NBA hands out punishment

[3afan]

from ESPN ::


It appears the Indiana Pacers will pay a heavy price for Friday's embarrassing melee.

Ron Artest has been suspended for the season, while teammates Stephen Jackson received a 30-game suspension, and Jermaine O'Neal, a 25-game suspension, ESPN.com's Marc Stein and Insider Chad Ford have learned.

"The penalties issued today deal only with one aspect of this incident -- that of player misconduct. The actions of the players involved wildly exceeded the professionalism and self control that should rarely be accepted from NBA players," commissioner David Stern said in a statement Sunday.

The Detroit Pistons will be without Ben Wallace for six games.

Indiana's Anthony Johnson also received a five-game suspension.

Eldon Campbell, Chauncey Billups and Derrick Coleman, as the Pacers' Reggie Miller each received 1-game suspensions and $35,000 fines for leaving the bench following the initial altercation between Wallace and Artest.

"We must ... not allow our sport to be debased by what seems to be declining expectations for behavior by fans and athletes alike," Stern said in the statement.

Artest, O'Neal and Jackson -- who all threw punches at spectators in the stands or on the court at the end of the nationally televised Pacers-Pistons game -- began serving suspensions Saturday night when the league handed down indefinite bans until specific number of games could be decided upon.

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.

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. 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.

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.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

[SintonFan]

Well, it's a start. They should have all have been suspended for the year IMHO.

[3afan]

From CBS ::

NBA takes severe hard line against Pacers, Artest

Nov. 21, 2004
SportsLine.com wire reports

NEW YORK -- Ron Artest was suspended for the rest of the season Sunday as the NBA came down hard on three members of the Indiana Pacers for fighting with fans when a melee broke out at the end of a game at the Detroit Pistons.

Overall, nine players from the teams were banned for 143 games, including some of the harshest penalties the league ever issued. Artest is the first player to be suspended for nearly an entire season for a fight during a game.

Indiana's Stephen Jackson was suspended for 30 games and Jermaine O'Neal for 25. Detroit's Ben Wallace -- whose shove of Artest after a foul led to the five-minute fracas -- drew a six-game ban, while Pacers guard Anthony Johnson got five games.

Four players were suspended for a game apiece: Indiana's Reggie Miller, and Detroit's Chauncey Billups, Elden Campbell and Derrick Coleman.

All of the suspensions are without pay.

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 Friday night -- began serving their suspensions Saturday. Indiana, limited to just six players because of the suspensions and injuries, dropped an 86-83 decision to Orlando.
AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service

Copyright 2004, The Associated Press, All Rights Reserved

[Flourhead]

so wallace starts the whole thing and is only out 6 games....:rolleyes:

[3afan]

NBA suspends Artest for rest of season
Story Tools: Print Email
Associated Press
Posted: 2 minutes ago

NEW YORK (AP) - Ron Artest was suspended for the rest of the season Sunday as the NBA came down hard on three members of the Indiana Pacers for fighting with fans when a melee broke out at the end of a game against the Detroit Pistons.

Overall, nine players from the teams were banned for 143 games, including some of the harshest penalties the league ever issued. Artest is the first player to be suspended for nearly an entire season for a fight during a game.

Indiana's Stephen Jackson was suspended for 30 games and Jermaine O'Neal for 25.

Detroit's Ben Wallace - whose shove of Artest after a foul led to the 5-minute fracas - drew a six-game ban, while Pacers guard Anthony Johnson got five games.

Four players were suspended for a game apiece: Indiana's Reggie Miller, and Detroit's Chauncey Billups, Elden Campbell and Derrick Coleman.

All of the suspensions are without pay.

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 Friday night - began serving their suspensions Saturday.

Indiana, limited to just six players because of the suspensions and injuries, dropped an 86-83 decision to Orlando.

[3afan]

Originally posted by Flourhead
so wallace starts the whole thing and is only out 6 games....:rolleyes:

thats probably what he would have gotten anyway had there not been the brawl ... seems OK to me, he didnt start it, he just started it with RA

[Ranger Mom]

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.

I don't think the jerk should EVER be allowed to play ball again!!

[htowntransplant]

Originally posted by Ranger Mom
I don't think the jerk should EVER be allowed to play ball again!!

the Defensive player of the year. . . and you dont want him to play ball EVER again? the guy was defending himself. . . no offense to you RM, but look at this. . . he was doing NOTHING but laying on the announcers table. . . and some IDIOT threw beer at him. . . there isnt a person alive who can tell me HONESTLY that they wouldnt have done the same thing to defend themselves and find the person who did it. . . im utterly disgusted by the decision to suspend him from the rest of the season, and even more shocked that Wallace got onlysix games . . . thats bull . . . -aaron

[3afan]

IMO having a cup of beer thrown on you does not mean you can/should attack someone and possibly hurt innocent people/kids ... DEFENDING HIMSELF??? FROM WHAT??? you must be kidding ....................

i think a lifetime ban would be too harsh, but the rest of the season sits well with me.

