ATLANTA (AP) – Atlanta Hawks player Thabo Sefolosha said Tuesday he is in “great pain” and blamed New York City police for causing a “significant injury” that knocked him out for the season.
The backup forward sustained a fractured right lower leg and ligament damage while being arrested with teammate Pero Antic outside a Manhattan nightclub while the Hawks were in the city to face the Brooklyn Nets last week.
Sefolosha won’t return until next season, costing the top-seeded Hawks a strong perimeter defender heading into the playoffs.
“On advice of counsel, I hope you can appreciate that I cannot discuss the facts of the case. Those questions will be answered by my attorney in a court of law,” Sefolosha said after practice, reading from a statement in his first public comments since the incident. “I will simply say that I am in great pain, have experienced a significant injury, and that the injury was caused by the police.”
He also said this “has been a difficult time for me and I truly appreciate the support I have received from everyone. I am extremely disappointed that I will not be able to join my teammates on the court during the playoffs and apologize to them for any distraction this incident has caused. I will be cheering for them every step of the way and will be diligent in my rehabilitation.”