NBA discussion thread

Originally posted by ElectricBugaloo
they were justified. Clearly justified.

O'Neal sucker punched that one guy on the court, and that is one of the most enduring images of the brawl. So Stern had to suspend him. How can you say that someone charging into the stands and inciting a mini-riot DOESN'T warrant a full season suspension? Spreewell got it after choking his coach, and obviously attacking fans is worse than attacking your coach.

These suspensions were justified and could ahve been worse.

that guy that that was on the court had no right to be on the court...thats common sense...you dont go on the court...you no what happens when you gon on a (american) football field..if your lucky you'll only get tackled by a linebacker and noone suspends or fines the linebacker for doing so....actually attacking your coach isnt worse than attacking a fan who just threw a cup of beer in your face....i dont know why spreewell choked his coach but i know he had less justification than artest did...the fan who threw the cup incitied the riot...when you throw a cup of beer at some espicially someone like artest what do you think he;s gonna do?....say "nice arm"...i'm not saying artest doenst deserved to be suspended i'm saying that david stern suspensions are ridicolous...i mean he even suspended players who werent involved...i dont remember reggie or billups being involved in the stands or mixing it up with anyone...they were just caught up in the chaos

This is complete bull. I expected, although I don't agree with, Artest getting the season long suspension. But O'neal getting that long of suspension for hitting a fat assed mexican who had no right being on the court, and Stephan Jackson getting that long of suspension for protecting his teammate, and on top of that, the dumbass that started it all Ben Wallace only getting 6 games, unbelievable. Stern better be prepared because the players union is gonna womp his ass in court on this and he deserves it for being this ignorant. If the fans that were throwing things and punches and coming onto the court get off lighter than the players do, that will make it a total injustice.

🙂 Big Ben is DA MAN

As far as i know the suspensions for 1 game are for coming on to the court (during the players fight), much like Artest's suspension last season. I feel Artest's punishment was a little harsh, but i think its got alot to do with his reputation. From what i saw the only clean punches were landed by Jackson and O'Neal (who flattened that dude in the Pistons jersey). Artest is volatile no question and im pretty sure that "fan" knew that when he aimed that drink at him. I must admit to finding the look on the guy Artest first singled out amusing, the way he is just goes from cheering to "shit he's coming for ME". When all said and done David Sterns word is final in the NBA and the only ones who really get hurt are the Pacers (by losing their 2 best players, one for the season the other for 30 games). The "fans" involved even if they have their season tickets revoked dont really lose much, they've just made the Pistons job a bit easier.

The guy that O'Neal punched was getting up from being knocked down by Artest, and made no move to attack O'Neal. O'Neal sucker punched him, pure and simple.

I saw Artest take a couple of swings at him and miss but i thought O'Neal ko'd him as Artest was being dragged away. If they both nailed him hes probably still unconscious.

Originally posted by ElectricBugaloo
The guy that O'Neal punched was getting up from being knocked down by Artest, and made no move to attack O'Neal. O'Neal sucker punched him, pure and simple.

they were two different people...artest laid someone out and his buddy rain on the court, he tripped or something but by the time he gets is when o'neal pops him....myth explained it better in the 04/05 thread...but they were two different people..they guy o'neal punched was a different guy than artest punched

Originally posted by koolruningz
I must admit to finding the look on the guy Artest first singled out amusing, the way he is just goes from cheering to "shit he's coming for ME". When all said and done David Sterns word is final in the NBA and the only ones who really get hurt are the Pacers (by losing their 2 best players, one for the season the other for 30 games). .

i dont know if stern is going to have the final say in this....like Doc S and Cal said the players union is definetly going to fight those suspensions

What do you think they'll do? Do they have alot of power? Sorry i dont know much about the unions in the NBA.

they have some power....the players can have a walkout and not play (which is unlikely)

As wuTa said they have some power. They don't have as much as the MLB players union which pretty much runs the place but there not b*tch slapped around like the NFL players union

Reggie, Billups, etc were justly suspended. Their suspensions came from leaving the bench during the initial fight between Wallace and Artest. The league has always enforced that rule of a suspension for leaving the bench during a fight. I think Ben Wallace's was a little harsh as well. He fought with a player, and usually when you fight a player, you get about 3 games suspended, not 6.

Btw, did anybody watch SNL this weekend? It was awesome. During weekend update they were talking about how fighting in Feluja has spread to other cities, including Detroit (they show a clip of Artest hitting a guy). The clip was a rare one too. It was down by the court but wasn't the guy with the hat. They were standing by some old guy too (if that helps describe the clip). Then they also did "The American Train-Wreck Awards" in the style of the music awards. In the middle of a duo by Tobey Keith and Josh Groban, the announcer said, "Ladies and gentleman, the Indiana Pacers and the Detroit Pistons." Actors then came up beating that crap out of each other and the singers dressed as the players. Funny.

Originally posted by Myth
I think Ben Wallace's was a little harsh as well. He fought with a player, and usually when you fight a player, you get about 3 games suspended, not 6.

He also threw things at Artest before the fight, which probably got him the extra three.

Originally posted by cal31
But O'neal getting that long of suspension for hitting a fat assed mexican..

You're ****ing incredible. And you have the audacity to sit here and refer to Pistons fans as the scum of the Earth. What's next? You going to call Ben Wallace a spook or overgrown porch monkey?

Stephan Jackson getting that long of suspension for protecting his teammate, and on top of that, the dumbass that started it all Ben Wallace only getting 6 games, unbelievable.

Yeah, "protecting his teammate" without provocation, nailing paying fans. He had no right going into the crowd. If he were looking to "protect" his teammate, he would have made an effort to restrain him. Besides, "that dumbass" only pushed Artest back, and rightfully so. He didn't snap on some innocent fan blindly, taking his frustration out on the first person he "thought" threw a cup.

..and while this isn't an apology, take some time to think before you speak, Cal. You're making an ignorant assumption in that the fan that went onto the court is Latino. That, coupled with the disparaging remarks makes you look even worse.

Just an FYI, the Latino community of Michigan in it's entirety, makes up 3% of the population. Also, that fan was far from obese, and so what if he were? Does being overweight impair someones personal judgment?

I have to give it to him though--he did look hispanic.

The fan that Jackson layed the hay-maker on was far from innocent.

That fan started out by watching what was going on, but when Artest was being held by 3/4 fans....that fan threw an entire cup of fluid (i assume beer) right onto Artest.

Jackson should have pushed him, not throw all of his weight into a punch...but regardless...neither was innocent.

I just read that Ben Wallace's brother, wearing a media credential, sucker punched Fred Jones. Is that the huge fat guy that was caught on camera?

Also, Jermaine is under investigation for hitting a cop off camera during the brawl.

But getting a cup of water or beer thrown at you is not grounds for punching--that's not self defense. Unless you are the wicked witch of the west, getting liquid on you won't hurt you.