The NBA’s unusual punishment for Nikola Jokic’s assault
The deed: Denver’s Nikola Jokic knocked Markieff Morris to the ground
Quelle: USA TODAY Sports/Isaiah J. Downing
Nikola Jokic, MVP of the past NBA season, has received surprisingly mild sanctions for his brutal foul against the Miami Heat. His opponent may also have played a role in the low sentence. Because the victim is notorious.
Dhe NBA and its umpires are known for their rigorous crackdown on the league’s image. Waving in the direction of the referee can lead to a technical foul. Boilful behavior expressed in swear words or abuse is not infrequently punished with hefty fines.
In short: In order to sanction the misconduct of their players, no punishment is too low for the morality guards of the billion-dollar company. Actually.
The fact that Nikola Jokic, as MVP of the basketball league last season, was only suspended from one game for his foul in the game on Monday, arouses astonishment among many in view of the otherwise common scale.
Riots shortly before the end: In Denver there were clashes against the Miami Heat
Quelle: AP/David Zalubowski
Morris and Butler also punished
In the top game against the Miami Heat, the Denver Nuggets center had its fuses blown in the last leg of the game. 2:39 minutes before the end, Jokic and Co. were already leading with 17 points when the 2.11 meter tall Serb freaked out and rammed your shoulder into the back of his opponent.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra recognized “a dangerous and dirty foul”: “absolutely inappropriate.” Jokic, who was expelled from the field immediately after the action, did not contradict: “A stupid action. I feel bad. Really bad.”
However, and this may also be the reason for the mild sentence imposed by the NBA for the attack, it was Markieff Morris who rolled over the hall floor after the foul, his face contorted with pain.
On the ground: Markieff Morris later reported a neck injury
Quelle: AP/David Zalubowski
Morris, who moved to Florida from the Los Angeles Lakers in the summer, is notorious in the league for provocations and off-game skirmishes. “I had the feeling that I had to protect myself,” Jokic began trying to explain how the incident could have happened in the first place.
Regret: Nikola Jokic with attempts to explain how his act came about
Quelle: dpa/David Zalubowski
In fact, the 26-year-old’s foul was the direct response to an unnecessary and unfair action by his opponent, who had jumped into his body out of nowhere during the build-up and possibly irritated Jokic beforehand. “But I shouldn’t react like that and thus be thrown out of the game,” says Jokic, who accepted his penalty without complaint.
Morris, who was also sent off, was fined $ 50,000, and his teammate Jimmy Butler was also fined. Butler has to pay $ 30,000 because he “tried to let the situation escalate further and refused a call afterwards”. That’s how you know the NBA.
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