Ex-NBA Player Chris Dudley, Brett Kavanaugh Allegedly Involved in 1985 Bar Fight

Former NBA center Chris Dudley was present at an alleged 1985 altercation at a bar involving United States Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, the New York Times' Emily Bazelon and Ben Protess reported Monday.

According to Bazelon and Protess, a 21-year-old told authorities Kavanaugh had thrown ice on him. An eyewitness said Dudley "then threw a glass that hit the 21-year-old man in the ear."

Dudley denied the allegations at the time to authorities.

Dudley was a member of the Yale basketball team from 1983 to '87, which overlapped with Kavanaugh's time at Yale.

A teammate of Dudley's on the basketball team provided further detail regarding the alleged incident. Chad Ludington said in a statement that Dudley "took his beer and smashed it into the head of the guy, who by now had Brett in an embrace."

The scrutiny of Kavanaugh comes as his Supreme Court nomination winds its way through the U.S. Senate. The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 11-10 in favor of putting his nomination in front of the Senate floor, but the move was delayed a week pending an FBI investigation.

Dudley has gone on the record to defend Kavanaugh, saying he often drank with Kavanaugh and that Kavanaugh wouldn't drink to excess.

"I went out with him all the time. He never blacked out. Never even close to blacked out," Dudley said to the Washington Post's Aaron C. Davis, Emma Brown and Joe Heim. "There was drinking, and there was alcohol. Brett drank, and I drank. Did he get inebriated sometimes? Yes. Did I? Yes. Just like every other college kid in America."

Kavanaugh's connection to the sports world isn't limited to Dudley. Arizona Cardinals president Michael Bidwill and New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman signed a letter endorsing Kavanaugh's nomination. The three attended the same high school, Georgetown Prep in Maryland.