SYDNEY: Australia’s National Basketball League blocked Glen Rice Jr from playing Sunday after the former Washington Wizards guard was reportedly arrested over an altercation at a bar.
Rice Jr, the son of three-time NBA All-Star Glen Rice, was due to play for his new club New Zealand Breakers in Perth against the Wildcats.
But barely an hour before tip-off, the NBL ordered that he be stood down.
“The NBL has directed the New Zealand Breakers to stand down Glen Rice Jr from today’s game against the Perth Wildcats following an incident in Auckland last Thursday,” it said in a statement.
“The incident has been referred to the Basketball Australia integrity unit to conduct an investigation. Rice Jr is not prevented from training or other club commitments.”
New Zealand media reported that Rice Jr, who only joined the club a fortnight ago, was arrested on Thursday over an alleged assault at an Auckland bar, with Breakers chief executive Matt Walsh confirming the incident.
“Like anyone on the team we’ll give him the benefit of the doubt, innocent until proven guilty,” Walsh told 1 News.
Rice Jr has a chequered history and was last year cut by his professional team in Israel after punching a teammate in the face in the locker room, according to US media reports.
(Agencies)
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