Photo: Instagram
The NBA star is coming under fire.
By Rebecca Jane Stokes — Written on Apr 04, 2019
When a woman accuses a man of sexual assault of any kind it takes a tremendous amount of bravery. That's because before you can even start to be brave, first you must afraid. Women who accuse their attackers publicly risk retribution from their attacker, his family, friends, or supporters. They risk being called a slut by the media and every single corner of their lives exposed. They risk looking into the eyes of a lawyer who is going to lie to them. All of that? It's just the tip of the iceberg.
Because it's even more frightening to come forward against a sexual assailant when they happen to be someone in a position of power. When a woman recently accused former Knicks player Kristaps Prozingis of sexual assault and rape, she had to muster every last bit of bravery she had. Here's what you need to know about Kristaps Prozingis, and all of the other details surrounding the case.
1. The Charges
Kristaps reflects on his injury.
If you're a fan of the Knicks, or of basketball in general, the name Kristaps Prozingis is a familiar one. The mammoth baller has made quite an impression on his fans and on his detractors alike, but breaking about a shocking allegation could destroy his career, at best, or send him to jail at worst.
Kristaps is accused of sexually assaulting a woman during an incident his accuser and victim claim took place in February of 2018. His victim is black, this is worthy of note given charges she made that he called her his "slave" and other racially charged hate speech as he sexually assaulted her.
2. The Telling Injury
On leaving the Knicks for Dallas.
Professional athletes get injuries all of the time, so when Kristaps hurt his knee during a game, it wasn't all that surprising. It's totally normal for basketball players to miss games in order to heal from injuries or to rest muscles that might be pushed too far in the service of their owner's endeavors. But this was an injury that could have ended his career.
What's telling here is that injury that knocked Kristaps out occurred on the same day of that the alleged rape is believed to have occurred. What might seem typical in the NBA isn't something the players love as it often means a ding to their paychecks. Could Kristaps have been so enraged by his injury that he was propelled to attack this woman?
3. What His Accuser Says
Anyone looks good with a puppy.
In a report published on Sunday by TMZ more explosives details about what happened that night are making the rounds. Their report says that "the alleged victim claimed the pro athlete called her a 'bitch' and 'slave' in addition to spitting on her and telling her he owned her during the assault in his penthouse guest room."
While this might sound like kinky sexual exploration to some people, that's only when it's consensual. As a professional basketball player, and, you know, as a human being, Kristaps has a responsibility that comes with his size: making people feel like they are comfortable and safe. Using that size and reputation to intimidate, harm, or otherwise make another person feel unsafe is absolutely unacceptable if indeed that is what happened.
4. What The NYPD Thinks
His whole life is about the game.
Speaking to the press, the NYPD refused to make any statement regarding the allegations that have been made against Kristaps. If there is any action going on behind the scenes, they are being very tight-lipped about it, which makes sense given that this is a pending situation. According to sources behind the scene, New York's Special Victims Division is helping out with the investigation, so it sounds like they are taking it very seriously.
Kristaps, on the other hand, is not staying silent, and what he is saying isn't earning him any new fans. Not only is he claiming that these allegations against him are false, but he has also said that the woman who has made these claims has tried to extort him and that this is just another grab for money. Yikes. Smooth move, bro.
5. Are The Knicks Standing By Their Man?
He used to rep the Knicks with pride. Those days are gone.
Although Kristaps no longer plays for the Knicks, his former team is still falling under fire and taking serious heat for the charges against Kristaps. When asked to comment on their former employee's latest scandal, they had only this to say:
"Kristaps’ personal matter and not related to the Knicks.” Pretty cut and dried, pretty straightforward, and also a pretty straightforward way of making sure that it's clear that they have no intention of protecting the guy.
Rebecca Jane Stokes is a writer living in Brooklyn, New York with her cats, Batman and Margot. Her work focuses on relationships, pop culture and news. For more of her work, check out her Tumblr.