Video surfaced showing a bloody-faced Kristaps Porzingis after he was allegedly “jumped and assaulted” outside a nightclub in his hometown of Liepaja, Latvia.
The Dallas Mavericks acquired the 23-year-old in a blockbuster trade with the New York Knicks, and plan to ink him to a five-year max deal.
Porzingis will be a restricted free agent this summer.
Per ESPN:
“It is our understanding that Kristaps was jumped and assaulted outside of a club in Latvia. We will provide an update when one is available,” the team said in a statement.
A source told ESPN that the Mavericks’ understanding was that several Russians attacked Porzingis, who fought back before the club security broke up the scuffle.
Video of the aftermath of the incident went viral, showing Porzingis with a bloody gash on his head and a torn shirt. The source said that Porzingis was hit with an object, believed to be a chair, but he did not suffer any significant injuries.
TMZ reported that the men who attacked Porzingis were upset that he left the New York Knicks, who traded him to the Mavericks on Jan. 31 due in part to the All-Star being disgruntled with the franchise.
