Smush Parker Punches Teen During Pickup Game? Former NBA Player Allegedly Upset Over Hard Foul
Smush Parker punched a teen in the face at a pickup basketball game last week at Basketball City at Pier 36, according to reports. Reports stated that the former NBA player was apparently angry at his opponent, 16-year-old Wolfgang Novogratz, but Parker's manager has denied the incident even took place.
Smush Parker punching the teen in the face allegedly occurred because the former Miami Heat player was being embarrassed on the court by someone half his age. 36-year-old Parker was scored on twice by "Wolfie" Novogratz, who plays for Brooklyn's Poly Prep, according to The New York Post.
"Wolfie scored back-to-back baskets on Smush," a source told the Post. "At the other end, Smush went up for a shot. There was a hard foul, and they both went down. Smush got up and punched Wolfie in the face."
Get Our Latest News for FREE
"Wolfie did not pass out and tried to keep playing, but he had to sit down. For the sake of safety, he went to the hospital to be checked out, and he was fine," the insider continued. "He declined to press charges."
However, Parker's manager James Hunt called the story trumped up, saying Novogratz is relying on Parker's name to further boost his career – the teen has scholarship offers from Northwestern, Rutgers and Villanova.
"Smush did not punch him in the face. It wasn't no assault or anything like that. It was a hard foul. He didn't hit anybody. The kid's father is trying to use Smush's name as a stepping stone to promote his son to be recruited by these high level Division 1 colleges," Hunt said in a statement.
Wolfgang's parents, Cortney and Robert Novogratz, have appeared in Bravo reality show "9 By Design" and have another show on HGTV called "Home by Novogratz." Wolfgang and his siblings have appeared on television alongside their parents in the past.
Parker played in the NBA for five years, averaging 9.0 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game.
