Pacer Forward Chris Copeland Stabbed, 2 Hawks Arrested

WTF!!??


http://www.cbsnews.com/news/nba-player-chris-copeland-wife-stabbed-at-new-york-city-club/



NBA player Chris Copeland, wife stabbed at NYC club




NEW YORK -- Indiana Pacers forward Chris Copeland and his wife, Katrine Saltara, were stabbed during an early morning confrontation at a nightclub in Chelsea, CBS News has confirmed.

Copeland was stabbed in the abdomen and Saltara was slashed in the arm, breast and buttocks, police said. An unidentified 53-year-old woman "was also slashed in the stomach," CBS New York reports.

The alleged assailant, 22-year-old Shezoy Bleary, was arrested. Two members of the Atlanta Hawks -- Thabo Sefolosha and Pero Antić -- were also taken into custody for allegedly obstructing the crime scene in front of the 1 OAK nightclub, according to CBS New York.

Hawks' spokesperson Garin Narain told CBS News: "We are aware of the situation involving Pero Antic and Thabo Sefolosha this morning. We are in the process of gathering more information and will have further comment at the appropriate time."

Sources tell CBS New York that the stabbings followed an argument involving Copeland, Bleary and Saltara, which occurred as the bar was closing, at about 4 a.m.

Police said a knife was recovered.

The Pacers are in town to face the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday. Copeland, 31, was a member of the Knicks during his rookie season in 2012-13.

Copeland and his wife are in stable condition at Bellevue Hospital, the Post reported.

"We are aware that Chris Copeland was injured early this morning in New York City," Pacers president Larry Bird said in a statement. "We are still gathering information and will update when we know more. Our thoughts are with Chris and those injured."

CBS/AP



bob


.

Wonder if Sterling will do anything.

Seems a suspension might be in order and a hefty fine.

beat

Ben Rohrbach

Ball Don't Lie

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/pacers-forward-chris-copeland-stabbed-outside-new-york-city-nightclub-120638294.html;_ylt=A0LEV1r9UyVVBtAAFztXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTExZzQ0YmY1BGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDVUlDMV8xBHNlYwNzYw--

In a shocking scene outside a New York nightclub, one NBA player was stabbed and two more arrested during a dispute early Wednesday morning, according to several local media reports.

Indiana Pacers forward Chris Copeland, 31, a former member of the Knicks, was stabbed in the abdomen around 4 a.m., the New York Daily News reported. His wife, Katrine Saltara, 28, and another woman were also slashed during the argument. All three were rushed to area hospitals and are expected to recover.

Shezoy Bleary, 22, was arrested for allegedly striking Copeland, Saltara and 53-year-old Catherine Somani with a knife outside celebrity nightclub 1 OAK. Bleary and Somani were reportedly acquaintances.

Two Atlanta Hawks players were also arrested amid the fracas. Thabo Sefolosha, 30, and Pero Antic, 32, "refused to move when police tried to set up a crime scene," sources told the Daily News. They both face charges of obstructing justice and disorderly conduct, the New York Post reported. Respectively, Sefolosha and Antic were reportedly also charged with resisting arrest and menacing.

The Pacers, who trail the Boston Celtics by just one game for the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference playoff hunt, are scheduled to face the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night.

A native of Orange, N.J., Copeland joined the Knicks in 2012 as a 28-year-old rookie after years playing in Europe. He signed a two-year, $6.1 million contract with Indiana following the 2012-13 NBA campaign and has averaged 6.2 points and 2.2 rebounds in 16.6 minutes over 50 games for the Pacers this season.

“We are aware that Chris Copeland was injured early this morning in New York City," Pacers president of basketball operations Larry Bird said in a statement on Wednesday morning. "We are still gathering information and will update when we know more. Our thoughts are with Chris and those injured.”

In December 2003, the 6-foot-8, 235-pound Copeland was hit in the arm by a stray bullet at a party during his sophomore season at the University of Colorado.

On Tuesday night, the Hawks set a franchise record by capturing their 58th regular-season win against the visiting Suns, meaning Sefolosha and Antic did not arrive in New York until hours before the incident. The two reserve forwards combined for nine points and 10 rebounds off the bench against Phoenix. Atlanta is scheduled to face the Nets in Brooklyn on Wednesday night. The Hawks have already clinched the No. 1 seed in the East and could potentially face Copeland's Pacers in the first round of the playoffs.

Details of the altercation are still emerging, and we will post updates as the story develops.

