In this corner, innocent until proven guilty. In this corner, #MeToo.
Caught smack dab in the middle of the crosshairs, Kristaps Porzingis. And your Dallas Mavericks.
The 7-foot- foundational piece of the team’s future was accused of rape by a New York woman over the weekend. While we should holster our opinions until law-enforcement officials comb through the sordid details, two questions demand an answer ASAP:
What did the Mavs know?
And when did they know it?
The alleged incident occurred more than a year ago – Feb. 7, 2018 – when Porzingis was still a New York Knick. The woman’s claim, first reported Saturday by the New York Post, is that he sexually assaulted her in his Manhattan penthouse hours after suffering a season-ending tear of his ACL.
On social media, of course, there were immediately fervent supporters of both Porzingis (“the woman’s a gold digger!”) and the accuser (“she deserves to be taken seriously!”). Porzingis has been accused, not charged. Police, and the FBI, are investigating the matter.
Were the two dating? Friendly? Sex partners? Is he a criminal? Is she an extortionist? While investigators attempt to piece together the puzzle, fans and media should walk the tricky tightrope of both assuming his innocence and considering her credible.
What shouldn’t be difficult at all is the Mavs’ position. As in, this Porzingis predicament better not be news to them.
Dallas traded for Porzingis on Feb. 1. Considering its recent front-office sexual harassment scandal, the due diligence should have commenced months before. Right?
In 2018, Sports Illustrated uncovered a nasty Mavs workplace culture that ended with fired employees, the hiring of CEO Cynthia Marshall and owner Mark Cuban both saying he was unaware and accepting responsibility to the tune of a $10 million donation to various women’s groups. In light of that, surely they dug and dug and then dug some more into Porzingis’ background before trading for him and preparing to offer him a $160 million contract this summer.
If you believe that, you also believe there’s no way Porzingis will be guilty – and likely not even charged – of a crime.
“We have been instructed by federal authorities not to comment,” Cuban wrote in an email to The Post.
But the Mavs knew, right? ESPN reported that they did, in a story that said the Knicks informed the Mavs “of the pending rape allegation” during trade talks in late January. The NBA, the Players’ Association and even the FBI knew, evidence that extortion is also being looked into.
If the Mavs knew of the situation and were confident it will end up a case of extortion (reports say the woman waited more than a year to report the alleged assault because she was seeking $68,000 from Porzingis), making the trade is wholly logical. But then the Dallas Morning News posted a story indicating that the Knicks informed the Mavs about an “extortion” situation without revealing the accompanying “rape.”
That would be unequivocally unfathomable.
Any team – especially one attempting to rebuild its reputation – would ask a follow-up question if a potential trade partner mentioned “extortion.” Like say, for example, “Um, what was he being extorted for?”
Porzingis’ attorney, Roland G. Riopelle released a statement saying, “We unequivocally deny the allegations. We made a formal referral to federal law enforcement on Dec. 20, 2018, based on the accuser’s extortionate demands. We also alerted the National Basketball Association months ago, and they are aware of the ongoing investigation of the accuser by federal law enforcement.”
For what it’s worth, the Players’ Association is also supporting Porzingis.
“We have been aware of these allegations for some time, have evaluated the accuser’s claims and, based on what is presently before us, stand with Kristaps,” NBAPA executive director Michele Roberts said in a statement.
The Post says investigators consider the woman to be credible. TMZ says additional violence accompanied the rape. The London Daily Mail counters that the couple continued a consensual sexual relationship long after the date of the alleged incident.
The Mavs knew. They just must’ve known. When they’re allowed to comment, their explanation can be short, simple and believable. But it’s also mandatory. Acquiring a player in jeopardy of going to prison would be the Mavs whiffing on a blockbuster deal. But knowingly trading for a rapist would undo any and all the rebuilding of their culture.
The Mavs knew. We think the Mavs knew. They knew, right?
In time, we’ll know if they indeed knew. Until then, there was no hurry to get Porzingis onto the court this season. So, please, let’s not stampede a rush to judgment with him now.
