Punch lands Bulls Andriuskevicius is intensive care.

[SLAB]

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/basketball/bulls/184254,CST-SPT-fight23.article

Martynas Andriuskevicius, whom the Bulls recently assigned to the National Basketball Development League's Dakota Wizards, is lucky to be alive today after being punched by Awvee Storey, a Proviso West product and Wizards teammate.


The altercation took place during practice Thursday. The 7-2, 240-pound Andriuskevicius, 20, spent Thursday night in intensive care in Bismarck, N.D.

''He has a skull fracture, severe concussion and a two-centimeter hematoma on the left side of his brain,'' Andriuskevicius' agent Herb Rudoy said. ''They've been monitoring him because they're concerned about seizures.

''From what I'm told, when he got hit unexpectedly, he went out cold instantly and fell right back on his head.''

The 6-6, 225-pound Storey has been suspended indefinitely while the NBA and NBDL investigate.

There's also been a police report written, according to Det. Dean Clarkson. But Clarkson said Andriuskevicius does not want to press charges, making an arrest unlikely. Clarkson said the investigation is pending.

''Awvee's a terrific kid,'' said his Chicago-based agent Mark Bartelstein. ''They had an altercation in practice, and it's really unfortunate.

''I know Awvee feels terrible about it. It wasn't a situation where he just attacked the kid.''

One source said Storey said something to Andriuskevicius, who went over to Storey and got punched.

''He's lucky he's not dead,'' Rudoy said. ''But I think he'll be fine.
''He won't be playing basketball for a long time. They have to be very concerned about his skull fracture healing.''

Rudoy expects Andriuskevicius to be released from the hospital in the next few days and return to Chicago for further examination.
Bulls general manager John Paxson called Andriuskevicius on Friday morning, and Bulls doctors are monitoring the situation.
Storey and Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas were arrested over Memorial Day weekend in Miami Beach for refusing to obey police. The charges later were dropped.

Geez.

Poor kid...And Avwee needs to be kicked out of organized basketball...That's just ridiculous.

 

[Gargamel]

Wonder if this will make Storey a little less quick to punch.

Beyond that, Storey must have one hell of a reach, Martynas must wonder how he ever wound up in Bismarck, North Dakota, we all must wonder how this never happened to Shawn Bradley...and the NBDL is a sham.

 

[VF21]

'He has a skull fracture, severe concussion and a two-centimeter hematoma on the left side of his brain,'' Andriuskevicius' agent Herb Rudoy said. ''They've been monitoring him because they're concerned about seizures.

''From what I'm told, when he got hit unexpectedly, he went out cold instantly and fell right back on his head.''

At this point, I don't want to hear any more crap attempting to justify why a player should EVER be allowed to throw a punch at another player, an official, a coach or a fan.

There is NO excuse in the world for this. None.

''Awvee's a terrific kid,'' said his Chicago-based agent Mark Bartelstein. ''They had an altercation in practice, and it's really unfortunate.

''I know Awvee feels terrible about it. It wasn't a situation where he just attacked the kid.''

One source said Storey said something to Andriuskevicius, who went over to Storey and got punched.

It wasn't a situation where he just attacked the kid? Well, gee, Mark, I'm so glad to hear that. What did Martynas do to deserve a fractured skull, concussion and bleeding brain? I would really like to know...

 

[VF21]

I thought the name Bartelstein sounded familiar, so I googled it and found out he's part of Priority Sports:

Priority Sports represents players throughout professional basketball, including NBA All-Stars Brad Miller and Antoine Walker, top-level NBA players such as Bobby Simmons, James Posey, and Devean George, recent NBA First Round Draft Picks such as Danny Granger, Luther Head, David Lee, Luke Jackson, Brian Cook, and Dan Dickau, Euroleague Champions Maceo Baston and Deon Thomas, top level Overseas Players such as Ruben Garces, Henry Domercant, A.J. Bramlett, and Derrick Alston, and many players in between at various stages of their basketball career. Our extensive overseas network and relationships we have built in our twenty years in the business allow us to find situations for each of our players that make sense financially and professionally.

