Atlanta Hawks player Thabo Sefolosha has filed a lawsuit against the 5 NYPD officers involved in his violent arrest outside of an NYC nightclub last year ... and he's playing the race card.
Sefolosha suffered a broken fibula and ligament damage when he and teammate Pero Antic were taken into custody outside 1 Oak on April 8th ... after another NBA player had been stabbed in separate incident.
31-year-old Sefolosha was initially charged with obstructing justice, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest -- but he took the case to trial and was eventually exonerated.