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Cup thrown at Artest for sale on e-Bay
The cup that ignited the biggest brawl in US sports history could have been yours.
In the description of the cup, the seller wrote: "No sports collection will be complete without the addition of this vintage championship collector's edition beer cup. Simply a must for all Artest fans." There were also several photos of the cup hitting Artest, though there is no way to prove its authenticity. After Artest was hit with it, he went into the stands, setting off a melee between players and fans. The NBA players' union filed an appeal on behalf of Artest and two teammates on the Indiana Pacers. The union asked that an arbitrator decide whether there should be reductions in the suspensions of Artest, Stephen Jackson and Jermaine O'Neal. Artest was banned for the season, or 72 games, Jackson for 30 games and O'Neal for 25. Artest said on Tuesday he wished he had not got into the fight but felt the punishment was too harsh. The suspension means he will lose about US$5 million (euro3.82 million) in pay.
Union director Billy Hunter has called the penalties excessive, saying a suspension of about 35 games would have been more appropriate for Artest. Commissioner David Stern, who issued the suspensions, has sole discretion under collective-bargaining rules over penalties for on-court behaviour, and appeals also go through him. The union, however, asked that the case go to an arbitrator. "The action taken by the commissioner sets a new high-water mark in terms of the kind of discipline he feels he can impose," Hunter said in a telephone interview. "I think he has exceeded his authority and should be subject to review and challenge." Stern would normally have 20 days to rule on an appeal of an on-court discipline matter. |
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