A fan is suing Bradley Beal, the Washington Wizards and Monumental Sports & Entertainment after a postgame incident in Orlando in March, alleging battery and assault and asking for damages exceeding $50,000.
To get to the locker room at Amway Center, visiting players walk down a corridor that fans also have access to. Fans and players are separated by a waist-high divider, and security is typically present.
The suit alleges that, during the incident, Beal said to Briffa: “When you disrespect me, I’m going to press you about it. Do you think this is a joke? Do you think this is a joke? Do you think this is a joke? Do you think this is a joke … because when I press you about it, what are we doing? What are we doing? What are we doing?”
Orlando police were investigating Beal on a battery allegation after a police report was filed March 22. No charges have been filed.
A Wizards spokesperson declined to comment Wednesday.
Beal said during his end-of-season news conference April 10 that he has noticed fans directing gambling-related ire at players more often as sports betting becomes more widespread.
“It’s been a little bit more developing, ongoing nastiness in the last few years with the sports gambling stuff,” Beal said. “Granted, I understand. I go to casinos, I gamble, I understand that. But I also understand that’s probably a 99 percent chance I’m going to lose. … So I’m not sitting here about to get angry at the dealer, angry at everybody else.”
Asked about the incident, Beal said he couldn’t say much.
“It’s fans. It’s interactions. I don’t have any problems with fans and what they say and how they interact; it’s just — don’t get disrespectful and say things you probably wouldn’t say to me if I was just walking down the street,” he said. “That’s it; that’s all. There’s nothing more than that.”