Ex-driver: Knicks' Curry 'tried to solicit gay sex'
Player says he's 'shocked' by sordid allegations in sexual harassment suit
 Seth Wenig / AP | Eddy Curry, 26, was the fourth overall selection in the 2001 draft out of high school in Illinois and has been a disappointment so far in his eight-year NBA career. |
 | Slideshow |
 | more photos |
 | Video: NBA from NBC Sports |
 Abdul-Jabbar managing his illness Nov. 15: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar wants to be very clear that his cancer was caught early and that he's not dealing with a death sentence. |
Ask the NBA expert: Ira Winderman |
Do you have a burning question about your favorite team or player? Submit it now, and then check back for our reader mailbag on the 1st and 15th of each month. |  |
NEW YORK - New York Knicks center Eddy Curry was hit with a sexual harassment suit by his former driver, according to a published report Monday.
The New York Post reported that Curry, a married father of four, "tried to solicit gay sex" from David Kuchinsky, who worked for the big man from October 2005-October 2008.
Kuchinsky is seeking $98,000 — including $68,000 in unpaid wages — from the injured Curry, who has played just one game this season but will earn $9.4 million.
According to the report, Kuchinsky also alleged racial discrimination, saying that the 6-11 center hurled racial and ethnic slurs at him.
Kuchinsky said he was addressed by Curry as "cracker", "white slave", "white devil" and "grandmaster of the KKK," according to the report.
"Instead of paying him, they discriminated against him, figuring that it would keep him there," Kuchinsky's lawyer, Matthew Blit, told the newspaper.
Citing the suit in Manhattan's federal court, the newspaper claimed that Curry forced Kuchinsky to complete "humiliating tasks outside the scope of his employment, such as cleaning up and removing towels (with bodily fluids), so that his wife would not see them."
However, the most shocking claims involve Curry repeatedly exposing himself to Kuchinsky and asking him to touch his naked body, according to the Post.
"Imagine going into your boss's office ... and he stands up and drops his pants and he asks you take care of him," Blit said in the report. "Those actions are unacceptable whether it's in a corporate office or a private home."
Curry, however, apparently was not done. The report said he also allegedly pointed a fully loaded gun at Kuchinsky to keep him from complaining about the treatment.
"Look, I have one in the chamber," Curry allegedly said, according to the report.
|
In the interest of full disclosure, the newspaper reported — citing Saindon — that Curry took a chance when he hired Kuchinsky, who was sentenced to three years in prison for burglary in 1992.
He also received three years' probation in 2004 after a resisting-arrest charge, according to the newspaper. Both alleged incidents took place in New Jersey.
"It's shocking that Eddy opened his home to a convicted felon out of prison, and gave him a job when he couldn't find a job, and this is what comes out of it," Saindon told the newspaper. "The entire thing is preposterous."
The Post described Kuchinsky's role as an "around-the-clock chauffeur" for Curry, who eventually gave him further duties at his mansion in Burr Ridge, Illinois.
It is not the first sexual harassment charge against Madison Square Garden and the Knicks, who had to fend off an embarrassing suit filed against the organization and former team president and coach Isiah Thomas.
Former MSG employee Anucha Browne Sanders was awarded $11.6 million in punitive damages in that case, which saw exiled point guard Stephon Marbury take the stand and admit that he had consensual sex with an MSG intern in his truck outside a strip club.
That testimony, along with that from Thomas, has caused many to describe the organization as a glorified fraternity house. The allegations against Curry certainly don't help that perception.
|
In fact, Thomas mortgaged much of New York's future in a trade with the Chicago Bulls for Curry, who joined the team in 2005-06 despite a heart ailment which left his health in doubt. Despite the ominous beginning, Curry excelled in his first season with the Knicks.
That season, respected former New York coach Larry Brown called Curry the cornerstone of the franchise and a potential All-Star. The soft-spoken center then averaged career highs with 19.5 points and 7.1 rebounds the next campaign under Thomas, who moved down from the front office to the bench.
Since then, Curry's role in New York has diminished. New coach Mike D'Antoni and team president Donnie Walsh reportedly intend to deal the 285-pound Curry, whose weight problems make him useless in D'Antoni's fast-paced offense.
More on Eddy Curry | Knicks
- Discuss Story On Newsvine
-
Rate Story:
LowHigh - Instant Message
MORE FROM NBA |
 NBA Section Front |
| Add NBA headlines to your news reader: |
Sponsored links