LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Toronto Raptors assistant coach Adrian Griffin on Thursday denied a series of domestic violence accusations made by his ex-wife in a social media post.
In a message posted to Twitter, Audrey Griffin said Adrian Griffin had repeatedly abused her, including choking her, throwing her into a wall with enough force to leave a hole and dragging her across a lawn while she was pregnant.
“This morning, accusations were made against me on social media by my former wife that I vehemently deny,” Adrian Griffin said in a statement released by the Raptors. “We are involved in a longstanding legal dispute over alimony and child support arrangements. I am disappointed to have to address false accusations in this way, and I apologize for any distraction this has potentially caused for our team at this important time.”
The Raptors also issued a separate statement on the matter.
“When we saw these allegations this morning, we were dismayed — Adrian is a valuable member of our team,” the team said in the statement. “Our leadership immediately spoke with him, and he flatly denied the allegations in the posts. We will support the process as he and his former partner settle these matters.”
Audrey Griffin had previously made similar allegations of abuse on social media. On Thursday, she wrote in part, “How can someone do ALL of this and get away with it. … I will tell you how… just be in the NBA and win a game in the bubble. Cinderfella. That’s how. Simple.”
Adrian Griffin coached the Raptors to a 124-121 victory Wednesday night against the Philadelphia 76ers, after coach Nick Nurse chose to let him coach the game in his stead. Griffin, Nurse’s lead assistant, has been an NBA assistant for more than a decade with the Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago Bulls, Orlando Magic and Oklahoma City Thunder before joining the Raptors prior to last season and helping them win a championship. He also played nine years in the league, appearing in 477 games with the Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, Bulls and Seattle Supersonics.
The defending champion Raptors are the second seed in the Eastern Conference for a second straight season and will face the Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the playoffs beginning next week.
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