A New Mexico men’s basketball player allegedly punched one of his injured teammates on a flight last month amid a disagreement about a seat.
According to Albuquerque television station KOB 4, a walk-on member of the Lobos basketball team was struck on a shoulder he had in a sling by a scholarship player as they made their way to Palm Springs for the Acrisure Classic before Thanksgiving.
The alleged victim’s family claim that the two players – who have not been named – were involved in a dispute over his seat on the plane, before he was punched on his injured shoulder.
He was also forced to go to a hospital in Albuquerque for treatment when the team returned after a similar incident played out in their hotel later in the day.
The walk-on player claims to have told New Mexico coaching staff what had happened, only for no action to be taken at the time.
However, the school is now said to be investigating the incident between their two men’s basketball players.
A New Mexico basketball player allegedly punched his injured teammate on a flight last month
Head coach Richard Pitino (pictured) was tight-lipped on the matter in his latest press conference
An attorney representing the alleged victim told local TV channel KRQE that the scholarship player was allowed to play in two games after the incident occurred.
The University of New Mexico released a statement earlier this week insisting they are taking the accusation ‘very seriously’.
‘The University of New Mexico takes the safety and well-being of all our students very seriously. We are aware of an alleged incident involving members of our men’s basketball team and are carefully reviewing and assessing all of the facts,’ the statement read.
‘We are following all appropriate protocols and procedures in addressing this situation and are committed to addressing any misconduct appropriately. Due to federal student privacy laws, specifically the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), we cannot disclose specific details or comment further on individual student matters.’
Head coach Richard Pitino, meanwhile, remained tight-lipped on the matter in his latest press conference.
‘There’s not a whole lot I can talk about,’ Pitino said. ‘We are handling any disciplinary matters internally, but other than that there’s not a whole lot I can say specifically.’
