NZ Breakers misfit Glen Rice Jnr has pleaded not guilty to an assault charge, after his arrest in the Auckland city last week.
The former NBA player was allegedly involved in a skirmish outside a Fort Lane bar at 4:15am.
The Australian Basketball League stood Rice down from the Breakers' clash with Perth on Sunday and the club suspended him indefinitely on Monday.
The 28-year-old has been granted bail, provided he doesn't associate with the alleged victim, consume alcohol and or enter a licensed premise.
Rice's next court appearance will be February 10.
The New Zealand basketball club has had a forgettable week that included two road defeats, forward Tom Vodanovich creating a disturbance on the flight home from Perth and Rice's early-morning misadventure.
Breakers owner Matt Walsh, who played a key role in recruiting Rice, told NZME earlier this week that he regreted signing the troubled, but talented American.
"I'll be honest, maybe it was self-indulgence or me being naive," he said. "I thought we were the perfect place to help him and playing for a coach he knows well.
"We have the infrastructure and the people... this country is such an amazing place. How do you mess this up?
"He's got a court appearance on Wednesday, we'll help him with that, and it's very much a wait and see. We don't have much more information than the news reported."
Speaking exclusively to Newshub on Monday, Rice apologised for bringing the club under an unwanted spotlight.
"I feel like everybody deserves a second chance at this point," he said. "I mean, obviously, there was an incident, but these are great people [at the Breakers].
"I just want to try to make amends with it and try to move on, and try to help them as much as I can, the same way that they helped me."