I just thought it somewhat interesting that Bartelstein represents Miller, who likely could have suffered similar injuries to those Martynas suffered if that wild punch by Shaq had connected with Miller's head...

 

[RS189]

Storey needs to get kicked out of everything basketball related

 

[vladetomiller]

Storey needs to get kicked out of everything basketball related

Because the punch caused something serious, then what do you think about Artest, Jermaine Oneal and Steven jackson.

I was watching that live, they are 6-6, 7-0 foot guys towering over 5 foot guys and punching them, chances are much higher that the little guys would die instantly. Sure enough that idiot green was punching artest when he wasnt looking, but that didnt mean that these giants have to get into the stands and punch anyone in line.

I am just questioning whether your rule applies for every one even if that includes someone in your team. I am fine with suspensions but out of BB forever is too much

 

[VF21]

Because the punch caused something serious, then what do you think about Artest, Jermaine Oneal and Steven jackson.

I was watching that live, they are 6-6, 7-0 foot guys towering over 5 foot guys and punching them, chances are much higher that the little guys would die instantly. Sure enough that idiot green was punching artest when he wasnt looking, but that didnt mean that these giants have to get into the stands and punch anyone in line.

I am just questioning whether your rule applies for every one even if that includes someone in your team. I am fine with suspensions but out of BB forever is too much

I don't know what you're trying to say...

NO ONE was seriously hurt during the Detroit brawl. Those players received fines and suspensions meant to send a message to the rest of the league that players going into the stands and causing altercations with fans, regardless of the provocation involved, were going to receive a harsh punishment. I think everyone got the message...

Now, however, a player (in the NBDL for God's sake) put another player in the hospital with a fractured skull, concussion and bleeding on the brain. Should he receive the same punishment as those players who didn't hurt anyone? OR should the message be sent LOUDER STILL that this crap is gonna stop?

I don't care if Awvee is a candidate for sainthood. He blew it and he put another player in the hospital over what couldn't have been more than some verbal conflict, based on what's been reported. That cannot be allowed, especially in the developmental league, where players are supposed to be learning the skills that might enable them to someday step up to the big leagues.

It's time for people to quit making excuses for unacceptable conduct by athletes.

I may not go along with the "out of basketball forever" comment but I would certainly make sure this was thoroughly investigated. I don't care if Martynas doesn't want to press charges; if what Awvee did was assault/battery, he should have to answer in court for it.

 

[vladetomiller]

I don't know what you're trying to say...

.

Irrespective of the outcome, the actions were the same and should be held in the same level when determining punishments. Probably a more serious punishment to the level of say banning him for half the season or the whole season to send a message across that it will not be tolerated.

But not forever from basketball.

It is just unlucky that this time a player got seriously hurt when a 6-6 guy took a swing at a 7-0 guy. Normally the chances are much higher when a 6-6 or 7-0 preofessional athlete takes a swing or multiple swings at normal (maybe stupid ) fans who are at around 5-6 to 6-0

Yep, he needs to go through the court process if they do that for Melo as well or if they atleast say that it will be the case moving forward for any punch thrown on the court.

 

[6th]

Irrespective of the outcome, the actions were the same and should be held in the same level when determining punishments.

Well, a legal scholar could answer this better than I. Although I understand your sentiment, I don't think it would hold true in an American court.

To give an example: Let's say that a person punches a guy and that guy falls down, but the extent of his injury is a fat lip. The charge could probably be assault/battery. Same scenario, but the guy falls down, but hits his head on something and dies from the injury. In this case, we may be talking about a manslaughter charge.

The punishments in those 2 scenarios would be different, not because the initial action was different (it wasn't), but because the seriousness of the outcome was different.

 

[vladetomiller]

True, but we are not talking about the court here, we are talking about nba and the commish here right. He doesnt order people to be held behind bars and he doesnt apply the same rule, he decides whatever that he thinks at that time

 

[VF21]

Actually, we could be talking about the courts. Charges could end up being filed, especially considering the severity of the injuries to Martynas. I think at this point we've all made our positions clear; we'll just have to wait and see what happens.

 

[AleksandarN]

Irrespective of the outcome, the actions were the same and should be held in the same level when determining punishments. Probably a more serious punishment to the level of say banning him for half the season or the whole season to send a message across that it will not be tolerated.

