Ron Artest and Stephen Jackson suspended for 7 games

The NBA cracked down on Ron Artest (Sacramento Kings) and Stephen Jackson (Golden State Warriors), suspending the players for 7 games in the 07-08 season.

Ron Artest and Stephen Jackson suspended for 7 games On Saturday the NBA suspended the two central figures in the brawl at the Palace of Auburn Hills for the first seven games in the next season. The NBA spokesman Tim Frank commented on the heavy sentences: "Both were serious offenses and each are repeat violators of NBA rules."

The brawl with fans during a game against the Detroit Pistons occurred in 2004, when Artest and Jackson were Pacers teammates. Ron Artest got the most severe fight punishment in the NBA - 73 games and the Playoffs, and Jackson was suspended for 30 games. But the legal troubles for the two did not end there.

In March of this year, after an argument with his wife, Artest pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor domestic violence charge, and the judge gave him 100 hours of community service, and a $600 fine. As Ron Artest is currently in Africa on humanitarian mission, his response to the punishment will have to wait until he comes back to the United States.

Stephen Jackson pleaded guilty last month to a felony count of criminal recklessness for firing a gun outside an Indiana strip club last fall, and was ordered to perform 100 hours of community service and pay a $5,000 fine. At the time of this incident, Jackson was still with the Pacers.

In a public statement Jackson said: "I accept the suspension, believe it is fair and definitely look forward to having this entire process come to a conclusion in November. Additionally, I apologize to my teammates, our fans, our ownership and the NBA for the negativity this has created and the poor example that I set."

The NBA's collective bargaining agreement calls for a minimum 10-game suspension when a player is convicted of or pleads no contest to a violent felony. While the NBA felt these crimes fell short of that, it came down pretty hard on both players.

Published on 07/14/2007