News outlets highlighted that Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James received his first suspension in his 19-year NBA career.
But while he got a one-game suspension, Detroit Pistons’ Isaiah Stewart received a two-game penalty.
Aside from the suspensions, James will lose $284,004 of his salary while Stewart will forfeit $45,201.
That’s chump change for the four-time NBA champion.
ISAIAH STEWART WANTS LEBRON pic.twitter.com/gw6u84Pqr6
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) November 22, 2021
Meanwhile, it’s fair that Stewart got the heavier punishment because he chased James even though his teammates and the Pistons coaches were already pacifying him.
However, the penalty for both players was too light if the NBA truly did not condone violence.
Therefore, Commissioner Adam Silver should have given James and Stewart heavier punishment.
Instead, James got away with a light sanction.
One-Game Suspension For James
Regardless of how the fight blew up, James started the altercation by elbowing Stewart.
Perhaps the second-year player from Washington got under his skin because of his hard-nosed style of play.
That said, James saw the opportunity to retaliate via an elbow when they were jockeying for a rebound in the third quarter.
Stewart kept on charging James even if blood was streaming down his face.
This is not cool man, Bron started this against Isaiah Stewart 😒 pic.twitter.com/KBIKuxCKlC
— Abid (アビド) (عابد) (Pistons 4-12) (Lakers 9-9) (@abid5706) November 22, 2021
The entire incident had Malice at the Palace feels, but cooler heads prevailed.
The venue announcer explicitly told the crowd to refrain from going to the court to prevent the situation from going out of control.
But going back to the act that started the melee, James should get more than a one-game suspension because the ball was nowhere near them.
Therefore, he cannot argue that he unleashed the elbow to possess the ball.
How LeBron watching the Lakers-Knicks game pic.twitter.com/VkNjkjaDiH
— Josiah Johnson (@KingJosiah54) November 22, 2021
It was a clean hit intended for Stewart and James meant to inflict harm.
He should get a two-game suspension because his elbow landed squarely.
If it didn’t, that’s the time a one-game penalty makes sense.
Could it be because he’s a big crowd draw that the league can’t afford to lose him?
Weird Motivation
In a twisted way, James brought out the fight from his teammates because they were trailing before the incident.
The Pistons were up by 11 points when all hell broke loose, but the Lakers managed to win the game and improve to 9-9.
If that’s the incident that helped the Lakers turn their season around, then they have to thank James for waking them up.
However, it’s not impressive for a team like the Lakers to defeat the Pistons because that’s how the game must end.
Adam Silver reading Isaiah Stewart’s fines pic.twitter.com/fFXMtAHI41
— LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) November 22, 2021
Los Angeles has a better roster compared to the rebuilding Pistons.
It would be more shocking if Detroit ended up winning sans Stewart.
Unfortunately, the Lakers might fall under .500 again because the New York Knicks are their next opponent.
Russell Westbrook learns he was assessed a technical foul during the Isaiah Stewart/LeBron altercation. pic.twitter.com/sILG8e9Lzc
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) November 22, 2021
Tom Thibodeau’s squad does not back down from any challenge, and Los Angeles will have their hands full.
But that game serves as a prelude to the Lakers-Pistons rematch on Sunday.
James and Stewart are both eligible to play by then after serving their suspensions.
Will there be fireworks again, or will the two men keep it together?
If another altercation happens between the two, heftier penalties are in line.
NEXT: LeBron James Receives Suspension For Role In Fight
Coffee says
IMO the penalties assessed were totally irrational, biased and basically unintelligent.
LeBron James may have only been suspended once or twice because of the ridiculous preferential treatment he receives from the Silver, referee’s and the NBA. If any other player did the same things LeBron has they would have been suspended at a minimum of 10 times.
Rationally, James is the only player that intentionally threw an elbow and/or punch. Rationally he should receive more penalties than the other players. No of this would have happened if he didn’t intentionally and with malice strike Stewart in his face/head. A minimum of a 4 game suspension would make sense.
Stewart received 2 technical fouls and was thrown out of the game. Okay, he was pissed he got cheap shot by the bald old guy. Seems understandable. Stewart had every right to be upset. He want to let LeBron know he was. At no time during the incident did Stewart try to physically strike any Laker player. No suspension makes any sense but if you suspend him for 2 Westbrook should be suspended for1 game, both players for escalating..
The way the NBA handled it rewards players for starting fights with a cheap shot and penalizes the victim if he gets upset about it. That’s my opinion but I can understand from a hoes point of view why Silver did what he did.
Ruth Partie says
Lebron was dead wrong and should have got suspended 2 games and steward none–Everything is politics for old Lebron-but the Lakers will be losers this year again/ Karma is a you know what Lebron–