Denver Nuggets Forward Carmelo Anthony has been suspended for 15 games after his role in the brawl that broke out between the Denver Nuggets and New York Knicks on Saturday December 16th, 2006. Nate Robinson and JR Smith each got 10 game suspensions. NBA commissioner David Stern fined each organization $500,000.00 dollars.
The fighting started when Mardy Collins prevented JR Smith from a breakaway basket by grabbing him around the neck and pulling him to the floor.
Knicks coach Isiah Thomas, who had warned Anthony not to go into the lane before the mayhem started Saturday night, was not penalized. All 10 players on the floor were ejected after the brawl.
"I was very disappointed," said NBA Commissioner Howard Stern. "Clearly, we're not getting through or players in certain circumstances just don't want to be restrained. I would suggest that those players will not have long careers in the NBA."
Stern was especially troubled by the fight between Robinson and Smith that spilled into the stands.
"My concern is actually for the safety of the players and the fans, and when things get out of hand you cannot predict or project where they're going to go," Stern said. "There were certain players who weren't going to allow themselves to be calmed."
Below is a statement released by the Denver Nuggets from Carmelo Anthony regarding the Nuggets vs Knicks brawl:
"Last night's altercation with the Knicks escalated further than it should have. I take full responsibility for my actions in the matter. In the heat of the moment I let my emotions get the best of me. I apologize to the fans, the Denver Nuggets, the NBA, my mother, and my family for the embarrassment I have caused them. I ask you all for your forgiveness. I also want to make a personal apology to Mardy Collins and his family. My actions were inexcusable, and I am sorry for making this an even more embarrassing situation.
What makes this all the more painful is that this was one of the most important weeks of my life. I just realized one of my biggest dreams when we opened the Youth Center in Baltimore that bares (sic) my name. To see the community excited and hundreds of kids smiling was an incredible feeling. Now the thought of thousands of kids seeing this incident on TV pains me. This is not the example I want to set. It's my hope that we work to move forward from this event, and never let something like this happen again."
Anthony just gave $1.5 million to a youth center in his home town. The Carmelo Anthony Youth Development Center, which offers after-school education and recreation programs to about 200 school-age children, will operate under a $1.5 million, five-year grant from Anthony.
At the time of the suspension, Carmelo Anthony was the NBA scoring leader.
