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A National Basketball Association (NBA) coach is being sued for the alleged sexual assault of a sports reporter, US media report.
In the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ and ESPN, Kelli Tennant alleges Sacramento Kings coach Luke Walton forced himself on her in a California hotel room.
At the time he was assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors, another California NBA team, says the lawsuit.
In a statement, Mr Walton's lawyer called the accusations "baseless".
According to legal documents obtained by US media, Ms Tennant met Mr Walton in his suite at the Hotel Casa Del Mar in Santa Monica to give him a copy of her 2014 book.
Mr Walton had written the foreword to the publication, The Transition: Every Athlete's Guide to Life After Sports.
No specific date for the alleged incident was stated in the lawsuit, according to US media.
The two had reportedly had a working relationship, stemming from Mr Walton's time as a guest on Spectrum SportsNet, a US regional cable sports channel where Ms Tennant used to work.
She also knew Mr Walton's wife, according to US media.
The legal action says Ms Tennant had viewed Mr Walton as a "trusted mentor and colleague", according to the Los Angeles Times.
Upon Ms Tennant's arrival at the hotel, the lawsuit reportedly says, Mr Walton invited her to his room, ostensibly so they would not be seen by any Golden State Warriors players.
Once inside the suite, the legal action says that Mr Walton "pinned Ms Tennant on the bed, placing his hips and legs over her body", before groping her chest and groin, according to US media who have reviewed the court documents.
"She was afraid she was about to be raped," the legal action reportedly says.
According to US media, Mr Walton's lawyer released a statement categorically denying the allegations.
"The accuser is an opportunist, not a victim, and her claim is not credible," said Mark Baute.
Mr Walton was hired this month by the Sacramento Kings, after leaving the Los Angeles Lakers, where he had been head coach since 2016.
Mr Walton had previously played 10 seasons for the Lakers, before beginning his NBA coaching career with the Golden State Warriors in 2014.
All three teams responded to the allegations.
The Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors said they were aware of the report and had no further comment.
The Los Angeles Lakers statement said the alleged incident took place before he became their head coach.
"At no time before or during his employment here was this allegation reported to the Lakers," it said.
"If it had been, we would have immediately commenced an investigation and notified the NBA."
Since news of the lawsuit broke, Ms Tennant, a former volleyball player for the University of Southern California, had her Instagram page flooded with comments, many of them abusive.
ESPN reports the NBA has launched an investigation of its own into the alleged event.