Report: NYPD investigating rape claim against Porzingis
The New York Police Department's Special Victims Division is investigating after a woman told police Thursday that Kristaps Porzingis raped her in his Manhattan apartment in 2018, law enforcement sources told Tina Moore of the New York Post.
According to Moore's sources, the woman, who lived in the same building as the then-New York Knicks player, told police Porzingis attended her residence at 2 a.m. before inviting her back to his apartment afterward where he then raped her.
The woman reportedly admitted to police she waited over a year to report the incident as Porzingis had promised to pay her $68,000 for her silence but later refused. A high-ranking source within the NYPD told Moore they consider the woman "believable."
The incident is said to have taken place on Feb. 7, 2018 - a day after Porzingis tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee while playing in his last game for the Knicks.
Porzingis' lawyer, Roland G. Riopelle, denied the allegations in a statement obtained by ESPN's Ian Begley.
We are aware of the complaint that was made against Mr. Porzingis on Friday and unequivocally deny the allegations. We made a formal referral to federal law enforcement on December 20th, 2018, based on the accuser's extortionate demands. We also alerted the National Basketball Association months ago and they are aware of the ongoing investigation of the accuser by federal law enforcement.
We cannot comment further on an ongoing federal investigation. Please refer any questions to the Federal Bureau of Investigations or the National Basketball Association.
Porzingis spent three-and-a-half seasons in New York before being sent to the Dallas Mavericks earlier this year as part of a seven-player deal. League sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski that the Knicks informed Mavericks executives of Porzingis' pending rape investigation during the trade call to finalize the deal.
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban confirmed the organization was aware of the investigation but told Moore they "have been instructed by federal authorities not to comment."