kb02
All-Star
She and her attorney should've sued GSW, LAL, and the Kings as well.
Allegations against Luke Walton (split from new coach thread)
- Thread starter Livinthedream
- Start date
She and her attorney should've sued GSW, LAL, and the Kings as well.
kb02
All-Star
I have a buddy, who has wanted to create a "consent" app for quite some time. After some good natured ribbing, he finally agreed that it wasn't a viable product.
burekijogurt
Starter
Doubt media would be joking about sexual assault accusations or implying that there is something about the Kings franchise that makes them more likely than other teams to hire someone who is subsequently so accused.
Both.. but I was talking about the Kings specifically. In this case, I think we've got to wait and see what happens. I learned from rushing to quick judgement and I think everyone deserves due process.
I would not fault the Kings for something completely out of their control either. This alleged also incident happened 2 years ago far before he was hired as Kings coach.
HndsmCelt
Hall of Famer
The Kings have an opportunity here to void the contract let things cool off and revisit the contract if they shake out and Luke's favor likewise to not be on the hook mid-season when their coach has more serious issues than basketball in front of him. Bare minimum due diligence means sitting down with the woman who is accusing Luke with your attorneys and asking her some simple questions and getting a feel for the situation. Likewise sit Luke down with the same.
jcassio
Starter
You're right about everything except the assumption that she's been trying to get money for some time now. You could be right, but you just as easily could be wrong and this (now) is when she decided the time was right to file the suit. This is going to be difficult for Kings fans.
miltonap
Starter
FYI, standard of proof for a civil case vs. criminal case. There is a lower threshold to pass for a civil case.
I might be wrong, but if it's just going to be he said/she said, that doesn't seem like enough to me to win a civil case.
Regardless this is obviously a bad look, but should let due process play out.
Not sure what the Kings will do.
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Livinthedream
All-Star
Lakers and Warriors have denied any knowledge.
John Galt
Starter
Want to make sure I understand... the "she said" part of it... standing on its own - seems like enough to win a civil case?
Every rich man should shudder. If it is her story - take it or leave it... then that could literally happen to any man on the planet who has any money.
There has got to be more.
John Galt
Starter
If they do have that power, I wouldn't mind if they exercised it. Is it a sure thing that the contract provides that the Kings can void it based on some bad publicity like this? Maybe Luke could sue Kings if they tried it?
KingsFanSince85
All-Star
Let me first say that if the allegation is true, it’s bad. And I feel for the victim. But the thing that bothers me about this kind of thing is why now? This couldn’t have been brought up at any point during the past 3-4 years? But instead she waits til a week after he’s hired for a new gig. The timing just doesn’t sit well with me. At all.
I get that many victims find it hard to speak out and that dredging up old memories and/or facing their accuser causes anxiety to the point of burying it inside. But let’s be real here. While terrible and inexcusable, the actions being alleged here aren’t so over-the-top that you’d understand someone keeping it buried. That part doesn’t make sense to me.
Again, if true, it’s bad. And I want to stress that the victim of the crime has it the worst. But the timing of it irritates me from the standpoint that the KINGS organization are now victims too — albeit on a much lesser and different scale. But victims nonetheless. This franchise just can’t catch a break.
I’ll bet DJ is laughing his %&# off about the KINGS right about now.
I get that many victims find it hard to speak out and that dredging up old memories and/or facing their accuser causes anxiety to the point of burying it inside. But let’s be real here. While terrible and inexcusable, the actions being alleged here aren’t so over-the-top that you’d understand someone keeping it buried. That part doesn’t make sense to me.
Again, if true, it’s bad. And I want to stress that the victim of the crime has it the worst. But the timing of it irritates me from the standpoint that the KINGS organization are now victims too — albeit on a much lesser and different scale. But victims nonetheless. This franchise just can’t catch a break.
I’ll bet DJ is laughing his %&# off about the KINGS right about now.
miltonap
Starter
oops, should say "doesn't", changed it
MOD NOTE: The fact he's being accused is news. Anything else is speculation. We didn't allow the discussion to veer offtrack when it was about Kobe; we didn't allow it to veer offtrack when it was about Bibby; we're not gonna allow it to veer offtrack now. So far the comments have not gone off the rail and I appreciate it.
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sactowndog
All-Star
From my understanding, which could be incorrect, he pushed her to the bed and forced a kiss/grope. Which means no physical evidence of any sort.
It’s not just men who may want to be concerned. There is already a growing trend of men refusing to be in situations where it’s a single man and women and no witnesses. Something like this case, if true, will only accelerate that trend. How would your career have progressed if more powerful people refused to meet you one on one?
MOD NOTE: Posts about the allegations against Luke Walton have been split off here.
Please show some common sense before responding. Personal insults about Walton OR his accuser are not acceptable and will be deleted, as will speculation about what happened or any of the salacious details. Multiple violations will result in you being banned from the thread.
Please show some common sense before responding. Personal insults about Walton OR his accuser are not acceptable and will be deleted, as will speculation about what happened or any of the salacious details. Multiple violations will result in you being banned from the thread.
