The NBA has suspended Bucks guard Patrick Beverley for four games without pay for throwing a basketball multiple times at fans and “an inappropriate interaction” with an ESPN producer after Game 6 of Milwaukee’s series against the Indiana Pacers last week.
Indianapolis police also announced Wednesday they’ve opened an investigation into an “NBA player and citizen” altercation that happened at Gainbridge Fieldhouse after Beverley threw a ball multiple times into the stands.
Police said in a news release the case has been forwarded to detectives “who are currently investigating this situation and take all accusations seriously.”
Detectives will present the case to the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office at the conclusion of the investigation, the release stated.
Cameras showed Beverley sitting on the bench and tossing a ball into the stands, hitting a fan in the head with about 2½ minutes left in Thursday’s contest. After a different fan threw the ball back to Beverley, who was holding his arm out for it, the Bucks guard fired it back at that spectator.
Beverley spoke about his behavior on an episode of “The Pat Bev Podcast” that was released Wednesday. He said he was called a word that he’d never been called before but added that his own actions were “still inexcusable.”
“I will be better,” he said. “I have to be better, and I will be better. That should have never happened. Regardless of what was said, that should have never happened. Simple as that.”
After the game, Beverley wouldn’t allow ESPN journalist Malinda Adams to ask him a question in a group interview in the locker room. He said it was because she didn’t subscribe to his podcast. Beverley told her to get her microphone out of his face then eventually asked her to leave the interview circle.
On his podcast Wednesday, Beverley said he had asked that of reporters who interviewed him ever since he launched his podcast. Beverley said he told Adams that “it was never my intent to disrespect you.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.