Would you have done any different?

The Facts

In the dying minutes of the Chicago - New York thriller, Antonio Davis did something unpredictable. He ran towards the scorer's table, jumped over and went into the stands 10 rows deep. Standing around, looking for something, searching. Then he went over to his wife and he exchanged words with a heckler who was touching his wife, who had fallen over. He waits for security to come over, and people are holding him back (we'll he's 208cm tall, built like a tank, looks like Busta Rhymes). Security converged like bees to a honey pot. Sort out the situation. Davis goes back to the bench calmly and is then ejected from the game. Security then removes a group of intoxicated dudes from that area.

Davis is then suspended for 8 games by the League.

Issue: Should Davis have gone into the stands? Would we have done any different? Did he deserve that suspension?



Post Game Comments:

Larry Brown (coach of the Knicks), when asked about another potential Ron Artest incident:

"Come on, that's his wife," Brown said. "That's entirely different. I was worried about Kendra. That's why he went in the stands, he saw her falling back"

Maurice Taylor (Knicks forward):

"His wife was up there with his kids. There were two men up there getting into an altercation with them. It seemed like a no-brainer to me."

Steve Kerr (NBA Commentator):

"Antonio Davis' decision to do so Wednesday night in Chicago – in response to a fan's apparent heckling of Davis' wife – was an unfortunate incident but a mistake on Davis' part......... the player has to quickly point out the situation to security and trust that other fans in the area will come to the aid of any person who is being threatened. "

Antonio Davis:

"I witnessed my wife being threatened by a man that I learned later to be intoxicated,"..... "I saw him touch her, and I know I should not have acted the way I did, but I would have felt terrible if I didn't react. There was no time to call security. It happened too quickly."

What would I have done?

To be honest, I would have done exactly the same as Antionio. I am amazed at the restraint Antonio Davis displayed. I think he reacted like any athlete would have. Just like any human being/husband/father would have. It's your family , of course you do whatever to protect them. Sometimes you don't have time to react, time to think, and you can't rely on security to do anything. Their watching 20,000 people in the stadium, you see someone hassling your wife who's fallen over, you worry about her and your kids.

You watch the video and you see how calm he was. He stood in the stands and watched what was happening before going in. It wasn't like Ron Artest where he went in punching everyone. I have a lot of respect for Davis as he's the president of the NBA players association, so this ain't your average baller.

I think the last thing on his mind was the Ron Artest incident but I'm sure it flashed past his eyes. I thought the suspension was a bit harsh - should have got a slap on the wrist like a 1-3 game suspension. Of course they had to suspend him, because the official position is what Steve Kerr said - you can't go into the stands. You just have to be like a robot, all unemotional and point out the incident to security.

He did the right thing but unfortunately for every reaction there is an equal and opposite reaction. Both sides had to react: he had to do something for his wife, and the league has to punish him in some way. Because if the league doesn't do anything, its sending a message to athletes that they can enter the stands and puts more people at risk. But it should have taken into the account the circumstances and given him a lesser suspension or just a fine.

WWYD (What Would You Do?),

DJ Ho.