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 Copeland, 31, and his former fiancée Katrine Saltara, 28, were
stabbed at about 4 a.m. on Wednesday outside a nightclub in
Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood.
Also injured in connection with the incident was Atlanta Hawks
forward Thabo Sefolosha, who is out for the season.
In a statement, Copeland, a three-year NBA veteran, thanked his
fans, teammates and others for their support and apologized for
being out late.
"I also want to apologize to everyone, particularly the NBA and the
Pacers for my bad choice at being out at that time," he added. "I am
doing as well as can be expected and I will work hard to make a full
recovery."
Copeland underwent surgery on Wednesday on his abdomen and left
elbow for the stab wounds and was in stable condition on Thursday at
a New York City hospital, the team said, adding that there was no
timetable for how long he will remain hospitalized.
The man who allegedly attacked Copeland, Shezoy Bleary, 22, was
arrested. Sefolosha and another member of the Atlanta Hawks, Pero
Antic, were charged for trying to prevent police from setting up a
crime scene.
Sefolosha suffered a fractured fibula and ligament damage that will
require surgery, putting him out for the rest of the season and the
entire postseason, according to a statement from the Hawks.
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“This is a very difficult situation for Thabo and our thoughts and
support will be with him during his recovery,” Head Coach Mike
Budenholzer said.
A second woman, who was believed to be Bleary's girlfriend, also was
slashed in the abdomen during the incident, police said.
Copeland is averaging 6.2 points a game for the Pacers this season.
(Reporting by Steve Ginsburg in Washington and Mary Wisniewski in
Chicago; Editing by Mohammad Zargham and Lisa Shumaker)
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