But not forever from basketball.

.

No looking at what coach Rudy went through when he got punched in the 60s what did the other guy who hit got?

 

[Kev.in]

I'm guessing that Storey is pretty much done with professional basketball, at least anything associated with the NBA. Whether people can forgive him or not, or justify his actions he's probably going to be blacklisted the way Kermit Washington was after he busted Rudy T's face in.

 

[kennadog]

While its true that the justice system metes out harsher penalties, dependent upon the end result, I'm not sure that is necessarily just.

Its actually just a matter of sheer luck that the outcome of one punch doesn't end up severly hurting someone, while another one does. Artest, or Jackson, or O'Neal's punches could just as easily have caused the same damage, if their victims had fallen backward and cracked their heads on concrete.

Its pretty clear that the real damage was likely done here, due to the fall and hitting the head on the floor. And it was a fall caused by a punch. So are Artest, O'Neal or Jackson less guilty of wrongdoing because the people they punched didn't split their skulls open by hitting their heads on the concrete of the arena?

Its kind of like saying its not so bad if a drunk driver manages to make it home without killing anyone, but throw the book at a drunk who happens to kill a pedestrian. As far as I'm concerned, they are equally as bad. One just had more dumb luck than the other. Of course, the pedestrian (and Martynas) had the worst luck of all.

If Martynas won't press charges, there likely won't be any court case.

Bottom line, is there is absolutely no excuse for anybody to slug another person, unless it is the last resort in protecting oneself or another person from serious bodily harm or worse. None of these players can claim that.

 

[rumpled]

I don't know what you're trying to say...

NO ONE was seriously hurt during the Detroit brawl. Those players received fines and suspensions meant to send a message to the rest of the league that players going into the stands and causing altercations with fans, regardless of the provocation involved, were going to receive a harsh punishment. I think everyone got the message...

Now, however, a player (in the NBDL for God's sake) put another player in the hospital with a fractured skull, concussion and bleeding on the brain. Should he receive the same punishment as those players who didn't hurt anyone? OR should the message be sent LOUDER STILL that this crap is gonna stop?

I think he just means that Storey got unlucky because he happened to pop the right spot to put the kid out like a light so his head met the floor. Things like that happen in real world fights with strong grown men, sometimes they flail away without much damage and sometimes totally random knockout shots occur. And some people are good at making them occur and do it on purpose of course, but there's no way to tell.

And like someone else said, that's just regular dudes, a 7 foot professional athlete has a much better chance of accidentally doing nasty damage, ask Rudy T. The detroit brawl comes to my mind because thats exactly what I thought of with the Jermaine punch because that one had serious damage potential, throwing that blow is on a whole 'nother level of reckless harm than most of the slapfights that go on that get lumped together as 'fights'. And he's lucky, Jermaine could have ended that guy's life and his own career with that one. It's not like the movies when Rocky can absorb endless shots to the face, that same shot to the side of the head of Joe Pencilneck fan breaks his neck.

So yeah I agree the wrongdoing occurs with the first battering to the head, thats when you put someone else at risk of random serious injury. It might only occur once out of 500 fights but it'll happen. It's like Jermaine and this Storey both pushed a guy down a flight of stairs but one guy didn't get hurt bad so its more okay.

 

[Lamar_Odom]

Storey is a scrub. If the NBDL won't do him in, I doubt any team would pick him up after this. I seriously doubt it. And I certainly hope not.

 

[Gargamel]

I'm guessing that Storey is pretty much done with professional basketball, at least anything associated with the NBA. Whether people can forgive him or not, or justify his actions he's probably going to be blacklisted the way Kermit Washington was after he busted Rudy T's face in.

Doubt it. No one saw the punch. Neither player is really relevant. This will go under the radar. That may sound harsh, but it's true.

 

[Packt]

Whatever little chance he did have to get back into the NBA is gone now. He's 30 this spring, was undrafted and his only NBA experience was a brief stint with Washington. Arenas probably had to pull some strings to get him that gig. I suspect that won't happen again since after the playoffs Gilbert got into trouble while with him.