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Former Los Angeles Lakers guard Kendrick Nunn (12) backs down a Portland Trail Blazers defender during an NBA regular-season game. Nunn spent parts of two seasons with the Lakers before continuing his career overseas, where he recently became involved in a controversial incident during the Greek League Finals.

Former Los Angeles Lakers guard Kendrick Nunn found himself at the center of a chaotic and controversial end to the Greek League Finals, with allegations that he was choked during an on-court altercation and later punched in a confrontation near the locker rooms following Panathinaikos’ championship-clinching loss to Olympiacos.

The incident unfolded during Game 5 of the Greek League Finals on Sunday, when tensions boiled over in the third quarter of Olympiacos’ 89-85 victory that secured the league title.

Kendrick Nunn, Tyrique Jones Ejected After Heated Altercation

According to Eurohoops and BasketNews, the sequence began after Nunn committed his fourth foul on Olympiacos star Sasha Vezenkov and appeared to accuse the former Sacramento Kings forward of flopping.

Olympiacos center Tyrique Jones quickly stepped in to defend his teammate.

Video of the incident showed Jones and Nunn going face-to-face before Jones appeared to grab Nunn by the throat and shove him backward. Officials intervened as players from both teams converged around the confrontation.

Following a video review, referees assessed Nunn a technical foul and ejected him from the game. Jones received an unsportsmanlike foul and a technical foul, resulting in his ejection as well.

The benches of both teams were also hit with technical fouls as emotions continued to escalate in the winner-take-all contest.

Panathinaikos Coach Alleges Locker Room Punch

The controversy did not end with the final buzzer.

Panathinaikos coach Ergin Ataman alleged after the game that Jones waited for Nunn outside the players’ tunnel and punched him in the locker room corridor.

“What is this? They came to the locker room to hit him. What is this?” Ataman said, according to Eurohoops.

BasketNews, citing SDNA, reported that Panathinaikos players attempted to confront Jones after the alleged punch before riot police intervened. The report described chaotic scenes involving players and security personnel as authorities worked to escort Jones safely from the arena.

Neither Olympiacos nor Greek basketball authorities had publicly announced disciplinary measures regarding the alleged postgame altercation as of Saturday.

Former Lakers Guard Revived Career Overseas

Nunn, 30, has rebuilt his career in Europe after an injury-marred stint with the Lakers.

The former Miami Heat standout signed a two-year, $10 million contract with Los Angeles in August 2021 and was expected to bolster a veteran roster featuring LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook.

Instead, Nunn never appeared in a game during the 2021-22 season.

A bone bruise in his right knee sidelined him before the season opener, and multiple setbacks in rehabilitation ultimately forced him to miss the entire campaign.

Nunn finally made his Lakers debut on opening night of the 2022-23 season against the Golden State Warriors, scoring 13 points. He later posted a season-high 23 points in a victory over the Atlanta Hawks in January 2023.

After his NBA tenure ended, Nunn moved overseas and emerged as one of Europe’s premier guards, helping Panathinaikos return to title contention.

Nunn’s Partner Also Disciplined During Finals Series

The tumultuous Finals series also led to disciplinary action against Nunn’s partner, Blen Kiya.

According to BasketNews citing Sport24, Kiya received a one-year ban from all Greek League arenas after allegedly grabbing referee Petros Papapetrou by the sleeve and shouting profanities during overtime of Game 4.

The incident reportedly caused a two-minute stoppage and prompted a formal investigation by Greek basketball authorities.

Now, with videos of the Game 5 incidents circulating widely on social media, Nunn and Panathinaikos find themselves at the center of one of the most controversial endings to a Greek League Finals in recent memory.