Ex-Warriors Coach Luke Walton Reportedly Sued For Sexual Assault
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- Former Golden State Warriors assistant coach Luke Walton is reportedly being sued by a woman claiming he sexually assaulted her in his hotel room in 2016.
The initial report by TMZ on Monday said the victim is Kelli Tennant, a former sports reporter at Spectrum Sportsnet LA. TMZ said that, according to legal documents, Walton forced himself upon Tennant after she came up to his Santa Monica hotel room to discuss a book she was writing.
At the time of the alleged assault, Walton was still with the Warriors; it reportedly happened in April 2016, shortly before he joined the Los Angeles Lakers as their head coach for the 2016-2017 NBA season.
On April 12 this year, Walton was fired by the Lakers as a result of a lackluster season, but he was immediately hired by the Sacramento Kings and introduced as their head coach last week.
"We are aware of the report and are gathering additional information. We have no further comment at this time," the Kings said in a statement on Monday evening.
The Warriors also put out a statement about the allegations: "We became aware of the alleged incident and story this evening and are in the process of seeking more information. We'll have no further comment at this time."
The highlight of Walton's time with the Warriors was leading the team to a 24-0 start in 2015 during head coach Steve Kerr's absence (caused by a back injury) to start off their record-breaking 73-9 season.
