Hawks’ Thabo Sefolosha Out For Season After Breaking Leg During NYPD Arrest

Thabo Sefolosha broke his right fibula and suffered ligament damage during his arrest outside of a New York City nightclub early Wednesday morning.

Sefolosha and Atlanta Hawks teammate Pero Antic were taken in by the NYPD for interfering with a crime scene following the stabbing of Indiana Pacers’ Chris Copeland.

When the guard emerged from custody yesterday he was walking with a noticeable limp and the team confirmed he’ll need surgery.

“This is a very difficult situation for Thabo and our thoughts and support will be with him during his recovery,” Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said in a statement. “We know that his approach and dedication will serve him well in his rehabilitation. Our team remains focused and will be prepared as we head into the postseason.”

That’s a crazy way to lose a productive player.

Sefolosha and Antic also released a joint statement Wednesday in which they apologized “to our respective families, teammates, and the Hawks organization for any negative attention this incident has brought upon them.”

In the joint statement, the players said they would contest the charges.

“As members of the Atlanta Hawks, we hold ourselves to a high standard and take our roles as professionals very seriously,” the statement said. “We will contest these charges and look forward to communicating the facts of the situation at the appropriate time.”

I’m sure there are more than a few Atlanta fans who would like to know exactly how a professional athlete breaks his leg while being cuffed. It seems like those details would be important.

[H/T: New York Daily News]