Sportsline wrote: "To me as a player, this is a disappointment. We all represent such a great game in basketball. It's something that we love to do and something which pays us a lot, to help our family and loved ones. It's helped someone like me to help the community where we come from for their needs. You don't want this game to go into jeopardy."
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Bostjan Nachbar, a Rockets forward from Slovenia, experienced getting overrun by fans during games in Italy, but the physicality is what made this different. According to witnesses, some fans were bragging they had struck Artest or O'Neal. Ben Wallace's brother, wearing a media credential, sucker-punched Pacers guard Fred Jones.
Just as wrong as it is for players to go into stands, it's equally heinous that fans were permitted anywhere near the floor. Whereas it is easy to point the finger at Artest, it isn't fair to focus on him either.
It is stunning for the players, and frightening.
"I'm friends with those guys," Blazers forward Ruben Patterson said. "I know they hurt right now, especially Ron Artest. He's done for the season. The Indiana Pacers organization has to be hurting with three of their key players out. Yeah, I'm (surprised). As for professionals, if you fight, they're going to do whatever they have to do ... suspend you, take your money. We've got to be better players and try not to get into that situation. That's harsh.
"A couple of years ago at Golden State, I got some water thrown on me. But I ain't going to go into the stands and hit nobody. The best thing to do is get away from the situation, get out of the arena and go to the locker room. I just wished none of that stuff happened. The fans should get in trouble just like we do. ... You can't just throw water, cups or beer on nobody. We're grown men."
Grown men who in this case have been sent to their rooms without dinner.
Detroit News wrote:Q. A report by ESPN's Jim Gray on Saturday indicated that Ben Wallace was trying to reach Ron Artest to apologize for the events last Friday. Is that true?
A. Heck no. Not a chance. Wallace said repeatedly that he didn't feel he had to apologize to anybody for anything, except maybe to his teammates for having to serve the suspension. Wallace said Artest instigated the mess with his malevolent shove in the final seconds of that game, then escalated it by running into the stands. Rest assured, Wallace won't ever apologize to Artest.
Q. What do you think of the national reaction to the events of last Friday?
A. I think they are grossly exaggerated, and somewhat unfair to our city and our fans. What happened was horrible. I was right in the middle of it, so I can attest to the terror of it all. But, come on, it wasn't Armageddon, right? Although, if you watch ESPN long enough -- the Exaggerating Sports Network -- you might have thought it was. Just who and what does ESPN serve by replaying that over and over and over, and having their talking heads rant and rave over it for days on end? If I am David Stern, I would say that they aren't serving the league very well.
oh yeah and check this out,
Joe Dumars said this, not sure if its relevant or not but he does have an insiders view....
Detroit News wrote:Q. Do you think the Raptors are going to trade Carter?
A. Yes I do. I think they need to now before they can't get any value back for him. Portland has offered some combination of Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Derek Anderson, Nick Van Exel and Ruben Patterson. Miami has offered Eddie Jones and others. New Orleans, Chicago and New York are also believed to be making pitches. He will be traded before the new year.
