LOS ANGELES, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Kwame Brown, the 6-foot-11 center-forward
for the Lakers, was the focus of an investigation into an alleged sexual
assault, Los Angeles Police Department has announced.
Brown was in the starting lineup for the Lakers on Tuesday night, only
hours after the announcement, the Los Angeles Times reported on Wednesday.
The alleged incident reportedly took place early Saturday morning, after
the Lakers defeated the Phoenix Suns on Friday night at Staples Center in Game 3
of their opening-round NBA playoff series. The police department released no
other details.
There were no immediate comments from the 24-year-old Brown, traded to the
Lakers from the Washington Wizards last summer.
But in a statement released by the Lakers about 90 minutes before their
114-97 series-extending loss at Tuesday night's Game 5 at Phoenix, Brown said,
"I want to assure everyone that I am completely innocent of any wrongdoing and
look forward to the truth coming out when this matter is fully investigated.
However, on the advice of my attorney, I cannot comment further at this time."
Coach Phil Jackson told reporters before the game that he had met with
Brown, who is the father of a 3-year-old daughter, and told him to concentrate
on three priorities: "Basketball, basketball and family. That's it." Jackson,
though, did not want to comment further.
"What's everybody here for? Come on now," he was quoted by the paper as
saying. "This is about a basketball game. We're going to let this pass our way.
We're not even going to discuss it. As a basketball team, we're going to focus
on what we need to do."
Jackson said that Brown, a key player in the Lakers' late-season surge to
the playoffs and surprisingly strong showing against the favored Suns, would
"focus his way through this." But,the coach acknowledged, "I'm sure it's a
distraction."
Brown, taking advantage of the smaller Suns, averaged 12.8 points and 7.3
rebounds during the first four games of the best-of-seven series, up from his
regular-season averages of 7.4 points and 6.6 rebounds.
In Tuesday night's game, after getting into early foul trouble,he finished
with 14 points and three rebounds in 24 minutes.
Brown, traded for Caron Butler and Chucky Atkins, was arrested twice while
playing for the Wizards, in 2002 on suspicion of driving 120 mph and again in
2003 on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. Enditem
