Elijah Millsap expresses concern over investigation into allegations against Utah Jazz leader



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MIAMI – Former Utah guard Elijah Millsap said Friday he had yet to hear from any investigator about his allegation that Jazz executive Dennis Lindsey made a bigoted comment to him during a end of season meeting in 2015.

Millsap also expressed doubt that a fair investigation could take place into his claim that Lindsey, who was then the team’s general manager and now executive vice president, threatened to cut his ‘black ass’ and kill him. send home.

Millsap made the claim in a tweet Wednesday. The Jazz responded on Thursday, saying in a statement they would use an outside lawyer to conduct a full investigation with the NBA.

“Obviously, I know my truth,” Millsap said in an interview with The Associated Press. “An outside advisor or someone else, all they can do is just try to [me] I seem to be lying. I did it mainly to free myself from the torture of holding onto things, to free myself, not to hurt Dennis Lindsey and not to make him look like a racist. I don’t think he’s racist, but I know what he told me. “

NBA commissioner Adam Silver confirmed the league’s involvement on Friday.

“We take allegations of discrimination seriously, we also take the due process rights of those accused, which is why we are conducting thorough investigations,” said Silver. “And in this case, the investigation is being conducted in partnership and coordination with the Utah Jazz.”

Millsap played 67 games for the Jazz in two seasons. The incident in question came from an exit reunion in April 2015, which Millsap – the brother of Paul Millsap, longtime Utah brother – said he also attended jazz coach Quin Snyder.

Managing director Justin Zanik, who was then deputy managing director responsible for keeping detailed notes of the conversation, was also present at the meeting, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. These notes were entered into a team database and will be reviewed as part of the investigation, sources said.

Millsap said he recalled being “very energetic” at this meeting and eager to hear what Lindsey and Snyder would tell him.

“I was expecting a great comeback,” said Millsap. “And then it took a turn for the worse.”

Millsap posted on Twitter that Lindsey told him, “If you say another word, I’ll cut your black ass off and send you back to Louisiana.”

Millsap met with reporters shortly after leaving the meeting with Snyder and Lindsey and showed no signs of anger. He was relinquished by Jazz in January 2016, a day before the rest of his contract for that season was guaranteed, he said. Such moves are not uncommon with unsecured chords.

Lindsey denied making the comment. Snyder said he didn’t remember what happened and defended Lindsey again on Friday before Jazz played in Miami.

“I have never heard anything close to Dennis,” Snyder said. “I didn’t hear anything, like I said, up close and I know him and his character. And I also think that if something like that was said, I was sensitive to these issues and I would will remember it. “

Millsap only appeared in two other NBA games after the Jazz gave him up, and said he didn’t think the team had spoken well about him when other teams asked him. questions about his background. He said he still trains several hours a day and would like to resume his playing career.

Millsap said he had no specific resolution that would satisfy him.

“These guys, they got the chance to tell people the truth about who I was,” Millsap said. “And they didn’t. It’s disgusting to me.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.



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