Chris Brown Sued Over Alleged Beatdown

Ha, no, not the one in which he decided it would be cool to use Rihanna's face as a speedbag and left her unconscious in his rented Lamborghini.

This is a different beating, and Brown's fists were not involved - just his bodyguards'.

On the most recent stop on his Act Like a Tool / Return to Public Life Tour, Chris Brown played some pickup basketball with NBA star Shaquille O'Neal.

No violence broke out there - but according to a photographer, what took place on an L.A. basketball court back in March was quite a different story.

According to the new lawsuit, filed in L.A. County Superior Court, the celebrity gossip photographer claims it all went down just weeks after the Rihanna incident, when he shot a photo of Chris Brown playing b-ball with his friends.

The photographer claims Chris' bodyguards yelled at him - so he tried to leave the gym ... but an L.A. Fitness employee tried to block his escape.

He then fell down a stairwell, which allowed the bodyguards to catch up with him - where they, "picked him up by his shorts and physically assaulted him."

The man claims he was a paying member at the gym and had every right to be there. He is suing Chris Brown and LA Fitness for assault and battery, false imprisonment, infliction of emotional distress, negligence and premises liability.

Interestingly, this is the same guy who attempted to sue Pierce Brosnan over a violent incident with the star in Malibu - but that case was dismissed.

Chris Brown lawyer, Mark Geragos, said in a statement: "The is a specious and frivolous lawsuit by one of the paparazzi seeking publicity and a payday. He's done this before and lost. We will vigorously defend against this."

Can't wait for Brown and Bow Wow's lame video statement on this story.