Paul George, Solomon Hill wear headbands in honor of teammate Chris Copeland
Indiana Pacers forwards Paul George and Solomon Hill don’t normally wear headbands when they take the court for games. Both did so when taking on the New York Knicks on Wednesday night, though, offering a visible sign that they were thinking about their teammate, Chris Copeland, who remains hospitalized after being stabbed in the abdomen outside a New York City nightclub early Wednesday morning.
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George and Hill confirmed after the game, a 102-86 win that put them back in ninth place, one game behind the Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets in the race for the final two playoff spots in the Eastern Conference, that their additional accessories were a pointed gesture aimed at Copeland, who’s worn a headband since joining the Pacers before the start of last season:
From Candace D. Buckner of the Indianapolis Star:
“That’s what tonight was for. Just thinking about Cope,” said George, who also revealed how he could not shake thoughts about his teammate’s well being. “The whole night. I sit next to Cope every game. He’s right next to me. For him not to be out there – I feel like all of our conversations are on the bench, so it was tough not seeing him and not having him right next to me. It’s just unfortunate, he’s the last guy I’d ever expect that to happen to.”
Copeland and Katrine Saltara, reportedly his former fiancee, were stabbed just before 4 a.m. Wednesday morning outside the Chelsea nightclub 1Oak. Police arrested Shevoy Bleary-Murdock, 22, at the scene, and reportedly recovered a switchblade that they believe was used in the attack. A third person — Catherine Somani, reportedly a friend of Bleary-Murdock — was also slashed during the incident. Bleary-Murdock was later charged with three counts of felony assault and four counts of criminal possession of a weapon.
The 31-year-old Copeland’s diaphragm was punctured in the knife attack, according to Buckner of the Star. He remains in stable condition in the intensive care unit of New York’s Bellevue Hospital after undergoing surgery on his abdomen and left elbow, which sustained an injury that doctors feared could be susceptible to infection.
Copeland issued a statement from the hospital on Thursday morning, according to ESPN.com:
“I just want to thank everyone for their well wishes and prayers. I’m overwhelmed with the outpouring of support. I look forward to coming back stronger than ever. Thank you,” he said in a statement given to ESPN’s Josina Anderson.
Copeland is expected to remain in the ICU for two or three more days, according to Anderson.
Two members of the Atlanta Hawks, swingman Thabo Sefolosha and center Pero Antic, were also at 1Oak prior to their team’s Wednesday night game against the Brooklyn Nets, and were arrested in the aftermath of the stabbing. They face three misdemeanor charges, including “obstructing governmental administration,” according to Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
According to the police report, officers six times asked Antic and Sefolosha to clear the area to establish a crime scene before they were arrested. The report states the two moved a couple of feet away but did not clear the area.
According to the report, Sefolosha then charged officers in an “aggressive manner.”
Police officer Johnpaul Giancona wrote: “When I approached the defendant to place him under arrest for the above described conduct, I observed the defendant flail his arms, twist his body, kick his legs, and struggle against me making it difficult for me to place handcuffs on him and complete the arrest. It took four officers to place the defendant in handcuffs.”
In regard to Antic, the report states that as Sefolosha was being arrested by an officer, he “grabbed his left shoulder, making it difficult to assist in the arrest.”
Sefolosha and Antic released a joint statement saying they will contest the charges:
“As members of the Atlanta Hawks, we hold ourselves to a high standard and take our roles as professionals very seriously. We will contest these charges and look forward to communicating the facts of the situation at the appropriate time. We apologize to our respective families, teammates, and the Hawks organization for any negative attention this incident has brought upon them. We are unable to provide further comment as this is an ongoing legal matter.”
Alex Spiro, the two players’ attorney, said they “should not have been arrested” and that they “fully expect the case to be dismissed.”
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Dan Devine is an editor for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
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