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It’s conceivable that Davis overreacted, thought he saw something he didn’t, and later used the “intoxicated man touching my wife” defense to justify it. But that’s unlikely, given Davis’ history. He’s a respected veteran and president of the NBA players’ association.
In a perfect world, fans sitting near the situation would have summoned security to protect Davis’ wife so the player didn’t have to risk suspension in order to do so. That didn’t happen. So Davis did what most men would have done in that situation, regardless of what part of the arena they were inhabiting at the time, or what the NBA’s rule book says.
The worst thing Stern and his lieutenants could have done was to throw the book at Davis for breaking the letter of the law. That would be a misguided attempt to protect the product. The public can tell the difference between a group of hot-headed Pacers who went berserk at the instigation of some loutish fans, and a man genuinely concerned about the welfare of his wife. If Stern is trying to make a point, he’s actually making the opposite point: that the league is more concerned with scrubbing its image than it is with getting things right.
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But the incident did happen quickly, and maybe he wasn’t in the frame of mind to follow protocol. His priority was to make sure his wife was safe.
For that, give him a little applause — despite the foray into the seats — and not a suspension.
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