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It's been a while since there's been as much excitement at the UC as there was last night. The Bulls won an exciting 106-104 game on a Ben Gordon shot as time expired in OT. Having missed a nearly identical shot with seconds left in regulation when he could have dished to an open Darius Songaila, he redeemed himself with the game winner. But that shot may not have been the biggest excitement at the UC.
The game was marred by ugliness reminicent of the Bulls-Knicks rivalry of the mid-90's. Rough play lead to tussles on court, eventually resulting in Maurice Taylor and the typically mild-mannered Chris Duhon being ejected.
That energy carried into the stands where a drunk Bulls fan harrassed the wife and family of the Knicks' Antonio Davis. Upon noticing this, David jumped the scorers' table and charged into the stands to protect his wife.
The first incident in which a player has gone into the stands since the infamous Ron Artest incident last season, the national media is all over this story. In drawing comparisons to the ugliness, they try to paint Davis as similar to those involved in last year's mess. The media is rampant with speculation over how long the league will suspend Davis.
But Antonio Davis, who played used to play for the Bulls before being sent to NY as part of the Eddy Curry trade, isn't one of the "bad guys." An elder statesman of the players, he serves as President of the Players Union. Pacers CEO Donnie Walsh defended Davis' actions, saying they were a "human reaction."
Davis said as much when he released a statement following the game appologizing for his actions:
I witnessed my wife being threatened by a man that I learned later to be intoxicated. I saw him touch her, and I know I should not have acted the way I did, but I would have felt terrible if I didn't react. There was no time to call security. It happened too quickly.
Chicagoist thinks there was probably a way to get security involved as quickly as he acted, but the mind often doesn't think rationally when confronted with extreme circumstances. While Davis' actions were clearly out of bounds of the league's rules, the circumstances and his reputation should factor into the league's decision.
Immediately ejected from the game for going into the stands, the NBA is looking into the matter and will likely suspend Davis. NBA Commissioner David Stern is expected to announce it's ruling today. But how long will Davis be suspended? We've heard suggestions ranging from 1 to 8 games.
Certainly, Davis won't face anything like those the Pacers' players received last year. But what is appropriate? Were Chicagoist the league commish, we'd give him 2 games. Missing 2 games and the resulting loss of $250,000 in pay is certainly no small punishment. On the other hand, pretty much anybody would jump to defend their family if they perceived a threat and if there's anybody who should get the benefit of the doubt it's Antonio Davis. The league made examples of Ron Artest et al last year with their huge suspensions. This event doesn't require making an example of Davis.
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"itentical?"
"But Antonio Davis, who played used to play...?"
Proofreading Chicagoist, proofreading.
Here's a decidedly different take on the incident: http://deadspin.com/sports/nba/a-differing-view-on-davis-trip-into-the-stands-149534.php
No, see we're just purposely giving our future copy editor some work to do.
Not to mention "leuage commish"...
I was listening too the Score at the time and a caller who claimed to be a couple of rows from Kendra Davis said that it was she who escalated any conflict.
Basically a guy was rooting against the knicks and she told him to shut up and the fan refused.
and why is "david" being suspended? he "ins't" one of the bad guys...
geez.
Geesh, didn't know we had so many English teachers reading! Guess that's what we get for trying to get a post up while eating lunch at our desk... Now with 100% fewer typos -- unless there are more we missed :)
According to http://www.wtopnews.com/index.php?nid=135&sid=675492
"I witnessed my wife being threatened by a man that I learned later to be intoxicated," he said in a statement after the game. "I saw him touch her, and I know I should not have acted the way I did, but I would have felt terrible if I didn't react. There was no time to call security. It happened too quickly."
But 22-year-old Michael Axelrod said Kendra Davis tried to scratch him after he protested a call. Axelrod said he never laid a hand on Davis' wife and said he was not drunk.
"It's a lie. When I go to games, I cheer as hard as I can for the Bulls, and I boo as hard as I can for whoever they're playing," Axelrod said. "I don't feel comfortable if players are allowed to easily jump into the crowd whenever they feel like it's necessary."
Axelrod's father, David, is a prominent Democratic political consultant in Chicago who has worked with Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton and Chicago mayor Richard M. Daley.
Axelrod's attorney, Jay Paul Deratany, said he planned to sue Davis and his wife for more than $1 million. Deratany said he was writing the papers Thursday for a battery suit against Kendra Davis and a slander case against Antonio Davis, and planned to file them Friday.
According to Axelrod, he was sitting in the seventh row and booed an official's call. Kendra Davis "came out of her seat. I didn't even pay attention to her. I thought she was just going to the bathroom or something," he said.
Axelrod, who was sitting a couple of rows behind her, said she yelled at him to be quiet. Axelrod said he did not know she was Davis' wife until the player ran into the stands.
Axelrod said Kendra Davis put both hands on his face, and that he motioned for security. He said she later went after another fan.
"I was glad she was done hitting me, but I didn't want her to hit anyone else," Axelrod said.
Antonio Davis appeared calm throughout and walked away willingly when security arrived. He returned to the bench and took his seat before being ejected. The game resumed after about a five-minute delay.
Axelrod was escorted to the concourse by security, but said he was allowed back into the arena and saw Ben Gordon's winning shot at the buzzer.
Why do I tend to believe this latter version of the story?
Welllllll, if you watched it on tv:
1) It appears that Davis's wife was the one initiating the action. She was over in the guy's face. He was sitting in his seat. She was standing over him.
2) The security guard was already over there when Antonio Davis arrived and seemed to have everything under control.
3) It didn't look like Antonio Davis did any threatening (other than being huge and hovering over the guy, who was STILL in his seat - if I'm this guy, I'm standing up at least, but he's still sitting, probably)
4) Antonio Davis got suspended for 5 games, so maybe his wife should shut the fuck up.
I saw it on TV this morning. It looked to me like Davis's wife should have been the one thrown out.