____________________________________________________

My note:  Players from two teams hanging out in a "nightclub" at 4:00 AM.  Shezoy Bleary (22, stabber/slasher) and Catherine Somani (53, slashee) were reportedly acquaintances.  Sometimes friends of friends don't work out.

gyso

are you kidding me?

dboss

At the risk of sounding positively reptilian and self-serving about this, ending up in the #8 spot and playing the Hawks is looking better by the minute.


bob


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Seems a couple Hawks may not be "slashing" to the hoop ............

On a side note...if we make it Marcus and I will be in section 143 across from the C's bench for game 3 !! Just ordered the tickets !!

beat

Kind of off topic, but this goes out to dboss and matty, and anyone else within "easy" driving to Atlanta (dbrown, pete, Worcester?):

If the Celtics play the Hawks in the 1st round, Janie and I will be going to a game if the timing is right. I'm seeing the first game is tentatively scheduled for Saturday night, April 18th. There is also a game tentatively scheduled for Saturday night, May 2nd (if we take them out that long). If the format is 2-2-1-1-1, that May 2nd game will be the 7th game.

I would shoot for 1st game and perhaps go to the 7th game two weeks later if it happens.

Any interest?

gyso

Follow

glenn schuck
‏@glennschuck
Bloody scene on sidewalk and car where Chris Copeland of Pacers stabbed this morning #1010wins



bob


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Ken Berger: NBA says league security investigating NYC nightclub knifing incident that injured Pacers player Chris Copeland, whose condition is stable. Twitter @KBergCBS



bob


.

Are these guys (NBA players) ever going to learn what is right and what is wrong. Players from opposing teams socializing? Nice. What a group of idiots

gyso,

That would be great, but I have relatives coming in that weekend. Funny thing is, they are coming from Atlanta.

Pete

Nice to see some interest in attending Celtics playoff games.  I hope they happen.

Sam

What were those idiots doing in a bar at 4:00 a.m.?  Life in the fast lane can inhibit the filling of a lane in transition.

Sam

sam wrote:What were those idiots doing in a bar at 4:00 a.m.?  Life in the fast lane can inhibit the filling of a lane in transition.

Sam

sam,


The fact that they were in a club at 4:00 a.m. doesn't surprise nor concern me. Let's remember, these guys are 2nd shift workers. They show up to practice in the afternoon, work from early evening until mid-late evening and then either get on a bus and a plane or go home all pumped up on adrenaline. Their bio-clock hours are very, very different from ours.

Atlanta hosted Phoenix on 4/7 and, apparently, flew right after the game to NY for their game tonight with Brooklyn. Indy is in NY for the Knicks. These are nighttime workers. That's why performances of players during Sunday matinee games tend to be sluggish. That's the middle of the night for them.

What does concern me is that they have forgotten how to be civilized, how to compete without being vicious about it.



bob



.

Maybe coming in 8th is better than 7th...


http://news.yahoo.com/hawks-thabo-sefolosha-hurt-arrest-miss-playoffs-224352818.html



Hawks' Thabo Sefolosha hurt in arrest, to miss playoffs
Associated Press By CHARLES ODUM
18 hours ago





ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta forward Thabo Sefolosha will miss the Hawks' final four regular-season games and the postseason because of a fractured right fibula and ligament damage suffered when he and teammate Pero Antic were arrested early Wednesday in New York.

Related Stories


"This is a very difficult situation for Thabo and our thoughts and support will be with him during his recovery," Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said in a statement. "We know that his approach and dedication will serve him well in his rehabilitation. Our team remains focused and will be prepared as we head into the postseason."

Sefolosha's attorney, Alex Spiro, said Wednesday the forward was injured during the arrest, which followed the stabbings of Indiana Pacers forward Chris Copeland, his girlfriend and another woman on the street near a Manhattan nightclub.

Sefolosha and Antic were released without bail after they were charged with obstructing governmental authority and disorderly conduct. Spiro said the two did not commit a crime and he expects the charges to be dismissed.

The Hawks held out Sefolosha and Antic in Wednesday night's 114-111 win at the Brooklyn Nets and haven't said when Antic will return.


Budenholzer said Wednesday the team would support Sefolosha and Antic during the investigation though he said "we never want to see our players put themselves in a potentially negative situation."

"We will continue to look into the facts of the incident but with the information and foundation that we currently have established, we will support them through this process," Budenholzer said in a statement.

Sefolosha and Antic also released a joint statement Wednesday in which they apologized "to our respective families, teammates, and the Hawks organization for any negative attention this incident has brought upon them."

In the joint statement, the players said they would contest the charges.

