Harsh Sentence

Antonio Davis of the New York Knicks was suspended five games for entering the stands during overtime of the Knicks' game in Chicago with the Bulls. He believed his wife was being harassed by a Bulls' fan. He confronted the fan, but took no action. Davis' wife and son calmed him down. He was immediately ejected from the contest in accordance with NBA guidelines.

He should not have been suspended. He does have a great reputation as a person and is the president of the players union, so he is clearly responsible. He believed his family was in danger, which was more important than a basketball game at that moment. Nothing resulted from his entrance into the crowd. Plus, he already received punishment when he was ejected from the game.

I do understand a one game suspension, because of the brawl in Detroit last season. It would send a message to the NBA players that there will be repercussions for entering the stands, but they can feel comfortable protecting their family members if need be.

A five game suspension, which has been admittedly reduced from a potentially harsher sentence because of Davis' reputation, only provokes fans further. This Bulls fan threatened Davis' wife, provoking Antonio to come to her defense, causing a five game suspension. Had he reacted violently, he would be suspended for the season. There is nothing stopping fans from continuing this provocation. NBA players stand to lose much more than fans do. It is simply not fair to these players to hold them to such a higher standard than the rest of us. As this instance shows, if a player so much as tries to be by his wife's side during an argument, he faces a five game suspension, if he has a good reputation.

David Stern has taken his role as task master a bit too seriously of late.