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The Golden State Warriors are speaking out about the serious allegation lodged against two-way player Anthony Lamb, who was named in a Title IX lawsuit filed against his former university.
The Warriors forward was named in a lawsuit filed by a former University of Vermont swimmer who claimed that Lamb raped her in 2019 while they were in a relationship. Lamb is not a defendant in the lawsuit, but both he and the Warriors spoke out about it this week.
Lamb, Warriors Speak Out on Allegations
In the lawsuit, Ware and two other women allege that Vermont mishandled allegations of sexual harassment and assault, ESPN’s Kendra Andrews reported. The lawsuit claims that Lamb raped Ware in 2019, while the two were in a relationship. As Andrews noted, he was never criminally charged and the lawsuit claims that the athletic department “dissuaded Ware from seeking a formal investigation” and mishandled the investigation into Lamb.
Lamb issued a statement on December 8 denying the allegations against him.
“The allegation made against me in 2019 that have recently resurfaced are patently false,” Lamb said. “I have always been fully cooperative regarding the alleged incident, and have welcomed any investigation into the matter. Simply put, I have never committed sexual assault.”
The Warriors also released a statement saying they had properly vetted Lamb before signing him late in training camp, but held open the possibility of taking some kind of action if he does ever face charges.
“Anthony is not a defendant in this recent lawsuit and, to our knowledge, has never been charged with any wrongdoing in any legal case,” the team said in a statement. “Prior to signing Anthony in September, we did our due diligence with the NBA and his prior teams, as we do with all players. If any new information comes to light, we will certainly evaluate and act accordingly.”
Lamb’s Future With the Warriors
The allegations do not appear to jeopardize Lamb’s role with the Warriors. As C.J. Holmes of the San Francisco Chronicle reported on Friday, head coach Steve Kerr referred to the team’s statement when asked whether the lawsuit could impact Lamb’s status with the team.
Lamb has been an important bench player for the Warriors, moving up in the rotation as some of the team’s younger players have struggled. Kerr said he put a lot of trust in Lamb and fellow two-way player Ty Jerome due to their higher level of experience compared to 2021 lottery picks Moses Moody and Jonathan Kuminga.
“The thought process is when you’re struggling and you don’t have a rhythm, you don’t have consistency, veteran players are going to be able to provide that more than young players are,” Kerr said in November, via NBC Sports Bay Area. “Ty and Anthony are both relatively young, but were four-year college players. They’ve learned a lot more, they’ve absorbed a lot more than our young guys.”
Lamb has been an important contributor at both ends of the court for the Warriors, contributing strong defense while averaging 5.8 points per game on 51.2% shooting, including 38% from behind the 3-point arc.
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