FOUR, three and two.
Those are the number of suspension games imposed on Brandon Ingram, Rajon Rondo and Chris Paul, respectively, for their involvement in a recent “basket brawl” in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Ingram and Rondo are Los Angeles Laker stalwarts while Paul is a Houston Rocket star guard.
Ingram, the promising 21-year-old, triggered the melee when he pushed James Harden from behind with the Rockets ahead, 109-108, and time down to 4:13 in the fourth and final quarter.
Despite Paul’s ejection, Houston won, 124-115, to spoil Los Angeles’ home debut for its latest acquisition of the league’s biggest star, LeBron James.
Aside from their suspensions without pay, the three absorbed stiff fines, with Paul absorbing the biggest hit with $491,782.
After Ingram’s transgression, Paul poked a finger on the eye of Rondo aside from throwing punches in retaliation.
Rondo was assessed $186,207 for spitting at and punching Paul in the face, while fracas instigator Ingram got docked with $158,816.
“We don’t want this to happen again,” said NBA Executive Vice President Kiki VanDeWedhe, who handed down the penalties. “We are sending a clear message…that you cannot do this…the suspensions are pretty severe both to their teams and financially to the players.”
I remember the late Rudy Salud, who favored large sums of money as fines for rough players when he was the PBA (Philippine Basketball Association) commissioner. It somehow deterred, if not drastically minimized, fistfights in no time.
For his ungentlemanly act that demeaned his NBA position, Paul should bury his head in the sand.
Serving his sentence on October 22, Paul, perhaps in utter shame, was not in the arena when his team dropped a 115-112 decision to the Clippers.
Obviously hurt by the loss, Rockets Coach Mike D’Antoni criticized Paul’s penalties.
“It’s just not equitable,” he said of Paul’s fines. “…He’s paying three times more than the other guys are paying for missing games? That doesn’t seem to be right.”
I disagree. Paul should have been fined even more. A million bucks, maybe?
As the NBA Players Association president, Paul should be the league’s lead model of good manners and right conduct—at all times.
But no. For poking Rondo in the eye to aggravate matters, Paul ought to resign immediately.
And yes. For LeBron James to stop Paul’s brazenness with all of his 6-foot-8 might, virtually carrying the Rocket gone mad out of the fray, LeBron ought to be instantly installed Paul’s successor as the new NBA Players Association president.
Next, Paul needs to get himself rehabbed. With D’Antoni signing the waiver in case Paul raised hell in the institution.
THAT’S IT Raymond Almazan remains in the freezer even as he has resurfaced. Just right. People going awol (absent without leave) have to pay the price in an organization of national reputation like Rain or Shine. His apology is OK but for now, he should be in limbo. He must show genuine reform to him to recover his spot in the team, which is now in danger of getting eliminated.