Thabo Sefolosha Injury: Updates on Hawks Guard's Leg After Arrest
Atlanta Hawks swingman Thabo Sefolosha will reportedly miss the remainder of the season after suffering a fractured right fibula while resisting arrest in New York City.ย
TMZ posted a video of the incident on Instagram.
Warning: Videos within this article contain NSFW language
On Friday,ย TMZย posted a different angle of the arrest, which appears to show an officer attempting to strike Sefolosha with a baton:ย
ย Continue for updates.
Sefolosha Comments on Leg Injury
Tuesday, April 14
Sefolosha spoke to reporters and addressed his leg injury. Per Chris Vivlamore of Theย Atlanta Journal-Constitution, he "would not say whether video showed him getting injured. Did say he is in 'great pain.'"
Kevin Arnowitz of ESPN.com added, "Sefolosha wouldn't discuss the details of his case. But he did say his injury was caused by police and he's in great pain."
He will undergo surgery in the next few days, per Vivlamore, who also shared this detail:
Sefolosha Out for Season, Will Require Surgery
Thursday, April 9
Vivlamore reported that Sefolosha suffered a broken fibula.ย
Arnovitz reported Sefolosha suffered the injury during his arrest:
"Sefolosha sustained the injury while resisting arrest outside a Manhattan night club early Wednesday morning. Sefolosha was arrested along with teammate Pero Antic for interfering with local police's efforts to set up a crime scene following the stabbing of Indiana Pacers forward Chris Copeland.
"
The Hawks provided comments from head coach Mike Budenholzer, who spoke about Sefolosha's injury:
According to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports, the Hawks say Sefolosha will require surgery on his leg after sustaining ligament damage in addition to his fractured fibula.
Antic and Sefolosha each face three misdemeanor charges, per Vivlamore, after refusing to leave the scene where Copeland was stabbed.
Sefolosha and Antic are both alleged to have been aggressive with officers. In a statement released via the Hawks, the players said they plan on contesting the charges:
"As members of the Atlanta Hawks, we hold ourselves to a high standard and take our roles as professionals very seriously. We will contest these charges and look forward to communicating the facts of the situation at the appropriate time. We apologize to our respective families, teammates, and the Hawks organization for any negative attention this incident has brought upon them. We are unable to provide further comment as this is an ongoing legal matter.
"
Arnovitz reported that the NBPA is going to investigate the situation on its own.
Sefolosha has emerged as a key two-way player for the Hawks during his first season with the club. He is averaging 5.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game, often serving as the first wing off the bench for coach Mike Budenholzer.
Combined with injuries to Paul Millsap and Dennis Schroder, the Hawks appear to be limping into the playoffs. Sefolosha's absence will force Kent Bazemore and Austin Daye into much more integral roles for the Eastern Conference's No. 1 seed.
Follow Tyler Conway (@tylerconway22) on Twitter
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
