No defending this decision
In light of the Indiana Pacers-Detroit Pistons brawl last season, every NBA player knows without question that, regardless of the circumstances, it is not allowable to ever, ever enter the stands.
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.
It is difficult to say what any of us would do in a similar situation, but I believe that given the league rules – and the nature of any incident that takes place in front of 20,000 people – 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.
For his part, Davis said he thought he saw his wife fall backward while being confronted by the heckler, and he understandably was scared and felt he had to react. But the reality is that, in general, a player who enters the stands probably puts himself – and the fans – at risk, as we saw at The Palace of Auburn Hills.
As for security, there is only so much that can be done at an NBA game to prevent this sort of thing from happening. The security force in Chicago reacted quickly and prevented any further escalation of the incident, but there is no way they can be everywhere at once. These things are going to happen, particularly with the sales of alcohol at the arenas, but it is up to the players to trust that league and arena security will handle any altercations, even if they include family members.
Davis will most likely be suspended by the NBA. David Stern came down hard on all the participants in the Pacers-Pistons brawl, and while this is a much less severe incident and a much more understandable reaction by the player, Davis nonetheless broke a very serious league rule. My guess is that he will receive at least a three-game suspension – possibly more.