"As members of the Atlanta Hawks, we hold ourselves to a high standard and take our roles as professionals very seriously," the statement said. "We will contest these charges and look forward to communicating the facts of the situation at the appropriate time."

The Hawks said Sefolosha's injuries were disclosed in examinations that included an X-ray at Barclays Center on Wednesday and an MRI in Atlanta on Thursday.

In 52 games, including seven starts, the 6-foot-7 Sefolosha has averaged 5.3 points and 4.3 rebounds. He is especially valuable in Budenholzer's system for his defense and size on the perimeter.

The Hawks have ample experience without the ninth-year veteran. Sefolosha returned on March 25 after missing 23 games with a right calf injury.

The Hawks (59-19) have clinched the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs and will play Charlotte on Friday night.



bob



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Bob,

If you believe NBA players sleep all day, forget about it.  They have the same kinds of daytime demands, such as shopping and getting the car serviced, that we all have.  They also have some daytime demands that we don't have, including photo shoots, activities related to endorsements, public appearances, etc.  These guys were burning the candle at both ends.

Sam

I was wondering whether there was more to the story of the two Hawks getting arrested.

Sam

I doubt it.

It sounds like the Hawks players got arrested because they annoyed the cops by being a pain in the butt when they arrived at the scene.

NYC cops often arrest first and ask questions later when people annoy them. Those at the receiving end are often charged with something like disorderly conduct and have their cases dismissed when they finally see a judge--after spending a day locked up in filthy, dangerous conditions with some very unpleasant people who actually deserve to be there.

These guys were definitely burning the candle at both ends. But they certainly weren't the first. Bill Russell said that Gene Conley took pride in playing well with a hangover and loved to brag about it.

The night before his 100 point game, Wilt was out till dawn at a Harlem nightclub with some choice lady friends. He then caught a few hours of sleep and drove to Hershey PA for the game and dropped triple figures on the Knicks.

Jordan spent his spare moments in Atlantic City casinos during the playoffs and no one noticed it in his level of play though the bad publicity could have become a distraction.

Some people have an iron constitution and an endless well of energy at least when they are young.

Sloopjohnb wrote:I doubt it.  

It sounds like the Hawks players got arrested because they annoyed the cops by being a pain in the butt when they arrived at the scene.

NYC cops often arrest first and ask questions later when people annoy them.  Those at the receiving end are often charged with something like disorderly conduct and have their cases dismissed when they finally see a judge--after spending a day locked up in filthy, dangerous conditions with some very unpleasant people who actually deserve to be there.

These guys were definitely burning the candle at both ends.  But they certainly weren't the first.  Bill Russell said that Gene Conley took pride in playing well with a hangover and loved to brag about it.

The night before his 100 point game, Wilt was out till dawn at a Harlem nightclub with some choice lady friends.  He then caught a few hours of sleep and drove to Hershey PA for the game and dropped triple figures on the Knicks.

Jordan spent his spare moments in Atlantic City casinos during the playoffs and no one noticed it in his level of play though the bad publicity could have become a distraction.

Some people have an iron constitution and an endless well of energy at least when they are young.

Nice perspective Sloop. You really nailed it.

Unless we are there who knows?

Believe they were trying to obstruct a lawful investigation. The cops are called and there was obviously an issue and someone or a few had been stabbed. They don't know who is the perp. So everyone is a suspect to begin with....and when the cops tell you to move or get out of the way, yours is not to debate it.

Perhaps as sloop says.... it will be reduced, perhaps... but I doubt it is dismissed. They will get a fine at the minimum is my bet. And perhaps a little community service, like writing term papers for the North Carolina and Kentucky basketball teams.

beat

Gyso, i would love to see the Celts 4.18 but i am teaching that day until 6:30 pm in SRQ.

So proud they way they beat the Cavs. Helluva T-E-A-M.

Being stabbed would seem to qualify as "more to the story" than was initially released.

A few cases of staying out ultra-late by certain physical specimens does not characterize the constitutions of all players.  Aside from any possible debilitation they might have suffered, the later it gets in a bar, the more likely there is to be trouble—especially physical confrontations.  And sports figures are unfortunately the targets of some twisted minds.

Sam

Nothing good happens after 2 a.m.

Physical specimen.  

I heard that Jordan's dream team mates were amazed at what a relentless physical bulldozer he was.  Jordan was constantly on the golf course when he wasn't vaporizing his teammates during practices.  It was important for Jordan to let all the all-time greats on team USA know that he was the alpha male.

I guess he got his rest during the games.

But was he using a golf cart?

Sam