During game 4 of the NBA playoffs western conference finals in Phoenix, Dallas Mavericks center D.J. Mbenga, felt there was a problem brewing, with some fans and the wife of the coach Avery Johnson. He did not think twice, as he got up and entered the stands to make sure she was ok. He was merely trying to coax her into the locker room to avoid any altercations. The league however, did not see the need in Mbenga's efforts and subsequently suspended him for 10 games. This was later dropped down to 6 games and this is where it stands. At this point Dallas now has two players that are suspended during these playoffs, as Guard Jason Terry was forced to miss Game 6 of the second round against San Antonio for punching Michael Finley. This suspension is a game more than what Antonio Davis from the New York Knicks received for leaping into the stands to go to the aid of his wife that he believed was being harassed by some heckling fans. The NBA and commissioner are trying to make it very clear that the players will not tolerate this type of action. If there is trouble in the stands, this is what security is for and they will deal with it accordingly. It may not be enough however, for the league to impose suspensions or fines as long as there may be a family member being harassed by fans, you really cannot blame a player for looking out for them, what needs to be done is have stricter rules governing the protection of family of the players in a NBA wide level. |
