Milwaukee Bucks file motion to dismiss Pacers fans' lawsuit
Fiserv Forum, Deer District ahead of 2024 Bucks playoff game against Pacers
MILWAUKEE - The Milwaukee Bucks filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit brought by two Indiana women after an incident during last season's playoffs against the Pacers.
The motion seeks to dismiss the lawsuit for "failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted." The lawsuit was filed against the Bucks organization, former player Patrick Beverley and former assistant coach Josh Oppenheimer.
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Lawsuit against the Bucks
The backstory:
A criminal complaint said the women felt physical pain when then-Bucks guard Beverley threw a ball into the stands, hitting them. TNT’s cameras caught the moment Beverley threw a ball at fans twice, just as the Pacers were ending the Bucks' season last May in Indianapolis.
Bucks, Pacers game (TNT)
Dig deeper:
The lawsuit, filed in Marion County Superior Court in Indiana, alleges Beverley threw the ball so hard it broke one of the women's necklaces. It also accuses former assistant coach Josh Oppenheimer of "verbally attacking, inciting and provoking Pacers fans" behind the Bucks bench.
Beverley addressed the incident and apologized on his podcast. He went on to say the fans called him something he's never been called. The attorney who represents the women said Beverley's comments hurt his clients’ reputation, esteem, respect and good will.
The Source: Information in this report is from documents filed in Marion County Superior Court and a prior interview with the attorney who represents the plaintiffs.