MANHATTAN — Former Knick Chris Copeland was stabbed in the stomach during a fight outside Chelsea's 1 Oak nightclub Wednesday morning, sources said.
Copeland, 31, who's now a forward with the Indiana Pacers, and his wife Katrine Saltara, 28, had stepped out of the club at 453 W. 17th St., near 10th Avenue, about 3:59 a.m. when they got into an altercation with the attacker who was also leaving the club with his girlfriend, sources said.
The sources said Copeland was having a "minor" dispute with his wife and the man, identified as Sheroy Murdoch, 22, from East New York, intervened. Copeland and Murdoch began arguing and Murdoch stabbed the basketball star, sources said.
Copeland's wife was also slashed across the chest and arm, police said.
The suspect's girlfriend, 23, tried to break up the fight but got slashed across the stomach, sources said.
Video published by TMZ shows Copeland leaning against the club's exterior wall with a woman sitting in front of him as police and firefighters mill around them.
Copeland, who played for the Knicks in the 2012-2013 season, and his wife were taken to Bellevue Hospital in stable condition, police said.
The woman who had been with the suspect was treated at Lenox Hill Hospital, police said.
Copeland and the rest of the Pacers were in town to play the Knicks Wednesday night.
Murdoch was arrested at the scene, but charges against him were still pending later Wednesday morning, police said.
When police moved to secure the crime scene and interview witnesses, two other basketball players, Pero Antić and Thabo Sefolosha, of the Atlanta Hawks tried to intervene, sources said.
They were taken into custody at the scene on charges of obstruction of government administration, menacing and disorderly conduct, an NYPD spokeswoman said. Antić and Sefolosha were released without bail on Wednesday, law enforcement officials said.
Sefolosha's lawyer, Barry Deonarine, did not immediately respond to request for comment. Information for Antić's lawyer was not immediately available.
They are not thought to have been connected to the stabbing.
The Hawks are in town to play Brooklyn Nets Wednesday.
Basketball legend and current Pacers president Larry Bird said he and the team's leadership knew about the stabbing.
"We are still gathering information and will update when we know more. Our thoughts are with Chris and those injured," Bird said.
The Hawks organization was also looking into the stabbing, a spokesman said.
Copeland's teammates offered their support.
Pray for my brother Chris!
— Paul George (@Yg_Trece) April 8, 2015Copeland's friend, Matt Coward posted on Instagram Tuesday afternoon that Copeland was in recovery.
The National Basketball Association did not immediately return requests for comment.
