Beverley Suspended Over Ball-Throwing Incident

UPDATE May 10, 2024 4:53 AM CDT

The NBA says Milwaukee Bucks guard Patrick Beverley has been hit with a four-game suspension for "forcefully throwing a basketball multiple times at spectators and an inappropriate interaction with a reporter during media availability." Indianapolis police are investigating the ball-throwing incident, which happened during the Bucks' Game 6 playoff loss to the Pacers last week. After the game, Beverley told ESPN producer Malinda Adams she couldn't interview him because she didn't subscribe to his podcast, the Athletic reports. Adams said Beverley called the next day to apologize.

May 9, 2024 10:35 AM CDT

Police have confirmed that they're investigating an incident involving Milwaukee Bucks guard Patrick Beverley and Indiana Pacers fans during the final minutes of a playoff game in Indianapolis last week. Video from the game shows Beverley, who was on the Milwaukee bench, throwing a ball at a Pacers fan who'd apparently been heckling Bucks players. He missed the male fan and hit a female fan in the side of the head, the Athletic reports. The man threw the ball to Beverley, who immediately fired it back. Sources tell the Athletic that "obscenities were said toward Beverley in the lead-up to the escalation."

An Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department spokesman told the Indianapolis Star that the force is aware of the May 2 incident at Gainbridge Fieldhouse "involving an NBA player and citizen." The spokesman said IMPD detectives "are currently investigating this situation and take all accusations seriously." He said detectives will review video footage and speak to the parties involved before presenting the case to the prosecutor's office.

story continues below

The incident happened with a little over two minutes remaining in the game—and in the Bucks' season. They were eliminated after the 120-98 loss to the Pacers in Game 6 of the series. Beverley addressed the incident on the Pat Bev Podcast on Wednesday, CNN reports. He said he has "been called a lot of stuff in this league" but what was said to him during the game was a new one. "Still inexcusable," he said of his behavior. "It doesn't matter what was said. I have to be better and I will be better." Beverley said Pacers fans were "great," but a handful of them took things a little bit "too far." (More Milwaukee Bucks stories.)