Pacers fans sue Milwaukee Bucks, former player, former coach in playoff incident

MILWAUKEE - Two Indiana women are bringing the Milwaukee Bucks to a different court.

They're suing the team, a former player and former coach – all because of an incident during last year's playoffs.

Lawsuit against the Bucks

What we know:

A criminal complaint says the women felt physical pain when Patrick Beverley threw a ball into the stands, hitting them. But the attorney said the questions that came after hurt even more.

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MAY 02: Patrick Beverley #21 of the Milwaukee Bucks dribbles the ball in the first quarter against the Indiana Pacers during game six of the Eastern Conference First Round Playoffs at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on May 02, 2024 in I

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TNT’s cameras caught the moment Patrick Beverley threw a ball at fans twice, just as the Pacers were ending the Bucks' season last May in Indianapolis.

Attorney responds

What they're saying:

Attorney John Kautzman represents two women now suing Beverley, former assistant coach Josh Oppenheimer and the Bucks organization as a whole.

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"I think it's a matter of do people believe in accountability and personal responsibility? That hasn't happened in this case," Kautzman said. "They were kind of 'perp walked' out of the facility in the middle of the end of the game, where they were highly embarrassed and humiliated by being the ones escorted out, when they had done nothing wrong."

Case details

Dig deeper:

The lawsuit, filed in Marion County Superior Court in Indiana, alleges Beverley threw the ball so hard it broke one of the women's necklaces.

Bucks, Pacers game (TNT)

They also accused Oppenheimer of "verbally attacking, inciting and provoking Pacers fans" behind the Bucks bench.

Beverley addressed the incident and apologized on his podcast. He went on to say the fans called him something he's never been called. Kautzman said Beverley's comments hurt his clients’ reputation, esteem, respect and good will.

"On no occasion did either of my clients, the two women, shout anything toward him, at him or with regard to the Bucks team," Kautzman said.

Attorney John Kautzman

The two women said because of what happened both on the court and afterward, they suffered several injuries and damage, including: 

• Physical pain and suffering
• Emotional and mental distress
• Humiliation, embarrassment and anguish
• Medical expenses
• Lost work hours/wages
• Compensatory and punitive damages

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The next steps

What's next:

As they turn to the courtroom to decide, the Bucks told FOX6 News they have no comment at this time.

Beverley and Oppenheimer, both no longer in the NBA, didn't reply to requests for comment. Should Beverley return to the NBA, he'd still face a four-game suspension over this incident.