The charges against the Boston Celtics' Jabari Bird are concerning. Bird is alleged to have strangled and beaten a woman for hours. He was arrested and released on $50,000 bail. He is taking an indefinite leave from the Celtics to deal with his legal and medical issues for the time being. The Celtics released a statement regarding the situation.
Now, the NBA is releasing their own statement, per Shams Charania of The Athletic.
“The allegations are disturbing and we are conducting a full investigation of the matter. We have been in contact with local authorities since learning of the incident.”
This is a very tough look for the league, and it's not at all surprising to see that they're looking into the matter. Domestic violence is an issue that has swept through professional sports in recent years and it's something that has no place in society.
The issue was thrown into the forefront of the sports world when Ray Rice of the Baltimore Ravens assaulted his fiancee (now wife) in 2014. The NFL's botched handling of the situation caused an uproar around the nation.
It's imperative that professional sports leagues take their time when investigating these matters and ensure that they have all the facts they need to make a decision. For now, the NBA will work with authorities to figure out exactly what happened.
Regardless, it's comforting to know the league and the Celtics take a proactive approach to an awful situation. We will learn more about what really happened in the weeks ahead.
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