Two women sued Patrick Beverley, claiming they suffered injuries after the former Milwaukee Bucks guard rocketed a basketball toward their faces from almost point-blank range.
During his team’s playoff loss to the Indiana Pacers that ended their season, Beverley was sitting on the bench when he stood up and launched a basketball at a female Pacers fan sitting behind the team’s bench, hitting the fan directly in the head.
He appeared to motion to have the ball back, and when it was returned, he again threw the ball at another fan, who was able to deflect it.
Coaches and other players stepped into the fray and attempted to defuse the situation, but Beverley appeared to continue to exchange words with the fans sitting behind him.
The women claim they are still experiencing medical expenses, mental anguish, humiliation and lost wages from the incident in which they both say they suffered immediate injuries.
Less than a week later, Beverley showed regret, saying it was an “unfortunate situation that should have never happened.”
“What I did was bad, and that should have never happened. I have to be better, and I will be better. And that should have never happened,” Beverley said on his podcast. “Regardless of what was said, that should have never happened. Simple as that.”
Initial reports say it came after a fan said “Cancun on three,” but Beverley said it was “more than that” and was called a name that apparently is NSFW.
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“I’ve been called a lot of stuff in this league, I haven’t been called that one,” he said. “Still inexcusable. It doesn’t matter what was said. I have to be better, and I will be better.”
Beverley said security had come up to him earlier in the game and asked if he wanted certain fans ejected, but he declined, saying he actually doesn’t even want fans kicked out for simple trash talk.
“I’m not getting no fans kicked out. People who spend money to watch us play. I’m not getting them kicked out,” Beverley said.
However, this certain fan “crossed the line.”
“We in layup line. I’m on the bench with the ball. Fan to the right of me say something crazy. I get up to him, ‘Hey, man, you can boo me but don’t call me that.’ I go shake (Pacers coach) Rick Carlisle’s hand, fan say something crazy to me,” Beverley recalled. “I’m looking like, ‘Man, you can say anything, just don’t be disrespectful.’ He apologized too. Everyone who stepped out of line and said something like too crazy, all of them apologized. It was just some people crossed the line a little bit.”
The NBA suspended him for the incident, but he is currently playing in Israel.
Fox News’ Paulina Dedaj and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
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