Artest To Get 30-Game Suspension, Station Reports
WDIV-TV In Brawl Says 4 Players Suspended
POSTED: 10:24 am EST November 21, 2004
UPDATED: 12:03 pm EST November 21, 2004
The National Basketball Association suspended four players involved in Friday night's fight at The Palace of Auburn Hills.
WDIV-TV in Detroit is reporting today that Ben Wallace of the Pistons and Ron Artest, Stephen Jackson and Jermaine O'Neal of the Pacers will be suspended for the following number of games:
Ron Artest -- 30 Games
Stephen Jackson -- 20 Games
Jermaine O'Neal -- 20 Games
Ben Wallace -- 5 Games
The NBA is expected to formally announce the suspensions as early as today for their roles in the ugly brawl at the end of a Pacers-Pistons game.
Indiana's Ron Artest, Jermaine O'Neal and Stephen Jackson, and Detroit's Ben Wallace were suspended indefinitely by the NBA on Saturday.
League officials continue to examine videotapes of Friday's fight.
It all started in the final seconds when Wallace went in for a layup and was fouled hard from behind. Wallace then spun around and pushed an Indiana player in the face. The benches emptied and punches were thrown. Fans got involved by throwing popcorn, beer and even a chair.
"No one can condone the level of incitement and violence we all witnessed. Clearly, there's a need to institute measures and safeguards to improve the safety of players and fans alike, to ensure that an incident like this never occurs again," said G. William Hunter, executive director of the NBA players' association.