This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

An attorney for Kristaps Porzingis acknowledged on Saturday that a woman has accused the NBA star of rape, but said the Dallas Mavericks forward “unequivocally” denies the allegation.

Lawyer Roland Riopelle said the claim was part of an extortion attempt that is being investigated by the FBI.

Citing unidentified law enforcement officials, the New York Post and other news outlets reported that a woman went to police on Thursday and said Porzingis raped her in his Manhattan apartment last year while he was playing for the Knicks.

NYPD officials declined to comment.

Porzingis suffered a major knee injury in a game at Madison Square Garden against the Milwaukee Bucks. He then invited the woman to his luxury Manhattan apartment where she alleges she was sexually assaulted, the Post said the woman told police.

“We made a formal referral to federal law enforcement on 20 December 2018, based on the accuser’s extortionate demands,” Riopelle said in a statement.

The attorney said the NBA was also notified.

Porzingis, a 23-year-old from Latvia, was traded to the Mavericks in January. He is not expected to play until next season.