A Brooklyn Nets player was arrested on Tuesday morning for allegedly assaulting his girlfriend following a bitter argument at his Gowanus apartment on June 27, according to court documents.
Rodions Kurucs — a 6 foot, 9 inch NBA player — grabbed the 32-year-old victim by her throat and threw her on a bed, before slapping her in the face multiple times following a heated exchange in his Bond Street apartment near First Street, according to police.
Kurucs, 21, then bit her lip and violently pushed her into the bed frame, cops said.
The victim reported the assault on Aug. 27 — two months after the alleged incident — leading to Kurucs’ Sept. 3 arrest, according to police.
An attorney for Kurucs flatly denied the allegations on behalf of his client, claiming the plaintiff’s claims were motivated by a bad breakup that occurred well after the alleged assault.
“The former couple flew away together arm-in arm in the days that followed the alleged incident, and only after an unfortunate breakup did these claims appear — claims that the misdemeanor hearing today revealed were backed by no photographs or objective medical facts.”
Kurucs was released without bail Tuesday following his arraignment on charges of third-degree assault, criminal obstruction of breathing, third-degree menacing, and other related charges, according to District Attorney Eric Gonzalez.
The Latvian-born forward was drafted in the second round of the 2018 NBA draft, and made his professional debut last season — averaging 8.9 points per game off the bench for the Nets.
A Nets spokesman issued a statement on Tuesday offering the team’s full cooperation with the league’s investigation into the matter, but declined to indulge in specifics while the court case proceeds.
“After learning of the allegations against Rodions Kurucs, we notified and are assisting the League Office as they begin the process of gathering more information. The Nets organization takes allegations of this nature with extreme seriousness,” the Nets spokesman said. “While the investigation is underway and as we continue to learn more, we will refrain from commenting further.”
The hoops player is due back in court on Oct. 21 — just two days before the Nets kick off their season against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
