Report: NYPD provoked Hawks' Thabo Sefolosha before incident

There is no clear-cut picture of the events that led to Atlanta Hawks forward Thabo Sefolosha sustaining a season-ending injury and being arrested last week. 

A source told Sports Illustrated's Greg Hanlon that, contrary to the criminal complaint accusing Sefolosha of starting the incident, the officer was the initial aggressor.   

The source, who did not witness the scene but spoke to people who did, said one of the officers at the scene focused on Sefolosha and chased him down the block. 

According to the anonymous source: 

At the time, the source said, Sefolosha and (teammate Pero) Antic were walking down the block to get into a car that would take them back to their team hotel. The source said Sefolosha did not run toward the cop as the complaint said. Rather, the source said "Sefolosha turns to him and asked in substance what the officer's problem was with him." At this point, the source said, Sefolosha and the officer got into an argument, which led to Sefolosha's arrest for obstruction of a governmental function, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. The arrest took place at the corner of 10th Avenue, more than 120 feet away from the scene of the stabbing at 1OAK night club.

Sefolosha released a statement blaming the New York Police Department for his fractured tibia and ligament damage he suffered after Indiana Pacers forward Chris Copeland was stabbed.