New York- A suburban police chief likened the conflicting accounts of an accidental overdose at Isiah Thomas’ home to a “cover up” and rebuked the former New York coach for saying it was his teenage daughter who required treatment.

“It wasn’t his daughter,” Harrison Police Chief David Hall told the AP. “And why they’re throwing her under the bus is beyond my ability to understand.”

Authorities were called to Thomas’ Westchester County home on Oct 24th, where police said a 47 year old man was taken to the hospital and treated for an overdose of sleeping pills. Several media outlets reported that police confirmed it was Thomas who went to the hospital.

But reached on his cell phone, the former NBA great player told the New York Post he had not been treated for a sleeping pill overdose, and that it was his 17 year old daughter Lauren who had a medical issue.

It “wasn’t an overdose,” he told the newspaper. My daughter is very down right now. None of us are O.K.”

Hall forcefully refuted Thomas’ statement.

“My cops know the difference between a 47 year old black male and a young black female,” Hall said.

Voice mails and text messages from AP were left on Thomas’ cell phone. Messeges left earlier with Thomas’ publicist and two of his attorneys were not returned.

No sicide note was found, and police were classifying the case as an “accidental drug overdose” on “a number” of prescription sleeping pills, Hall said.

The developments, days before the start of another NBA season, are the latest drama in what has been a difficult year for Thomas.

He was fired as the Knicks’ coach April 18th after a season of dreadful basketball, a sexual harassment lawsuit and unending chants from fans demanding his dismissal.

As a player, Thomas won NBA titles with the Detroit Pistons in 1989 and 1990 and won an NCAA championship with Indiana in 1981. He joined the Knicks as the team president in 2003 and became coach in June 2006 after Larry Brown was fired.

Overall, he is 187-223 as an NBA coach, leading the Indiana Pacers to the playoffs in three straight years from 2000-03.

P.S Seattle natives Jamal Crawford and Nate Robinson play for the New York Knicks.