Knick coach Jeff Van Gundy – whose head was bloodied when Camby accidentally head-butted him during the incident – said the league went with five games to show it would not cave-in to television. Houston wondered if the suspension was so harsh because it involved the Knicks, and because the incident took place on Martin Luther King Day. “If I was a laywer, that would be my argument,” said Houston. That was a premeditated incident, while the Camby-Ferry eruption came at the end of a game in which the players had engaged in physical play. The Knicks expected Camby to get three games, which is what Raptor forward Charles Oakley got for punching out Jeff McInnis at a Clippers shootaround in December. I got to deal with it so we’ll take it from there.” I remember Chris got two games for punching Kobe. “Most people who connect in fights get two games. “I’ll let you guys handle that,” said Camby, who will lose between $375,000 and $400,000 in salary, plus the fine, if the suspension is upheld. When asked if he thought the way he lost his temper after a Ferry elbow opened a cut over his right eye, influenced the harsh ruling, Camby brought up other cases in which players were fined and suspended. Everybody’s got to step up, and we’ve got to try to focus on how we’re going to improve instead of how unfair we think the penalty is.”Ĭamby declined to comment directly on his punishment. So we’ve got to be more focused than we were in these last few games. “We know five games he’s not going to be here. “I think what we’ve got to do is basically everybody has to step up. “I think it’s unfair but a lot of things happen that are unfair,” said Allan Houston. It will be up to Kurt Thomas and Luc Longley to pick up the slack. Several Knicks said Camby’s play of late is the biggest reason the team has won two straight and nine of 10. So I just thought it was a little harsh, a little unfair.” Without mentioning names, guys have been in fights and actually connected with guys and they haven’t been suspended or fined that severely. Carlesimo – said regarding the length of Camby’s ban. “Nothing that the league does surprises me,” Latrell Sprewell – who has his own history with the league regarding his choking of former coach P.J. Stern can wait until Camby has sat out five games before issuing a ruling.įerry, meanwhile, received a one-game suspension and $7,500 fine. Kaplan also said the league’s process of appealing is disappointing. To do so, Stern would in effect be criticizing Stu Jackson, the league’s top cop, who works closely with Stern on such matters.īut Kaplan said the suspension is unreasonable and must be appealed. There is no timetable for when the appeal will be heard and, unlike baseball, Camby can’t play until Commissioner David Stern rules on the case.Ĭhances are the penalty will not be reduced. The severity of the punishment enraged the Knicks and Camby, who after conferring with his business manager, Rick Kaplan, and the NBA Players Association, filed an appeal with the league. But yesterday the NBA knocked him out for five games and fined him $25,000 for throwing a roundhouse right that missed Danny Ferry in the closing minutes of the Knicks’ Garden rout of San Antonio. Marcus Camby never landed a punch Monday.
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