The victim accusing former NBA player Scottie Pippen of punching and kicking him for requesting an autograph might not be much of a victim after all.
After reports came out that Pippen had attacked a fan who asked for his autograph outside a California restaurant, a source told The New York Daily News that the real story was much different. Pippen was the “real victim,” the Daily News reports, for being accosted by the intoxicated fan while Pippen held his 4-year-old daughter in a restaurant parking lot.
The man, who has not been identified, reportedly was taking pictures of Pippen and his family dining at Nobu, an upscale restaurant in Malibu, Calif. The man continued to take pictures as the family left the restaurant, then sought Pippen’s autograph — but that wasn’t all. The man also called Pippen “the N-word,” spit on him and started a “tussle,” according to the Daily News.
“Can you imagine, you’re out to dinner with your wife, your four kids and your mother-in-law, and someone calls you the N-word and starts to get physical?” the source told the Daily News. “When Scottie left, this guy had no injuries. Scottie is very upset about the way this has been portrayed.”
Several witnesses have apparently come forward to back up the claim that the “victim” was intoxicated. Police have not decided whether or not to charge Pippen with a crime. He was released after questioning, and his lawyer is said to be considering a counter claim against the autograph-seeker for assault and making a false report.
