It seems NBA player Patrick Beverley has found himself entangled in a legal skirmish, as a couple of Indiana Pacers fans have taken him to court. They’re alleging that an incident, where Beverley hurled a basketball into the crowd during a game last year, left them with physical, mental, and emotional distress.
Jessica Simmons and Katie Lanciotti, both residents of Indiana, filed the lawsuit last Friday at the Marion County Superior Court in Indianapolis. They accuse Beverley of several counts including battery, emotional distress, and defamation, claiming these events unfolded during Game 6 of a playoff series against the Pacers while Beverley was with the Milwaukee Bucks.
The lawsuit details the aftermath of Beverley’s actions, claiming the women endured not only physical pain and suffering but also faced emotional turmoil, incurred medical bills, and lost work hours, among other damages. Beverley seemed caught off guard by the lawsuit, as he mentioned it in the latest episode of “The Pat Bev Podcast with Rone.” “I woke up this morning, getting sued was the first thing I learned,” he shared, reflecting on the impact alongside his ongoing search for a new NBA opportunity.
Reflecting on how he learned about the suit, Beverley remarked on how it felt like a trade deal gone sideways. “I thought it was over,” he said, noting his efforts to apologize and offer a free basketball camp to mend fences. Yet, a year later, the lawsuit was still looming.
The game in question took place in Indianapolis at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. During a moment of frustration, Beverley flung the ball into the stands, striking a woman and, unintentionally, breaking her necklace. According to the lawsuit, Lanciotti felt immediate pain from the impact. Another fan then tossed the ball back to Beverley, who sent it flying again, inadvertently hitting Simmons in the chest and face.
This incident led to Beverley receiving a four-game suspension from the NBA, although he hasn’t served it yet as he’s not currently on a team. He expressed on social media that tensions had been running high throughout the game, hinting at provocations from the crowd that night, and promising to rise above such incidents moving forward.
Beverley later addressed the matter, suggesting that only a small group of fans had taken things too far with their remarks. The lawsuit points out that Beverley’s subsequent comments on social media and his podcast painted Simmons and Lanciotti in a negative light, causing harm to their reputations.
In addition to Beverley, then-Bucks assistant coach Josh Oppenheimer and the Bucks organization are also named in the lawsuit. They’re all facing multiple counts as co-defendants. When approached for comments, Oppenheimer opted to stay silent, and the Bucks have yet to make any public statements on the matter.
This unraveling legal matter certainly adds an unexpected twist to the NBA off-season narrative and is being followed closely by fans and analysts alike.
