1Oak, a NYC nightclub. Although He was arrested at the time of the incident, USA Today noted that Sefolosha was later found not guilty of misdemeanor charges that included obstructing government administration, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest.
Physically, the incident took its toll on Sefolosha, who broke his right fibula. The injury, which eventually required surgery, caused the sportsman to excluded from the Eastern Conference playoffs. In his civil complaint, Sefolosha stated that his basketball career has been jeopardized, and he has lost endorsements. In addition, the complaint said that Sefolosha’s basketball career has been shortened and that his value as a player has been adversely affected by his encounter with the police.
A 10-year NBA veteran, Sefolosha’s has appeared in 71 games this season for the third-seeded Hawks, averaging 6.6 points, 4.5, rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 23.4 minutes.
Also involved in the incident was former Hawks center Pero Antic, who sued the New York Police Department earlier this week. The maximum he can get from his lawsuit, which demanded a jury trial, was set at $25 million.
As Antic and Sefolosha engage in their respective legal battles, Charles Barkley is doing his part to relocate the NBA All-Star Game out of Charlotte, NC.
During an interview with CNN’s Fredricka Whitfield on Sunday (04-03-16), Barkley let it be known how disappointed he is in North Carolina’s new law that requires transgender people to use the designated public restroom from their birth certificates.
In Barkley’s eyes, the NBA should take a stand against the law— even if that means moving the 2017 All-Star Game, which is set to be played in Charlotte.
“I think the NBA should move the All-Star Game from there next year,” the Turner Sports NBA analyst and Hall of Famer said, via CNN. “As a black person, I’m against any form of discrimination – against whites, Hispanics, gays, lesbians, however you want to phrase it. It’s my job, with the position of power that I’m in and being able to be on television, I’m supposed to stand up for the people who can’t stand up for themselves. So, I think the NBA should move the All-Star Game from Charlotte.”
If the NBA does take Barkley up on his suggestion, they could consider Atlanta, which has already voiced its interest in hosting the game.
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