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NEW YORK -- Indiana Pacers forward Chris Copeland, his wife and another woman were stabbed outside a Manhattan nightclub early Wednesday following an argument on the street near a Chelsea club that also led to the arrest of two Atlanta Hawks players, authorities said.
Copeland suffered a knife wound to his left elbow and abdomen, the Pacers said. He is in stable condition.
Pacers forward Chris Copeland suffered knife wounds to the elbow and abdomen, the team said.
"We are aware that Chris Copeland was injured early this morning in New York City," Pacers president of basketball operations Larry Bird said earlier Wednesday. "We are still gathering information and will update when we know more. Our thoughts are with Chris and those injured."
The violence broke out just before 4 a.m. Wednesday outside 1Oak Club, a trendy Chelsea spot where celebs like Justin Beiber and Snoop Dogg mingle with Manhattan partygoers. Police say the couple was arguing on the street as the attacker eavesdropped, and started to interfere. The dispute escalated until the 22-year-old suspect pulled out a knife and started slashing, police said.
Copeland, 31, a former member of the New York Knicks, was stabbed in the abdomen and his wife slashed in the arm and across the breast. The third woman was slashed in the abdomen. She was taken to Lenox Hill Hospital and also was in stable condition, according to the New York Daily News, which earlier reported the incident.
The suspected attacker, reportedly Shezoy Bleary, was in custody, and a knife was recovered at the scene.
Hawks players Pero Antic and Thabo Sefolosha were arrested on charges of obstructing the crime scene, after police said they blocked officers from trying to start their investigation. The players were in town to play the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center on Wednesday night and had arrived Tuesday evening after playing a night game in Atlanta.
Garin Narain, the Hawks vice president of public relations, said in a statement Wednesday morning that the team is investigating the matter.
"We are aware of the situation involving Pero Antic and Thabo Sefolosha this morning,'' Narain said. "We are in the process of gathering more information and will have further comment at the appropriate time.''
The Pacers were in town to play the Knicks on Wednesday night.
Copeland, a 6-foot-8 forward from New Jersey, played in 56 games with the Knicks during the 2012-13 season, his rookie year. He signed with the Pacers in 2013 as a restricted free agent and is in the second year of a two-year deal.
Information from ESPN.com's Ian Begley and The Associated Press was used in this report.
NEW YORK -- Indiana Pacers forward Chris Copeland, his wife and another woman were stabbed outside a Manhattan nightclub early Wednesday following an argument on the street near a Chelsea club that also led to the arrest of two Atlanta Hawks players, authorities said.
Copeland suffered a knife wound to his left elbow and abdomen, the Pacers said. He is in stable condition.
Pacers forward Chris Copeland suffered knife wounds to the elbow and abdomen, the team said.
"We are aware that Chris Copeland was injured early this morning in New York City," Pacers president of basketball operations Larry Bird said earlier Wednesday. "We are still gathering information and will update when we know more. Our thoughts are with Chris and those injured."
The violence broke out just before 4 a.m. Wednesday outside 1Oak Club, a trendy Chelsea spot where celebs like Justin Beiber and Snoop Dogg mingle with Manhattan partygoers. Police say the couple was arguing on the street as the attacker eavesdropped, and started to interfere. The dispute escalated until the 22-year-old suspect pulled out a knife and started slashing, police said.
Copeland, 31, a former member of the New York Knicks, was stabbed in the abdomen and his wife slashed in the arm and across the breast. The third woman was slashed in the abdomen. She was taken to Lenox Hill Hospital and also was in stable condition, according to the New York Daily News, which earlier reported the incident.
The suspected attacker, reportedly Shezoy Bleary, was in custody, and a knife was recovered at the scene.
Hawks players Pero Antic and Thabo Sefolosha were arrested on charges of obstructing the crime scene, after police said they blocked officers from trying to start their investigation. The players were in town to play the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center on Wednesday night and had arrived Tuesday evening after playing a night game in Atlanta.
Garin Narain, the Hawks vice president of public relations, said in a statement Wednesday morning that the team is investigating the matter.
"We are aware of the situation involving Pero Antic and Thabo Sefolosha this morning,'' Narain said. "We are in the process of gathering more information and will have further comment at the appropriate time.''
The Pacers were in town to play the Knicks on Wednesday night.
Copeland, a 6-foot-8 forward from New Jersey, played in 56 games with the Knicks during the 2012-13 season, his rookie year. He signed with the Pacers in 2013 as a restricted free agent and is in the second year of a two-year deal.
Information from ESPN.com's Ian Begley and The Associated Press was used in this report.
