The NBA is beginning its All-Star weekend festivities in Indianapolis this weekend, and yet plenty of attention around the league has been focused on something that isn’t exactly pretty.
On Wednesday, just prior to a game between the Phoenix Suns and Detroit Pistons, the Pistons’ Isaiah Stewart got into an argument with Suns’ big man, Drew Eubanks, and punched Eubanks in the face. Stewart was arrested as a result.
It is exceedingly unusual to see or hear of an NBA player being arrested at an NBA arena, and later on, Phoenix superstar Kevin Durant talked about how the league is supposed to be a brotherhood.
Just minutes into the contest, the Suns’ Devin Booker was given two technical fouls and ejected after arguing with the officials. Durant implied that the Stewart-Eubanks fight prior to the opening tip may have played a factor in Booker’s quick and some would say unwarranted ejection.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Kevin Durant, Drew Eubanks, Phoenix Suns, Isaiah Stewart, Detroit Pistons Updates
Even without Booker, Phoenix dispatched the struggling Pistons with ease, getting out to a 35-point lead before coasting to a 116-100 victory. The team now has a 33-22 record and sits in fifth place in the Western Conference.
It has often been said that the NBA is a fraternity where players past and present protect each other and help each other out, even if it sometimes means holding each other accountable. Sometimes, there is tension between players, either during or in between games, but it is uncommon for tensions to escalate to the point where punches are actually thrown.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Kevin Durant, Drew Eubanks, Phoenix Suns, Isaiah Stewart, Detroit Pistons Updates
This isn’t the first time the Pistons’ Stewart was involved in an altercation. Two seasons ago, he went after LeBron James during a game and was visibly livid after James hit him. Stewart was suspended for two games as a result, while James got a one-game suspension.
