Boston police have begun to investigate a fight involving Philadelphia 76ers rookie Jahlil Okafor that took place early Thursday morning, according to a statement issued Friday.
Earlier, police said they would not investigate the case unless some filed a statement claiming to be the victim of a crime. But someone did come forward later Friday.
The statement said a man filed a police report claiming he was the victim of assault and battery outside a nightclub in Boston at about 2 a.m. Thursday.
The man said in the report that Okafor and another man came toward his group and requested phone numbers from some of the women. The women did not provide the phone numbers, and at that point an argument began and a physical altercation followed.
The man who submitted the report said Okafor knocked him to the ground and caused a cut above his eye that required stitches.
No charges have been filed, but police say they reviewing the case.
Okafor addressed the incident with the media on Friday.
“It was definitely dumb on my part,” Okafor said. “It’s something that I am embarrassed about. (I’m) still dealing with the league and the team.”
Rangers’ Stepan suffers broken ribs
New York Rangers center Derek Stepan left Friday’s game against the Boston Bruins with broken ribs after taking a heavy check from left winger Matt Beleskey.
He will be out indefinitely, according to coach Alain Vigneault.
Stepan was hit by Beleskey and fell into the boards, leading to New York defenseman Dylan McIlrath instigating a fight with Beleskey and getting 17 minutes in penalties to Beleskey’s five.
Bucks’ Kidd suspended one game
Milwaukee Bucks head coach Jason Kidd has been suspended for one game after swiping the ball away from a referee during Wednesday night’s game against the Sacramento Kings.
Kiki VanDeWeghe, the NBA’s executive vice president of basketball operations, announced Friday that Kidd was suspended without pay for “aggressively pursuing and confronting a game official, slapping the ball out of his hands, and not leaving the court in a timely manner upon his ejection.”
The incident, for which Kidd was assessed a technical foul and ejected, occurred with 1:49 remaining in the fourth quarter of Milwaukee’s 129-118 loss to the Kings at BMO Harris Bradley Center.
Kidd will serve his suspension Friday night when the Bucks play the Orlando Magic at Amway Center.
FIBA lifts Russia’s international ban
MOSCOW — Basketball’s international governing body FIBA has lifted the ban on the Russian federation (RBF) with immediate effect.
FIBA said in a statement on Friday that they were ending the suspension as the RBF had dealt with the issues that gave rise to the ban in “a very positive manner”.
Russia were suspended in July after years of instability at the RBF, which culminated in a June court decision that forced the federation to hold new presidential elections.
The ban was partially lifted in August, which allowed Russia to compete in the European Basketball Championships in September.
However, Russian basketball officials were still suspended from taking part in FIBA-organised events.
FIBA said that the RBF had introduced new statutes this month, which complied with their regulations and had held new presidential elections in August in a “fair, democratic and transparent manner”.