It's not just us that are hooligans

[Barry Scott]

apparently overpaid basketball players in the States are at it...

 

 

 

NEW YORK (AP) -- Indiana's Ron Artest, Jermaine O'Neal and Stephen Jackson, and Detroit's Ben Wallace were suspended indefinitely by the NBA on Saturday for taking part in one of the ugliest brawls in U.S. sports history, a fight with fans that commissioner David Stern called ``shocking, repulsive and inexcusable.''

 

League officials and police were examining videotapes of Friday night's melee and interviewing witnesses. The NBA issued a statement saying it was reviewing rules and security procedures ``so that fans can continue to attend our games unthreatened by events such as the ones that occurred last night.''

 

Artest, O'Neal and Jackson -- who all threw punches at fans in the stands or on the court at the end of the nationally televised Pacers-Pistons game -- began serving their suspensions Saturday. Indiana, limited to just six players because of the suspensions and injuries, dropped an 86-83 decision to Orlando.

 

Wallace's suspension will start at home Sunday night against Charlotte, the next game for the reigning NBA champion Pistons.

 

The exact length of the four players' bans could be announced as early as Sunday.

 

``I didn't start it. I just played the game,'' Wallace said Saturday before learning of his suspension. ``The league is going to do whatever they feel needs to be done, and I don't have no problems with that.''

 

Pacers players did not immediately comment Saturday, but team CEO Donnie Walsh issued a statement saying, ``responsibility for Friday night's action can be shared by many.''

 

Pistons CEO Tom Wilson said the team plans to use ``playoff-level security'' starting with Sunday's game, doubling the number of armed police and increasing other arena security personnel by about 25 percent.

 

The brawl was particularly violent, with Artest and Jackson bolting into the stands near center court and throwing punches at fans after debris was tossed at the players.

 

Later, fans who came onto the court were punched in the face by Artest and O'Neal.

 

``We'll put it all together, take it to the Oakland County prosecutor's office and have them review it and they'll decide if there are any charges,'' Auburn Hills Deputy Chief Jim Mynsberge said.

 

``The whole fiasco could take weeks to decide,'' Oakland County Prosecutor David Gorcyca said.

 

G. William Hunter, the executive director of the NBA Players' Association, apologized to fans for the events of Friday night.

 

``We are in the process of consulting with our players, league officials and others in an effort to determine all of the facts,'' Hunter said in a statement. ``No one can condone the level of incitement and violence we all witnessed.''

 

The next game between Indiana and Detroit is Dec. 25 at Indianapolis. The rivals, who met in the Eastern Conference finals last season, won't play each other in Auburn Hills, Mich., again until March 25.

 

The melee was the talk of the league Saturday. Violence at NBA arenas is rare, even among the few franchises -- such as Detroit -- that draw a more rough-and-tumble crowd to courtside seats than in other cities.

 

``I was in total shock. Unbelievable,'' said Mike Montgomery, who oversees security at Staples Center in Los Angeles. ``You never expect something like that to happen. You prepare and train for an incident like that, but you never expect it.''

 

Wallace began the fracas by delivering a hard, two-handed shove to Artest after Wallace was fouled on a drive to the basket with 45.9 seconds remaining. After the fight ended, the referees called off the remainder of the game. Pacers players were pelted with drinks, popcorn and other debris as they rushed to the locker room.

 

``This demonstrates why our players must not enter the stands, whatever the provocation or poisonous behavior of people attending the games,'' Stern said in his statement. ``Our investigation is ongoing, and I expect it to be completed by tomorrow evening.''

 

The most recent example of an NBA player going into the stands and punching a fan came in February 1995, when Vernon Maxwell of the Houston Rockets pummeled a spectator in Portland. The league suspended him for 10 games and fined him $20,000.

 

Among the harshest non-drug-related penalties in NBA history was a one-year suspension of Latrell Sprewell -- later reduced to 68 games -- for choking Golden State Warriors coach P.J. Carlesimo at practice.

 

Kermit Washington of the Los Angeles Lakers drew a 60-day (26-game) suspension in 1977 for a punch that broke the jaw of the Houston Rockets' Rudy Tomjanovich during a game, while Dennis Rodman was suspended 11 games for kicking a courtside cameraman in the groin and six games for head-butting a referee.

 

Artest was benched for two games this month for asking Pacers coach Rick Carlisle for time off because of a busy schedule that included promoting a rap album.

 

Artest was suspended twice by the NBA last season, once for leaving the bench during a fracas at a Pacers-Celtics playoff game; the other for elbowing Portland's Derek Anderson. During the 2002-03 season, Artest was suspended five times by the NBA and once by the Pacers for a total of 12 games.

 

Artest also once grabbed a television camera and smashed it to the ground after a loss to the Knicks two years ago.

 

``People are putting all the burden on Artest, and I don't think that's fair,'' Houston coach Jeff Van Gundy said. ``He's an easy target because of all the things he's been through. But some fans have gotten to a point where they think they can do or say anything.''

 

Toronto coach Sam Mitchell said: ``Do I think the fans should share some of the blame? Yeah. But as professionals, as NBA players, you cannot go into the stands.''

 

The initial skirmish wasn't all that bad, with Artest retreating to the scorer's table and lying atop it after Wallace sent him reeling backward.

 

But when a fan tossed a cup at Artest, he stormed into the stands, throwing punches as he climbed over seats.

 

``He was on top of me, pummeling me,'' fan Mike Ryan of Clarkston said. ``He asked me, 'Did you do it? I said, 'No, man. No!'''

 

Jackson joined Artest and threw punches at fans, who punched back. At one point, a chair was tossed into the fray.

 

Security personnel and ushers tried to break it up. Former Pistons player Rick Mahorn, who was seated courtside as a Detroit radio analyst, also stepped in.

 

``After the initial encounter on the court, the players were under control. As fans quickly became involved, the situation escalated,'' Walsh said. ``More specifically, the safety of everyone present was compromised, and that is of great concern for us.''

 

Two of the nine people treated for injuries were taken to a hospital, police said. Detectives planned to collect and analyze video footage, interview witnesses and examine medical records.

 

Bobcats guard Steve Smith isn't concerned about playing at the Palace on Sunday.

 

``Nah. No worries,'' Smith said. ``It wasn't us in Detroit.''

[American FLEET FAN No1]

But unlike the Cantona case......He clearly lept into the crowd and kicked a spectator, who alegedly called his mother a who knows what(and the gutter press pointed out this guy had a criminal record).....got off with a slap on his wrist............These players will be punnished.........or my name isn't (Sir) Alec Ferguson!

[Barry Scott]

this was a full on riot in the stands, i don't think i've seen anything like it in america

[American FLEET FAN No1]

Quote:

this was a full on riot in the stands, i don't think i've seen anything like it in america

And if the governing body does it job(and i think it will)you won't see it again!

[Barry Scott]

Artest is gone for the season, Jackson 30 games, O'Neal 25 and Ben Wallace is gone for 6. Now the NBA should make the Pistons play their next game behind closed doors