It sounds like the plot of an E. Lynn Harris novel and surely will become the fodder for late night jokes. Eddy Curry, the center for the New York Knicks, is being sued by his longtime driver who claims the 6-foot-11 professional basketball player routinely exposed himself and demanded gay sex. This may be the first time a pro basketball player has been involved in a gay sexual harassment case. The New York Post has the salacious details:
"The stunning court papers claim Curry, a married father of three, repeatedly approached chauffeur David Kuchinsky "in the nude," allegedly telling him, "Look at me, Dave, look" and "Come and touch it, Dave."
Curry also made Kuchinsky perform "humiliating tasks outside the scope of his employment, such as cleaning up and removing dirty towels [Curry had ejaculated into] so that his wife would not see them," the Manhattan federal court suit says.
Kuchinsky, who is straight and Jewish, also alleges racial discrimination, saying that Curry hurled slurs at him including "f---ing Jew," "cracker," "white slave," "white devil" and "grandmaster of the KKK."
And in a disturbing episode reminiscent of some of the evidence in the manslaughter case against former Nets star Jayson Williams, Kuchinsky further claims in his suit that Curry pointed a "fully loaded" gun at him on at least two separate occasions to keep him from complaining about his treatment. "Look, I have one in the chamber," Curry allegedly said.
The suit is seeking $98,000 plus compensatory damages from the injured Knick, whose contract pays him $9.4 million this year. Curry has played only 2 minutes, 38 seconds this season because of knee injuries
Curry's attorney Kelly Saindon denies the allegations as "absolutely untrue." The attorney immediately questioned the plaintiff's integrity and noted the former driver was "a convicted felon out of prison" with a burglary conviction before he was hired.
As far as the the plaintiff's credibility, who knows what happened. The prison record should raise questions, but, if Curry found Kuchinsky trustworthy enough to drive him and his family for three years, and, to spend many hours at his home with his children, that speaks volumes. This certainly wouldn't be the first time a pro athlete has been accused of sexual harassment, only this case has a gay angle. And let's not forget the Isiah Thomas sexual harassment case which established the Knicks as a clubhouse for sex and partying. To be continued ...
