Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal is under police investigation following an incident between the three-time All-Star and a group of hecklers in Orlando, according to TMZ Sports.
A formal complaint was filed against Beal on March 22 with the Orlando Police Department a day after the Wizards lost to the Orlando Magic 122-112.
Beal had 16 points, seven assists, and five rebounds in 31 minutes. A group of fans confronted Beal as he walked down the tunnel to the Wizards’ locker room area at the Magic’s Amyway Center.
One fan yelled at Beal, “You [expletive] me [out of $1,300, you [expletive],” per TMZ Sports.
Beal turned his attention to the fans before allegedly knocking a hat off one of the fans’ heads. That prompted a verbal spar between Beal and the fans.
“Keep it a buck,” Beal said, “I don’t give a [expletive] about none of your bets or your parlays, bro. That ain’t why I play the game.”
The exchange lasted nearly a minute before Beal was ushered to the locker room area.
The fan told the police Beal hit him in the head when he swiped off his hat. The police used cell phone video and attempted to get surveillance from the arena.
Police told TMZ Sports there is probable cause to charge Beal with “simple battery” and charges are expected to be filed at large to the State’s Attorney’s Office.
Bradley Beal hasn’t played since the game against Orlando. He has missed three games with a knee injury. The season has been frustrating for Beal and the Wizards. Washington has a 33-42 record. They’re three games out of the last spot in the Eastern Conference’s play-in tournament.
Injuries have kept Beal out of 25 games this season. Still, he is averaging 23.2 points on a career-high 50.6% shooting from the field. Additionally, he is picking up 5.4 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game.
Heckling from fans has been an issue for the existence of sports. However, the legalization of sports gambling has tied fans more to the outcome of games and players’ performances. Those emotions may prompt situations like the alleged incident in Orlando.
