Taiwanese basketball star Wu Tai-hao (???) has been handed a NT$5,000 (US$178.87) fine and a one-game suspension Sunday for smashing the ball into the face of former NBA player Devin Robinson during an altercation on the court a day earlier.
The altercation began with two minutes and 19 seconds left in the first half of a P. LEAGUE+ game at Hsinchu County Stadium Saturday after Hsinchu JKO Lioneers forward Wu grabbed a defensive rebound and was smacked in the head and neck area by Taoyuan Pilots forward Robinson.
Picking himself up off the ground, Wu took the basketball and smashed it into the face of Robinson at point-blank range before referees, players, and coaching staff got in between the two to break up the altercation.
Wu was ejected from the game, while Robinson also faced ejection for the unsportsmanlike foul in addition to another technical foul because of a small scuffle with Lioneers point guard Oscar Kao (???).
With Robinson — the league’s fourth top scorer and rebounder, averaging 23 points and 13.23 rebounds per game — ejected, the Pilots lost the game Saturday 101-80.
Prior to joining the Pilots for the P. LEAGUE+’s 2021-22 season, Robinson played for the Washington Wizards in the NBA from 2017-2019 and for teams in the NBA G League from 2019-2020 and in 2021.
Following the incident, P. LEAGUE+ issued a statement Sunday describing Wu’s actions as a “Flagrant 1”, which is any foul that is deemed unnecessary.
After the game on Saturday, Lioneers head coach Greg Lin (???) said there would always be some physical contact and body collisions in basketball, but the altercation was something that he wished didn’t happen.
Wu was fouled, causing him to lose control of his temper and set a bad example, hence the Lioneers will accept any punishment handed by the league, Lin said, adding that any wrongdoing will be reviewed and communicated with the players.
However, Lin still praised the 37-year-old Wu for his passion for the game and determination to help the Lioneers win games.
Wu, a Taiwan basketball veteran, who has made over 20 appearances for the Taiwan national, also made an apology through a post on a Lioneers social media account.
“I am very sorry that in this game I set a bad example for the fans. Because I lost control of my temper and made an inappropriate action after being hit in the face, I will gladly accept any subsequent punishment from the league,” Wu said.
In response to the P. LEAGUE+ ruling, the Pilots issued its own statement to challenge the decision as to why Wu only received a Flagrant 1 when his actions reflect the more serious Flagrant 2, which is unnecessary and excessive contact committed by a player against an opponent.
Furthermore, the Pilots said Robinson should not have been given a technical foul for an alleged scuffle with Kao because Kao was trying to grab his jersey and Robinson was just brushing his hand away out of self-defense.
The Pilots have asked the P. LEAGUE+ to look into the matter and provide more detailed explanations.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel