Quick Hitters
Police reports contrast with video of Bucks player’s arrest
MILWAUKEE — Officers involved in the stun gun arrest of Milwaukee Bucks player Sterling Brown said in preliminary police reports that Brown was aggressive when he was approached about a parking violation, though body camera footage suggests that wasn’t the case.
The police reports obtained by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel say Officer Joseph Grams, who initially encountered Brown in a Walgreens parking lot last January, described Brown as very aggressive in his body language and actions and called for backup as a result. Grams’ draft report characterizes Brown as provoking the confrontation that ended with his arrest.
But the body camera video shows that Brown showed little if any resistance before he was taken down by several officers, shot with a stun gun and handcuffed. Three officers involved in the arrest were disciplined, with suspensions ranging from two to 15 days.
76ers GM denies blasting Embiid, others via Twitter accounts
PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia 76ers general manager Bryan Colangelo is denying a report connecting the executive to Twitter accounts that criticized Sixers players Joel Embiid and Markelle Fultz, among other NBA figures.
The accounts also took aim at former Sixers GM Sam Hinkie, Toronto Raptors executive Masai Ujiri and former Sixers players Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel, according to a report by The Ringer.
The Ringer asked the team about five Twitter accounts it suspected the GM was operating. Colangelo said in a statement that he used one of the accounts to monitor the NBA industry and other current events, but he was “not familiar with any of the other accounts” brought to his attention and he didn’t know who was “behind them or what their motives may be in using them.”
Embiid told ESPN on Tuesday night that Colangelo called him and denied the story. Yahoo Sports reported Colangelo was standing by his statement to The Ringer. A message was left by The Associated Press seeking comment from the Sixers.
Indy 500 champ Power Thinks NASCAR May Be Worth a Try
Fresh off his win at the Indy 500, driver Will Power puts the IndyCar series championship is now at the top of his checklist. But the 37-year-old Aussie isn’t ruling out a run at the stock-car circuit down the road.
“I’d love to race an oval in NASCAR, that would be fun,” Power said on the latest “PodcastOne Sports Now” weekly show with cohosts Jim Litke and Tim Dahlberg.
But Power said he hasn’t made any serious inquiries about picking up a ride, in part because. “I see how long it takes to get good at your craft . ... Those guys are absolutely top notch and it would be tough to turn up and be competitive.”
Also on the podcast: the rest of Associated Press racing writer Jenna Fryer’s entertaining interview with Power; AP NBA writer Tim Reynolds weighs in on the hosts’ continuing LeBron vs. MJ debate; AP tennis writer Howard Fendrich on Serena Williams’ return to the French Open; plus, plenty about how the Golden Knights became the latest hit show in Las Vegas.
Finally, the hosts honor National Hamburger Day with a discussion about — what else? — french fries.