Dallas Mavericks power forward Kristaps Porzingis was involved in a bloody altercation over the weekend at a club in his hometown of Liepaja, Latvia.
“It is our understanding that Kristaps was jumped and assaulted outside of a club in Latvia. We will provide an update when one is available,” the team said in a statement.
A source told ESPN that the Mavericks’ understanding was that several Russians attacked Porzingis, who fought back before the club security broke up the scuffle.
Video of the aftermath of the incident went viral, showing Porzingis with a bloody gash on his head and a torn shirt. The source said that Porzingis was hit with an object, believed to be a chair, but he did not suffer any significant injuries.
T-shirt déchiré, visage ouvert et embrouille entre hommes en sortie de bar/boîte : les débuts de vacances de Kristaps Porziņģis ne se passe pas exactement pour le mieux. pic.twitter.com/AjbKy3XKyd
— Dallas Mavs France (@DallasMavsFr) May 12, 2019
TMZ reported that the men who attacked Porzingis were upset that he left the New York Knicks, who traded him to the Mavericks on Jan. 31 due in part to the All-Star being disgruntled with the franchise.
The 7-foot-3 Porzingis spent all of last season rehabilitating from a torn ACL in his left knee suffered on Feb. 6, 2018. He practiced with the Mavericks late in the season, but Porzingis, his advisers and the team agreed on a plan to prioritize working on his body over playing last season, even after he was medically cleared.
Porzingis is entering restricted free agency, but the Mavs made the trade with the intention of signing him to a five-year maximum contract this summer.
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