In other words, presume him guilty until/unless you find otherwise? The league/team IMHO needs to treat this just like any allegations against a player. As a woman, I do not want to see a man's life/career ruined before any facts are known.
KingsFanSince85
All-Star
One other possible factor I just thought about. This allegedly happened 3 years ago — in April 2016 — before he was hired by the LA LeBron’s and while he was with the Warriors.
Tennant is a former host on Spectrum SportsNet LA -- the Lakers' regional sports network. So it’s a conceivable that she kept it to herself knowing the news would damage the organization largely responsible for her paycheck.
Is it a coincidence that she broke silence 10 days after Walton left that organization? Could the Lakers have pressured her to remain silent??
Well, the Lakers say they knew nothing about it.
So for those wondering if the KINGS did their due diligence before hiring Walton, there was nothing to uncover because, according to LA, they were never told.
Again, it seems highly likely to me that Walton’s departure from LA is what suddenly prompted the willingness to speak up. She had opportunity to say something upon his hiring and at any point during the 3 years he was the HC. But nothing. However 10 days after they mutually parted ways that all changes.
I sure hope it’s not because she was pressured to keep quiet. I doubly hope she didn’t do it to protect the LA LeBron’s organization of her own free will. That would be awful on her part.
Tennant is a former host on Spectrum SportsNet LA -- the Lakers' regional sports network. So it’s a conceivable that she kept it to herself knowing the news would damage the organization largely responsible for her paycheck.
Is it a coincidence that she broke silence 10 days after Walton left that organization? Could the Lakers have pressured her to remain silent??
Well, the Lakers say they knew nothing about it.
So for those wondering if the KINGS did their due diligence before hiring Walton, there was nothing to uncover because, according to LA, they were never told.
Again, it seems highly likely to me that Walton’s departure from LA is what suddenly prompted the willingness to speak up. She had opportunity to say something upon his hiring and at any point during the 3 years he was the HC. But nothing. However 10 days after they mutually parted ways that all changes.
I sure hope it’s not because she was pressured to keep quiet. I doubly hope she didn’t do it to protect the LA LeBron’s organization of her own free will. That would be awful on her part.
HndsmCelt
Hall of Famer
It's almost certain that like other contracts for high-end celebrities and sports figures there's a morality clause.
FYI - While a lot of contracts do include morals clauses, it's highly unlikely they kick into effect upon a single allegation. As I replied above, that in essence would be denying Walton his due process AND presuming him to be guilty. At least that's my two cents.
Kings_of_California
Starter
This sucks. Not much else to say. I'll wait for the investigation to make any judgements, but it sucks regardless, plain and simple.
KingsFanSince85
All-Star
Sorry. I was only attempting to connect dots on the timing while also being fair to the accuser and Coach Walton, and offering my thoughts. I’ve not implied that the accuser is lying nor have I said LW is guilty. I just have a problem with the timing, for reasons I outlined.
Sorry if I violated rules and/or didn’t fully comprehend the expectations you laid out.
No problem. I actually deleted the post of mine that you're replying to as I revisited your comment and it did not, in fact, step over the line. (Look in your INBOX.) Thanks, though, for understanding the sensitivity of this whole thing.
KingsFanSince85
All-Star
Yes sir. Speaking selfishly as a KINGS fan, this situation is something we just didn’t need. Even if it somehow turns out to be false, the damage is already done in terms of giving the organization yet another black eye. They just can’t avoid negative media coverage for long stretches of time.
Tetsujin
The Game Thread Dude
The thing is that the alleged assault happened when Walton was still with the Warriors. If the incident in question happened when he was the Lakers' HC, I could definitely see it playing out that way.
sactowndog
All-Star
Did you delete my response to John. How was that stepping over any line?
Kingz19
Hall of Famer
I’m not worried about it. There is no way anybody will know really anything about this relationship big or small. Let alone if something like this occurred. So there is really no reason to pass judgement. The only real embarrassment that can come out of this would be if the Kings hastily canned Walton because they cowered to people who think an accusation is enough to completely ruin somebody. Unless this starts a Cosby chain of accusations targeted at Luke...I’d imagine we won’t hear too much about this or even the results of it. So save your KANGZ
Tetsujin
The Game Thread Dude
Is it though? The Mavericks have somehow managed to sweep an organization-wide cultural of sexual harassment (seriously) and Zinger's rape allegations completely under the rug with minimal attention and one of those happened to proven unequivocally true (the harassment stuff).
If the allegations wind up false, Walton's rep might wind up slightly tarnished but he'd mostly wind up being one of those dudes "railroaded" without evidence. If the allegations are true, the Kings firing Walton would probably actually boost their image as a progressive franchise following up on how Vivek handled the Stephon Clark protests and so forth.
Tetsujin
The Game Thread Dude
This. If a pattern starts to emerge and it even starts to look like Luke is a serial offender, you fire him at once. As is though, this is currently one allegation against a guy who to this point hasn't really shown much in terms of abhorrent behavior aside from being a member of the Lakers organization for most of his career.
