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A sports reporter has filed a lawsuit against Sacramento Kings coach Luke Walton accusing him of sexual assault.The Associated Press

Luke Walton, the NBA coach who recently left the Los Angeles Lakers and was hired by the Sacramento Kings, has been sued by a former sports broadcaster who said he sexually assaulted her in a hotel room several years ago.

His lawyer called the accusation “baseless” and said it was the work of an “opportunist.”

The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Monday, was brought by Kelli Tennant, a former college volleyball player who worked as a host on Spectrum SportsNet, according to The Associated Press.

The lawsuit said the assault took place at the Casa del Mar hotel in Santa Monica, Calif., where Walton pinned Tennant on the bed, forcibly kissed her and groped her, according to the report. The suit said the encounter happened when Walton was working for the Golden State Warriors, where he was an assistant coach from 2014 to 2016.

The allegation emerged less than 10 days after Walton was named head coach of the Kings. He stepped down as head coach of the Lakers this month after a disappointing season for the team. Walton, 39, spent three seasons with the Lakers after leaving the Warriors.

All three teams and the league acknowledged the reports about the allegation in statements, but offered few details.

The Kings said late Monday they were gathering information about the allegation, and had no further comment Tuesday morning.

The Lakers said they had not been aware of the allegation while Walton was head coach.

The Warriors also said they had been unaware.

Mike Bass, a spokesman for the NBA, said the league was co-operating with the Kings and “in the process of gathering more information.”

Tennant worked as a sports television host, including covering the Lakers and Los Angeles Dodgers, before beginning a career focused on health, wellness and women’s empowerment.

The Associated Press, citing the lawsuit, reported that Walton had been a mentor to Tennant, who was friendly with his wife. Walton wrote the foreword to a book that she wrote, according to the report, and she went to the hotel to give him a copy while he was in town for a Warriors road trip to Los Angeles.

She said he met her in the hotel lobby and then invited her to his room, where she said he assaulted her.

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