[htowntransplant]

Originally posted by 3afan
IMO having a cup of beer thrown on you does not mean you can/should attack someone and possibly hurt innocent people/kids ... DEFENDING HIMSELF??? FROM WHAT??? you must be kidding ....................

i think a lifetime ban would be too harsh, but the rest of the season sits well with me.

73 games?! not including playoffs. . . and wallace deserves more .. -aaron

[3afan]

why do you think wallace deserves more? he did not start the riot and/or go into the stands ....

[HornetMom]

I am with you Ranger Mom and 3afan. Like I said earlier about that part of the articles, he seems to have history of suspensions.

htowntransplant...just for argument's sake, was he defending himself from the camera, too?

[Holmes_Fans]

All wallace did was shove artest. Artest was the one who went and showboated around by laying on the announce table.

[Rabbit'93]

Does anyone under the age of 18 get it. YOU CAN'T ACT LIKE A CHILD AND NOT EXPECT TO GET INTO TROUBLE. This isn't high school. This is the real world where your actions have consequences. The guys in the NBA have a code of conduct which they are expected to follow. That includes going into the stands.

[TheDOCTORdre]

IMO I think Jacksons suspension should be worst than Artests, Artest did cross the line, grant it he was provoked, he crossed the line, but Jackson just followed Artest into the stands for no reason at all, with no provocation. As far as Wallace's suspension the nrmal suspension for what he did is one or two games, but since it led to what it did, I think 6 is appropriate.

[TheDOCTORdre]

Originally posted by Rabbit'93
Does anyone under the age of 18 get it. YOU CAN'T ACT LIKE A CHILD AND NOT EXPECT TO GET INTO TROUBLE. This isn't high school. This is the real world where your actions have consequences. The guys in the NBA have a code of conduct which they are expected to follow. That includes going into the stands.
I agree completely with what you're saying and in that same aspect the fans do not have a free pass to act like jerks because the bought a ticket to the game.

[Rabbit'93]

Originally posted by TheDOCTORdre
I agree completely with what you're saying and in that same aspect the fans do not have a free pass to act like jerks because the bought a ticket to the game.

Dre I agree. That is where the police step in. Had Artest not gone into the stands, that jerk that threw the drink would be have gotten arrested and they would have finished the game.

[3afan]

Originally posted by TheDOCTORdre
IMO I think Jacksons suspension should be worst than Artests, Artest did cross the line, grant it he was provoked, he crossed the line, but Jackson just followed Artest into the stands for no reason at all, with no provocation. As far as Wallace's suspension the nrmal suspension for what he did is one or two games, but since it led to what it did, I think 6 is appropriate.

good arguement ...

[sinton66]

I agree with RM. He doesn't deserve to ever play again. He has a history of suspensions. This time he has opened up a can of worms. The team owner, the arena, and Artest himself will be in civil court for years because of all the lawsuits. If I had been one of the innocent fans he attacked on the way to the one he thought was the guilty party, I would be filing criminal charges and a lawsuit.

[3afan]

From NBA ::

NBA Announces Suspensions From Pistons-Pacers Game

NEW YORK, Nov. 21 -- The following suspensions were announced today by NBA Commissioner David Stern, resulting from the events during the Indiana Pacers at Detroit Pistons game on Nov. 19.

# Pacers forward Ron Artest has been suspended for the remainder of the season.
# Indiana guard Stephen Jackson has been suspended for 30 games.
# Pacers forward Jermaine O’Neal has been suspended for 25 games.
# Indiana guard Anthony Johnson has been suspended for five games.
# Detroit forward/center Ben Wallace has been suspended for six games.
# Pistons forwards Elden Campbell and Derrick Coleman and guard Chauncey Billups have each been suspended for one game for leaving the bench during an on-court altercation.
# Indiana guard Reggie Miller has been suspended for one game for leaving the bench during an on-court altercation.

In announcing today’s actions Commissioner David Stern issued the following statement:

“The penalties issued today deal only with one aspect of this incident – that of player misconduct. The actions of the players involved wildly exceeded the professionalism and self-control that should fairly be expected from NBA players. We must affirm that the NBA will strive to exemplify the best that can be offered by professional sports, and not allow our sport to be debased by what seem to be declining expectations for behavior of fans and athletes alike.

“There are other issues that the NBA must urgently focus on at this time. First, we must redefine the bounds of acceptable conduct for fans attending our games and resolve to permanently exclude those who overstep those bounds. Participants in and around the court must be assured complete protection from unacceptable fan behavior. Second, we must re-examine the adequacy of our current security procedures in Detroit and our other 28 arenas. The actions at Friday’s game, though unprecedented, must now be factored into all efforts to guarantee the well-being of our fans. Third, we must develop and implement new NBA rules to assure that the unavoidable confrontations likely to occur in the heat of competition are not allowed to escalate to the level we witnessed on Friday even prior to the egregious behavior by individuals in the stands.”

[sinton66]

So, I guess you're saying they're gonna be suing the NBA too? I have to admit, I hadn't thought about that possibility. I suppose a case could be made of too little too late.

[Bandera YaYa]

I agree with RangerMom......but the best part is NO PAY!! Now that will really hurt!!! WooHOO!! I just got a whole new respect for Stern!!! Tough Love !!