Former Knicks player Kristaps Porzingis is being accused of beating and raping a Black woman while using racist and profane language.
The New York Post reports the recently signed Dallas Maverick has been accused of a crime dating back to February 7, 2018, when he was still with the New York NBA team.
According to TMZ, the alleged victim says the 7 feet 3 inches power forward — currently the tallest player in the league — allegedly pinned her down in his Manhattan penthouse guest room and became sexually violent.
She reportedly told authorities on Thursday that the 23-year-old was physically abusive, hitting her in the face several times before he penetrated her non-consensually. The alleged victim also said he called her "my b***h" and "my slave" throughout the horrific ordeal. She said Porzingis eventually gave up because she continued to fight back.
The 29-year-old woman, a neighbor of Porzingis at the time, says she wound up at his home around 2 a.m. after the two spent some time at her place.
Porzingis had just suffered a tear to his knee during a Knicks game against the Milwaukee Bucks in the Garden earlier that night. The ACL injury has kept Porzingis off the court since then, even as a newly traded member to the Dallas Mavericks as of January 31.
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An investigation is currently underway via the New York County District Attorney's Office.
NBA spokesman Mike Bass confirmed to the Post that the league was made aware of the situation months prior, while the New York Knicks denied comment, stating, "This is Kristaps’ personal matter and not related to the Knicks.”
ESPN reports a somewhat different story, painting the woman as an extortionist, which Porzingis' attorney, Roland G. Riopelle, publicly agrees. The publication says the alleged victim told the Knicks organization that she had agreed not to take her story public with the guarantee that she'd receive $68,000 in hush money. She reportedly never received the money and began to "mediate in private" with the Knicks between October and November.
ESPN claims the messages the network obtained between the woman and Porzingis allude to a desire to continue a relationship with the basketball player months after the reported assault. It also claims the monetary request was expected to assist in funding expenses for her brother's college tuition.
In December, Riopelle reportedly contacted federal authorities claiming that Porzingis was being targeted for extortion of money. The results of the alleged victim's mediation with the Knicks organization is unknown. It is believed that no monetary exchange has occurred between the parties.
Porzingis denies all sexual assault claims and has not yet been charged.
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